Run to Paradise

"Run to Paradise"
Single by The Choirboys
from the album Big Bad Noise
A-side	Run to Paradise
B-side	Struck by Lightning
Released	October 1987
Format	vinyl 7"
Genre	Hard rock, Pub rock
Length	4:08
Label	Mushroom
Writer(s)	Mark Gable, Brad Carr
Producer(s)	Peter Blyton, Brian McGee, Choirboys
The Choirboys singles chronology
"Fireworks" "Run to Paradise" "Boys Will Be Boys"

"Run to Paradise" is a single by Australian hard rock group The Choirboys which reached No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in October 1987. It was Australia's 11th highest selling single of the eighties. The related Big Bad Noise album peaked at No. 5, it went double platinum and ranked No. 21 for 1988 in Australia. In New Zealand, "Run to Paradise" attained No. 13 on the RIANZ Singles Chart. Released in the United States in 1989, it appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Rock charts. The song was re-worked for a 2004 release credited to Nick Skitz vs. Choirboys and reached No. 16 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

Background

Choirboys signed with Mushroom Records and released "Fireworks" in May 1986, they also opened for Deep Purple on their tour of Australia. Brad Carr left the group to be replaced on lead guitar by Brett Williams (ex-Brakes) as they supported Bon Jovi's tour in 1987.^[1] They recorded their second album Big Bad Noise with producers Peter Blyton (The Radiators, Machinations) and Brian McGee (The Rolling Stones, Cyndi Lauper).^[2] The next single "Run to Paradise" reached No. 3 in October and was the 11th highest selling single of the eighties.^[3] In New Zealand, it attained No. 13 on the RIANZ Singles Chart.^[4] Released in the United States, it appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 33 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1989.^[5] Big Bad Noise peaked at No. 5 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart in April 1988 and went double platinum.^[1][3] It was ranked No. 21 for the year in Australia.^[6] Other singles from the album included "Boys Will Be Boys" and "Struggle Town" reaching No. 14 and No. 34 respectively.^[3]

The song returned to the Australian singles charts in Australia in July 2004 when dance producer Nick Skitz asked Gable to sing "Run to Paradise" on a dance reworking. The song, billed as "Nick Skitz vs. Choirboys", debuted in the top 20 of the Australian singles charts and stayed in the charts for six weeks before leaving the top 50.^[7]

Jay Parrino performed the song during the semi-finals of Australia's Got Talent 2009. With his 'one man band' act he recorded live drums into a loop station then played guitar and sang over the top. This arrangement has a swinging 12/8 shuffle feel which is different from the original.

Track listing

Australian 7" vinyl

1. "Run to Paradise" (Mark Gable, Brad Carr)^[8] – 4:08
2. "Struck by Lightning" (Gable, Ian Hulme, Lindsay Tebbutt)^[9] – 3:32

Australian 12" vinyl

1. "Run to Paradise" (Gable, Carr) – 4:08
2. "Struck by Lightning" (Gable, Hulme, Tebbutt) – 3:32
3. "One Hot Day" (Gable, Carr)^[10] – 3:28

US 7" vinyl

1. "Run to Paradise" (Gable, Carr) – 4:08
2. "Gasoline" (Gable, Carr)^[11] – 3:56

Personnel

Choirboys

• Brett Williams – lead guitar
• Mark Gable – lead vocals, guitar
• Ian Hulme – backing vocals, bass guitar
• Lindsay Tebbutt – drums

Production details

• Producer – Peter Blyton, Brian McGee, Choirboys
• Engineer – Greg Henderson, McGee, Mike Duffy
  • Assistant engineer – Angie Cooper, Paula Jones, Mark Thomas, Kathy Nauton
  • Cutting engineer – Rick O'Neil
• Studio – Studio 301, Rhinoceros, Festival, Glebe Studios, Alberts and Platinum Studios
  • Mixing studio – Rhinoceros
• Cover design, inner sleeve – Studio David (David Wardle, Therese Strelein, Rebecca Strelein)
• Cover photography – Sue Stubbs

References

General

• McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Whammo Homepage". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on April 5, 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2010. Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
• Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry (2002) [1987]. The Who's Who of Australian Rock. Noble Park, Vic.: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1.^[12]

Specific

1. McFarlane, 'Choirboys' entry. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
2. Holmgren, Magnus; Hopp, Michael; Coleman, Richard. "Choirboys". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
4. "Discography Choirboys". New Zealand charts portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
5. "Big Bad Noise > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
6. "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Albums 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 16 July 2010.
7. "Discography Choirboys". Australian charts portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
8. ""Run to Paradise" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 July 2010.
9. ""Struck by Lightning" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 July 2010.
10. ""One Hot Day" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 July 2010.
11. ""Gasoline" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 July 2010.
12. "Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry". catalogue. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2010.