Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)
"Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" is a song performed by Mike + The Mechanics. Written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, it was the first track on the 1985 self-titled debut album of Mike + the Mechanics. It was also released as the band's first single, peaking at number 6 on 8 March 1986 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it stayed for five weeks. It reached No. 21 in the band's native United Kingdom.
| "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
European picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Mike + The Mechanics | ||||
| from the album Mike + The Mechanics | ||||
| Released | 4 November 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock, new wave | |||
| Length | 6:14 4:09 (7") | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Mike Rutherford, B. A. Robertson | |||
| Producer(s) | Christopher Neil | |||
| Mike + The Mechanics singles chronology | ||||
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Paul Carrack provided lead vocals on the song. Alan Murphy was hired as a session guitarist and provided lead guitar on the track. The song's original title was simply "Silent Running"; the name extension was given when the song was chosen to appear in the 1986 movie On Dangerous Ground, which was titled Choke Canyon in the United States.
The song was banned by the BBC during the Gulf War due to its address of war, nationalism and religion, as well as a direct reference to weaponry in the line, "There's a gun and ammunition just inside the doorway."