Format 7" Length 2:44 | Genre Rock, pop rock Label CBS (UK) Epic (US) | |
B-side "Down the Mississippi Line" Released 23 April 1970 (1970-04-23) | ||
"Yellow River" is a popular song recorded by the British band Christie. Written by band leader Jeff Christie, the song theme could be inspired by Albert Ketèlbey's classical piece In a Persian Market (second theme, Beggars chorus). It was offered to The Tremeloes, who recorded it with the intention of releasing it as a single early in 1970. However, after the success of their then most recent single, "Call Me Number One", and after considering it too pop-orientated for their future direction, they decided to follow it up with another of their own compositions, "By the Way", which was only a minor Top 40 success.
Producer Mike Smith therefore took their vocals off the recording and added those of Jeff Christie. Released on 23 April 1970, it became an international hit, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart for one week in June 1970. In the US, it reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
The actual location of Yellow River in this song is not specified, although the author, Jeff Christie, is on record as saying that it was inspired by the idea of a soldier going home at the end of the American Civil War. As the song was released during the Vietnam War, it has been interpreted as being about a soldier leaving the U.S. Military at the end of his period of conscription.
Other versions
"Yellow River" has spawned a host of cover versions by artists as diverse as R.E.M., Leapy Lee, Elton John, The Compton Brothers, Middle of the Road, Chris Rea, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and Joe Dassin (who achieved a major hit with this French cover named L'Amérique).
In Australia, Christie's version of Yellow River gained only limited airplay due to the 1970 radio ban. Local bands Jigsaw from Melbourne and Autumn from Sydney both had success with cover versions.