Are You Gonna Go My Way (song)
Encyclopedia
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is the first single
to be released by Lenny Kravitz
from the album of the same name
. It was released in March 1993. It was written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross
. The single has been covered by numerous artists, such as Metallica
, in a medley for "MTV
Hits" at the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards, Tom Jones
and Robbie Williams
on Jones' 1999 album Reload
and Melanie Brown
in her solo section, on the Spice Girls Reunion Tour
. Serbia
n hard rock
band Cactus Jack
recorded a version on their live cover album DisCover
in 2002. A remixed version is played as the opening theme song in Gran Turismo 3. The song is featured in Guitar Hero: World Tour, it is available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series
, and it is a playable song in Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades. It ranked #78 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
's videos. He would later direct more videos for Kravitz, such as "Is There Any Love In Your Heart" and "If You Can't Say No".
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" was one of the most played videos in 1993 on MTV
and is considered a landmark music video of the 90s. It won the 1993 MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Artist, and was played live during the show with John Paul Jones
of Led Zeppelin
fame on bass
. In 2006, it was ranked as one of VH1
's Top 20 Most Memorable Videos of All Time.
The video is featured in the DVD
for the special tour edition for Kravitz's Greatest Hits album. It is also featured on Directors Label Volume 4: The Work of Director Mark Romanek.
used on a funk
cover of "Not Fade Away
" on his 1976 album 20th Anniversary of Rock & Roll, a specific break from the Kinks' 1964 song "You Really Got Me
", and the vocal melody of a 1982 Jean-Jacques Goldman
song, "Quand la musique est bonne". The song failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
, but reached #1 on the Album Rock Tracks and #2 on the Modern Rock Tracks
. Besides, it reached the top 5 in the UK, peaking at number four.
It is still Kravitz's most successful single in Australia, where it peaked at number-one for six weeks through April and May 1993. "Are You Gonna Go My Way" is the only Diamond certified single in Brazil
, with over 500,000 downloads.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
to be released by Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
from the album of the same name
Are You Gonna Go My Way
Are You Gonna Go My Way is the third studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on March 9, 1993 by Virgin Records America. It was recorded at Waterfront Recording Studios, Hoboken, New Jersey...
. It was released in March 1993. It was written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross
Craig Ross
Craig David Ross is an American guitarist best known for performing and recording with Lenny Kravitz.-Biography:Ross was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Craig Ross picked up the guitar at age 8, following a path that he hasn't deviated from since...
. The single has been covered by numerous artists, such as Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, in a medley for "MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Hits" at the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards, Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
and Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
on Jones' 1999 album Reload
Reload (album)
Reload is the title of an album, released in 1999 by Welsh singer Tom Jones.After a lengthy career, and a notable absence from the music charts for several years, Jones resurrected his career with this album of 15 cover versions and 2 original tracks recorded as duets with current artists...
and Melanie Brown
Melanie Brown
Melanie Janine "Scary Spice" Brown , often better known as Mel B, is an English pop singer-songwriter, actress, author and television presenter...
in her solo section, on the Spice Girls Reunion Tour
The Return of the Spice Girls
The Return of the Spice Girls was the second Europe-North America concert tour by British girl group the Spice Girls. This reunion tour visited five countries in both North America and Europe. This tour marked the group's first tour since 1999's Christmas in Spiceworld tour of the United Kingdom,...
. Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Cactus Jack
Cactus Jack (band)
-Band history:The band, originally named Caramba, was formed at the end of 1998 by Stevan Birak , Miodrag Krudulj , Vladimir Jezdimirović and Dušan Gnjidić ....
recorded a version on their live cover album DisCover
DisCover (album)
Discover, written as DisCover on the cover, is the first album by Serbian hard rock band Cactus Jack.The album features nineteen cover songs and was recorded on Cactus Jack concert in Coupe club in Pančevo...
in 2002. A remixed version is played as the opening theme song in Gran Turismo 3. The song is featured in Guitar Hero: World Tour, it is available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, and it is a playable song in Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades. It ranked #78 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
Music video
The music video consisted of Kravitz and his band playing, surrounded by people dancing. The opening shot of the video shows Lenny with his arms open, looking towards the heavens, before the scenery is filled with light. The background scenography consists of a futuristic and architectonical place, something not unusual on director Mark RomanekMark Romanek
Mark Romanek is an American filmmaker, whose directing work includes feature films, music videos and commercials.He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2002 film One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams...
's videos. He would later direct more videos for Kravitz, such as "Is There Any Love In Your Heart" and "If You Can't Say No".
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" was one of the most played videos in 1993 on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and is considered a landmark music video of the 90s. It won the 1993 MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Artist, and was played live during the show with John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
fame on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. In 2006, it was ranked as one of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Top 20 Most Memorable Videos of All Time.
The video is featured in the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
for the special tour edition for Kravitz's Greatest Hits album. It is also featured on Directors Label Volume 4: The Work of Director Mark Romanek.
Awards
The success of the song and the music video led to Kravitz being nominated for and winning several awards:- Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo: Nominated
- Grammy Award for Best Rock Song: Nominated
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction: Nominated
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Artist: Won
Personnel
- Lead and background vocals performed by Lenny Kravitz.
- Drums performed by Cindy BlackmanCindy BlackmanCindy Blackman is an American jazz and rock drummer. Blackman is best-known for recording and touring with Lenny Kravitz...
. - Electric guitar performed by Craig RossCraig RossCraig David Ross is an American guitarist best known for performing and recording with Lenny Kravitz.-Biography:Ross was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Craig Ross picked up the guitar at age 8, following a path that he hasn't deviated from since...
. - Bass performed by Tony Breit.
Track listings
- CD 1
- "Are You Gonna Go My Way"
- "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"
- "Always on the Run"
- "Let Love Rule"
- CD 2
- "Are You Gonna Go My Way" - 3:32
- "My Love" - 3:52
- "All My Life" - 6:16
- "Someone Like You" - 4:14
Chart performance
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is one of Kravitz's most successful songs, and is also considered one of his signature songs. But the song appears to reproduce a riff Bo DiddleyBo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
used on a funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
cover of "Not Fade Away
Not Fade Away (song)
"Not Fade Away" is a song credited to Buddy Holly and Norman Petty and first recorded by Holly's band The Crickets in Clovis, New Mexico, on May 27, 1957...
" on his 1976 album 20th Anniversary of Rock & Roll, a specific break from the Kinks' 1964 song "You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...
", and the vocal melody of a 1982 Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is a Grammy Awards-winning French singer-songwriter. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and since 2003 was the second-highest-grossing French living pop singer, after Johnny Hallyday.- Biography :...
song, "Quand la musique est bonne". The song failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, but reached #1 on the Album Rock Tracks and #2 on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
. Besides, it reached the top 5 in the UK, peaking at number four.
It is still Kravitz's most successful single in Australia, where it peaked at number-one for six weeks through April and May 1993. "Are You Gonna Go My Way" is the only Diamond certified single in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, with over 500,000 downloads.
| Chart (1993/94) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 24 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 | 8 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
5 |
| French Singles Chart | 4 |
| German Singles Chart | 25 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
6 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 7 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 18 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
2 |