Raw (song)

"Raw" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the first single from their 1989 album Heart Like a Sky. It failed to make the top 40 in the UK but received mostly positive reviews.

Background
During the making of Spandau Ballet's 1986 album Through the Barricades, brothers and band members Gary and Martin Kemp were approached with the idea of starring in a film about twin gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray. Their work on the film disrupted the recording of their next album, Heart Like a Sky, and created tension between the Kemps and the rest of the band. During a cover photo shoot for the first single from the album, "Raw", Gary Kemp criticized lead singer Tony Hadley's choice of clothing and thought the other band members would agree. Instead their saxophonist, Steve Norman, responded sharply in Hadley's defence. In his 2004 autobiography To Cut a Long Story Short, Hadley wrote, "You just have to look at the shots from that session to see the hostility written all over our faces."

Kemp told Record Mirror at the time of its release that "Raw" was "about paranoia" and that it was "based on" Alan Parker's 1987 film Angel Heart. Dialog from the film can be heard on the Amnesia Mix of the song. Kemp said, "I wanted it to be voodoo, … I wanted it to be manic, and to have a kind of New Orleans feel, so at the beginning there's that wild trumpet. It's almost a ritualistic, drug-orientated feel." Angel Heart also inspired the video, which was filmed at an old power station in South London.

Release and commercial performance
"Raw" was released in the UK on 22 August 1988 and peaked at number 47 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number 11 in Italy, number 22 in Belgium, number 23 in the Netherlands and number 79 in Australia. Kemp described the song as "[a] return to 'Chant'-style funk with a swamp-infested, malevolent beat that, in our opinion, would take Spandau Ballet straight back to the dance floor." He realized in retrospect, however, that new trends in dance music that the band was not following had taken over.

Critical reception
"Raw" received mostly positive reviews upon its release. Smash Hits critic Alex Kadis wrote, "Now they're back with probably their best offering yet! 'Raw' is a-brim with atmosphere and steamy bits and is really very exhilarating indeed." Record Mirror's Robin Smith wrote, "'Raw' is the stuff of which great comebacks are made. A fiery dance blend that hints nostalgically at the past but looks forward at the same time." Number One's guest critic Mark Goodier gave the song three stars out of five, remarking, "This takes too long to get to the chorus."

Track listings

 * 7-inch single
 * A. "Raw" – 3:46
 * B. "Raw" (Flip) – 3:50


 * 12-inch single
 * A. "Raw"(Extended Mix) – 7:46
 * B. "Raw" (Flip) – 3:50


 * CD single
 * A. "Raw" – 3:46
 * B. "Raw" (Flip) – 3:50
 * C. "Raw" (Extended Mix) – 7:46


 * Picture CD single
 * A. "Raw" – 3:46
 * B. "Raw" (Flip) – 3:50
 * C. "Raw" (Amnesia Mix) – 5:43