Eye in the Sky (song)

"Eye in the Sky" is a song by British rock band the Alan Parsons Project. It was released as a single from their sixth studio album, Eye in the Sky (1982), in August 1982. It hit No. 3 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. in October 1982,[3] No. 1 in both Canada and Spain, and No. 6 in New Zealand and was their most successful release. The instrumental piece entitled "Sirius" segues into "Eye in the Sky"' on the original recording.

"Eye in the Sky"
Single by the Alan Parsons Project
from the album Eye in the Sky
B-side	"Mammagamma" "Gemini"
Released	August 1982
Recorded	Late 1981
Studio	Abbey Road, London
Genre	Soft rock[1] art pop[2]
Length	4:36 (album version) 3:55 (7-inch version)
Label	Arista
Songwriter(s)	Alan Parsons Eric Woolfson
Producer(s)	Alan Parsons Eric Woolfson
The Alan Parsons Project singles chronology
"Snake Eyes" (1981) "Sirius" / "Eye in the Sky" / "Mammagamma" (1982) "Psychobabble" (1982)

In 2019, Alan Parsons recorded a version in Catalan of this song, under the title "Seré els teus ulls al camí" ("I'll be your eyes on the road"), for the CD edited by La Marató de TV3, a telethon devoted to raise funds for the research of incurable diseases.[4][5]

Overview

The 1:54 minute instrumental piece entitled "Sirius" immediately precedes "Eye in the Sky"' on the original recording, which then segues into "Eye in the Sky". On the single release, "Eye in the Sky" appears on its own, with "Sirius" edited out; this is the version that was usually played on pop radio at the time. However, album-oriented rock and classic rock stations almost exclusively include the "Sirius" intro.

Personnel

• Alan Parsons – Fairlight CMI, production, engineering, composer
• Eric Woolfson – Wurlitzer electric piano, vocals, composer, lyrics
• Ian Bairnson – acoustic and electric guitars
• David Paton – bass
• Stuart Elliott – drums
• Chris Rainbow – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Charts (1982) Peak position Australian Kent Music Report[6] 22 Canadian RPM Top Singles[7] 1 Canadian RPM Top Adult Contemporary[8] 7 French Singles Chart[9] 16 Germany (Official German Charts)[10] 38 Italian Singles Chart[11] 5 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 6 Spain (AFYVE)[13] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[14] 3 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] 3 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[16] 11

Year-end charts Chart (1982) Rank Canadian RPM Top Singles[17] 31 Italian Singles Chart[11] 45 Spanish Singles Chart 1 US Billboard Hot 100[18] 32 US Cashbox Top 100[19] 28

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[20]	Gold	50,000^^
Italy (FIMI)[21]	Gold	25,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[22]	Gold	25,000^^
United States (RIAA)[23]	Gold	500,000
^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Cover versions

• Asia featuring John Payne released a cover of this song on their album Recollections: A Tribute to British Prog in 2014.
• Synthpop artist Parralox released a cover of this song as a single in 2013.
• Folk rock artist Jonatha Brooke covered this song on her 2004 album, Back in the Circus.[24]
• Israeli artist Noa covered this song on her 2002 album, Now.
• Rapper Immortal Technique sampled the song on his 2011 album, The Martyr.
• Gary War covered the song on his 2008 album New Raytheonport.
• An instrumental cover of the song was released on jazz guitarist Gilad Hekselman's 2013 album This Just In.
• The Portland, Oregon band Viva Voce recorded the song in 2007 as part of a compilation album called Bridging the Distance, made to benefit p:ear, a local program designed to assist homeless and transitional youth.

Critics in Europe and North America have pointed to similarities between the melody of Lady Antebellum's 2010 single "Need You Now" and "Eye in the Sky".[25][26]

References

1. People. 61. Time. 2004. p. 51.
2. Reed, Ryan (4 March 2019). "Justin Hayward Captains Inaugural On the Blue Cruise: Review". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
3. Trust, Gary (27 October 2009). "Backwards Bullets: This Week In Charts 1982". Billboard.com. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
4. "Noa, Alan Parsons i Víctor Manuel, al disc de La Marató". El Punt Avui. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
5. "TV-3 celebra el 15º aniversario del 'Disc de la Marató' a lo grande". El Periodico. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
7. "Eye in the Sky in Canadian Charts". CollectionsCanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
8. "Eye in the Sky in Canadian Adult Contemporary Charts". CollectionsCanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
9. "Artists". InfoDisc.fr. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
10. "The Alan Parsons Project: Eye in the Sky (song)". Retrieved 8 July 2015.
11. "I singoli più venduti del 1982". HitParade Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 8 July 2015.
12. "Charts.nz – The Alan Parsons Project – Eye in the Sky". Top 40 Singles.
13. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
14. "The Alan Parsons Project Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
15. "The Alan Parsons Project Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
16. "The Alan Parsons Project Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
17. "Top 100 Singles". RPM. republished online at CollectionsCanada.gc.ca. 37 (19). 25 December 1982. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
18. "Top 100 Hits of 1982/Top 100 Songs of 1982". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
19. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1982 Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1982". Cashbox. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
20. "Canadian single certifications – Alan Parsons – Eye in the Sky". Music Canada. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
21. "Italian single certifications – Alan Parsons – Eye in the Sky" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 9 December 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Eye in the Sky" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
22. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
23. "American single certifications – Alan Parsons – Eye in the Sky". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 14 January 2021. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
24. Hermann, Andy (23 February 2004). "Jonatha Brooke: Back in the Circus". PopMatters. Retrieved 11 October 2015. Even better is her completely unexpected take on that old Alan Parsons Project chestnut, "Eye in the Sky", which she reclaims as a heart-wrenching folk ballad.
25. Rodgers, D. Patrick, "Alan Parsons' Camp Alleges Lady Antebellum Rip-Off," Nashville Scene (11 November 2010).
26. "Is this an Awards Show or What?". NOW Toronto. 14 February 2011.

External links

• Songfacts - Eye in the Sky by The Alan Parsons Project