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"Kyrie"
Single by Mr. Mister
from the album Welcome to the Real World
B-side	"Run to Her" "Hunters of the Night"
Released	December 1985
Recorded	1985
Genre	Pop rock
Length	4:25 (album version) 4:10 (single/video version)
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Richard Page Steve George John Lang
Producer(s)	Mr. Mister Paul De Villiers
Mr. Mister singles chronology
"Broken Wings" (1985) "Kyrie" (1985) "Is It Love" (1986)
Music video
"Kyrie" on YouTube

"Kyrie" is a song by American pop rock band Mr. Mister, from their album Welcome to the Real World. Released around Christmas in 1985, it hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1986, where it was number 1 for two weeks. It also hit the top spot on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for one week. In the UK, the song peaked at number 11 in March 1986.

Background and writing

The lyrics to "Kyrie" were written by Arizona-born John Lang, who co-wrote the songs on all of Mr. Mister's albums. The music was composed by Richard Page and Steve George while on tour with Adam Ant.

In Greek, Kýrie, eléison means "Lord, have mercy" and is a part of many liturgical rites in both Eastern and Western Christianity. Kýrie, eléison; Christé, eléison; Kýrie, eléison is a prayer that asks "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." According to Page's statements, he was initially skeptical about singing the Christian text Lang had written because he didn't want to make a "religious statement".

There is a myth that singer Richard Page wrote "Kyrie" while lying in a hospital bed after being assaulted. It was John Lang who had been assaulted three years before the composition; Lang has stated that the incident has nothing to do with the song.

The video was directed by Nick Morris, and shows the band in performance mixed with footage taken at the tail end of their Autumn 1985 tour with Tina Turner.

"Kyrie" was used in the hit U.S. TV series Miami Vice during season two, episode fourteen "One-Way Ticket". It was also used in the Netflix series' GLOW as well as the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs. The U.S. 7" single can be found pressed on transparent purple vinyl or polystyrene, depending on where it was manufactured.

Reception

Cash Box said it's a "booming track which ... features top musicianship and a soaring chorus hook."

Personnel

Credits sourced from Mix

• Richard Page – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
• Steve George – Yamaha DX7 and Prophet-5 synthesizers
• Steve Farris – electric guitars
• Pat Mastelotto – snare drum, Simmons SDS-V electronic drums, LinnDrum programming

Track listings

Non-UK 7-inch single

A. "Kyrie" – 4:10

B. "Run to Her" – 3:36

UK 7-inch single

A. "Kyrie" (edited version) – 3:38

B. "Kyrie" – 4:10

UK 12-inch single

A1. "Kyrie" – 4:10

B1. "Kyrie" (edited version) – 3:38

B2. "Hunters of the Night" – 4:07

European and Japanese 12-inch single

A1. "Kyrie" – 4:24

B1. "Run to Her" – 3:36

B2. "Hunters of the Night" – 5:07

The single edit (which was also used for the video version) ends with the a cappella phrase "Kýrie, eléison, down the road that I must travel", while the album version simply fades out.

Charts

Cover versions

In 1993, Acappella Vocal Band, a traditional Southern gospel group, included a version of the song on their album U and Me and God Make 5 (Word). The group later recorded a Spanish version of the song as well. Also in 1993, the song, retitled as "Kyrie Eleison", was covered by Contemporary Christian music duo East to West on their self-titled debut album.

Contemporary Christian artist Mark Schultz recorded it for his 2001 album Song Cinema.

References

1. Breihan, Tom (March 5, 2021). "The Number Ones: U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"". Stereogum. Retrieved October 10, 2022. But "Kyrie" sounded very much like a circa-1986 pop-rock song.
2. Smith, Troy L. (13 May 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
3. Kýrie, eléison – Translation from the StraightDope
4. Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine – RetroRewind interview
5. Lang letter to "Mr. Music" – dated June, 2004
6. Kyrie details Archived 2017-07-20 at the Wayback Machine – from Mr. Mister fansite
7. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. December 21, 1985. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
8. "Classic Tracks: Mr. Mister's "Kyrie"". mixonline.com. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
9. Mr. Mister (1985). Kyrie (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). RCA Records. PB-14258.
10. Mr. Mister (1986). Kyrie (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). RCA Records. PB 49927.
11. Mr. Mister (1985). Kyrie (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). RCA Records. PT49928.
12. Mr. Mister (1985). Kyrie (European 12-inch single vinyl disc). RCA Records. PT49928.
13. Mr. Mister (1986). Kyrie (Japanese 12-inch single vinyl disc). RCA Records. RPS-1021.
14. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 210. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
15. "Mr. Mister – Kyrie" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
16. "Mr. Mister – Kyrie" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
17. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0646." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
18. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9445." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
19. "European Hot 100 Singles". Eurotipsheet. Vol. 3, no. 12. March 29, 1986. p. 14. OCLC 29800226.
20. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Mr. Mister". Sisältää hitin – Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish) (2nd ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 177. ISBN 978-952-7460-01-6.
21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Kyrie". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Mr Mister" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
23. "Mr. Mister – Kyrie" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
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25. "Mr. Mister – Kyrie". VG-lista.
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27. "Mr. Mister – Kyrie". Swiss Singles Chart.
28. "Mr Mister: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
29. "Mr. Mister Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
30. "Mr. Mister Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
31. "Mr. Mister Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
32. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending March 8, 1986". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
33. "Offiziellecharts.de – Mr. Mister – Kyrie" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
34. "National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. No. 650. December 29, 1986 – via Imgur.
35. "Jaaroverzichten 1986 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
36. "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. December 27, 1986. p. 5. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
37. "European Hot 100 Singles – Hot 100 of the Year 1986". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. December 27, 1986. p. 28. OCLC 29800226.
38. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
39. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
40. "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
41. "Mainstream Rock Songs – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
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43. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1986" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
44. "Song Cinema - Mark Schultz - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.

• 1985 singles
• 1985 songs
• Mr. Mister songs
• Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
• Cashbox number-one singles
• Number-one singles in Norway
• RPM Top Singles number-one singles
• Songs written by Steve George (keyboardist)
• Songs written by Richard Page (musician)
• RCA Records singles
• Rock ballads