Happy birthday November Rain. The long poem by Guns N 'Roses on February 18th blows out 30 candles. A much loved song unique in many respects and with various records to its credit.
November Rain was first heard on February 18, 1992. It was part of the band's third studio album, Use Your Illusion I. Over time it became one of the iconic songs of rock and hard rock music, recognizable from the first notes.
The ballad manages to recreate a melancholy atmosphere despite the band's rock vocation. But what prompted Axl Rose to write such a poignant song?
The story of November Rain
Although it was released in 1992, Tracii Guns - former guitarist and founder of Guns N 'Roses alongside Axl Rose - said the band's frontman had been working on it since 1983.
“When we were working on an EP […] Axl was playing November Rain on the piano. It was the only thing he could play. […] To my question “When will you finish it?”, Axl replied “I don't know”.
It took another 9 years to perfect it and make it known. Written and composed by Axl Rose, the song was partially played on the synthesizer but in the recording studio it was played by a real orchestra. Orchestra that was only present on rare occasions such as during the MTV Video Music Awards, when Elton John will sit at the second piano.
The text tells the moments of crisis and the end of a sentimental relationship. The video stars Axl Rose and a hypothetical companion of her and ends with her tragic death. Directed by Andy Morahan, it is divided into two parts: in the first there is a live concert, directed by an orchestra master, with Axl Rose at the piano. The second takes place in an abandoned church where sun and clouds, light and storm alternate.
Among the protagonists of the video clip, together with Axl and the band, is the American model Stephanie Seymour, the bride who appears in the video and Axl's girlfriend.
The records
Guns N 'Roses frontman Axl Rose is said to have written and composed a song of over 25 minutes but November Rain was later shortened to 8 minutes and 57 seconds. There is also a shorter version of about 6 minutes for the radio.
November Rain is the longest song to have entered the Billboard Hot 100 statunitense, taking third place in 1992.
It is also the one with the longest guitar solo, 50 seconds, entered the Top Ten USA. Solo by Slash, who also won sixth place in the ranking of the 100 best solos according to Guitar World. It also holds the same position in the list of the 25 most popular power ballads, according to VH1.
even the video broke numerous records. Costing about $ 1,5 million, it is the ninth most expensive music video in history. On Youtube it boasts 1,3 billion views, becoming the first rock song in history to exceed 1 billion views.
Nothing lasts forever, Nothin 'lasts forever, says the song but maybe November rain is on the right track ...
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Sources of reference: RdS, R3M
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