The Tide Is Turning

"The Tide Is Turning"
Single by Roger Waters
from the album Radio K.A.O.S.
B-side	"Money" (Live) "Get Back to Radio" (Demo) "The Powers That Be"
Released	16 November 1987
Format	7" single, CD single, 12" single
Recorded	1986
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	5:43
Label	Columbia/CBS Records (US) EMI (UK)
Writer(s)	Roger Waters
Producer(s)	Roger Waters Nick Griffiths
Roger Waters singles chronology
"Sunset Strip" (1987) "The Tide Is Turning" (1987) "Who Needs Information" (1987)
Music video "The Tide Is Turning" on YouTube

"The Tide Is Turning (After Live Aid)", known better by its shortened commercial title, "The Tide Is Turning" is the closing track from Roger Waters' second studio album, Radio K.A.O.S. It was released as the album's third single, in November 1987. A live version of the song was released as the second single from Waters' debut live album, The Wall – Live in Berlin in November 1990.

Background

Though Waters had offered his services for the Live Aid concert in 1985 and was turned down by organizer Bob Geldof, the event still inspired Waters to write this song. After he had recorded the Radio K.A.O.S. album, which ends with a simulated nuclear attack in the song "Four Minutes", his record company informed him that the album was too bleak and needed a more upbeat ending. Waters then recorded and added "The Tide Is Turning" to give the album a more optimistic finish.

Release

It was released as a CD single that included a live version of the Pink Floyd song "Money", which was written by Waters for their highly successful 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. It was recorded during Waters' Radio K.A.O.S. Tour, in which he toured the United States and Canada across 4 months in late 1987. It also included an unreleased track that was recorded during the sessions for Radio K.A.O.S. but not used. "Get Back to Radio" (which is listed as a demo recording, i.e., not a finished track), was originally written to be an album opener, but later scrapped after a story for Radio K.A.O.S. was fully developed. The demo itself does not follow nor reference Billy or the story of Radio K.A.O.S.

Track listings

UK 7" single
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Tide Is Turning"	5:43
2.	"Money (Live)"	8:41

UK CD / 12" single
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Tide Is Turning"	5:43
2.	"Money (Live)"	8:41
3.	"Get Back to Radio (Demo)"	4:46

Australia 7" single
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Tide Is Turning"	5:43
2.	"The Powers That Be"	4:36

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[1]	54

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)
United Kingdom[2][3]	16 November 1987	7" single
		12" single
		CD single
Australia [3]	5 December 1987	7" single

The Wall – Live In Berlin version

"The Tide Is Turning (Live in Berlin)"
Single by Roger Waters, with Joni Mitchell, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison and Paul Carrack
from the album The Wall – Live in Berlin
B-side	"Nobody Home" (Live in Berlin)
Released	19 November 1990
Format	7" single, CD single, 12" single
Recorded	21 July 1990
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	5:44
Label	Mercury Records
Producer(s)	Roger Waters Nick Griffiths
Roger Waters singles chronology
"Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" (Live in Berlin) (1990) "The Tide Is Turning (Live in Berlin)" (1990) "What God Wants, Part 1" (1992)
Music video "The Tide Is Turning (Live in Berlin)" on YouTube

Waters performed "The Tide Is Turning" with Joni Mitchell, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison with The Band and Paul Carrack and the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir in the 1990 concert, The Wall Live in Berlin. It served as the closing number of Waters' famous 1990 performance of The Wall in Berlin, replacing "Outside the Wall", which is the closing track on The Wall and all of its subsequent tours. Although not shown on the track list of the album, "Outside the Wall" is affixed to the end of "The Tide is Turning."

Track listings

7" single
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Tide Is Turning"	5:44
2.	"Nobody Home"	4:45

CD / 12" single
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Tide Is Turning (LP version)"	5:43
2.	"Nobody Home"	4:45
3.	"The Tide Is Turning (7" version)"	5:44

Release History

Region	Date	Format(s)
Europe[3][4]	19 November 1990	7" single
		12" single
		CD single

References

1. "Archive Chart: 1987" UK Singles Chart.
2. "Roger Waters Singles "The Tide Is Turning"". The Pink Floyd Archives. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
3. "Pink Floyd Singles". Pink Floyd. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
4. "Roger Waters Singles "The Tide Is Turning (Live in Berlin)"". The Pink Floyd Archives. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

External links

• Roger Waters official website