Editing Shining Light

{{Short description|2001 single by Ash}}
{{Weasel words|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Shining Light
| cover      = ShiningLightOne.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Ash (band)|Ash]]
| album      = [[Free All Angels]]
| B-side     = {{ubl|"Warmer than Fire"|"Gabriel"|"Feel No Pain"|"Jesus Says" (remix)}}
| released   = {{start date|2001|1|29|df=y}}
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Power pop]]<ref>{{cite web|first= Adrien |last= Begrand |title= Ash: Meltdown |date= 9 March 2005 |website= [[PopMatters]]|url= https://www.popmatters.com/ash-meltdown-2495831481.html |access-date= 23 May 2014}}</ref>|[[dream pop]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Rabid|first=Jack|title=Ash Free All Angels Album Reviews, Songs & More|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/free-all-angels-mw0000222396|access-date=20 June 2022|publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>}}
| length     = {{ubl|5:09 (album version)|4:07 (radio edit)}}
| label      = {{hlist|[[Infectious Records|Infectious]]|Home Grown}}
| writer     = Tim Wheeler
| producer   = [[Owen Morris]]
| prev_title = [[Numbskull (EP)|Numbskull]]
| prev_year  = 1999
| next_title = [[Burn Baby Burn (song)|Burn Baby Burn]]
| next_year  = 2001
| misc       = {{Extra album cover
 | header  = Alternative cover
 | type    = single
 | cover   = ShiningLightTwo.jpg
 | border  =
 | alt     =
 | caption = CD 2 cover
}}
}}
"'''Shining Light'''" is a song by [[Ash (band)|Ash]], which was released as the first single from their album ''[[Free All Angels]]''. It was released on 29 January 2001. It was released as a single [[Compact disc|CD]] (released on 2CD formats) and as a [[Gramophone record|7-inch vinyl]] (which came with a picture sleeve). It was also Ash's first single to be released as an enhanced CD. "Shining Light" reached number eight on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. The song had been covered by fellow [[Downpatrick]] songwriter Triona in 2015 which featured on a Power NI advert.

==Recording history==
"Shining Light" was written about [[Tim Wheeler]]'s now ex-girlfriend Audrey. Wheeler was driving home in his car when the line and tune "Yeah you are a shining light" came into his head. He rushed home and wrote it straight away on an [[acoustic guitar]]. The first time the band heard it, they say that they 'knew it was a hit'.

"Shining Light" was first played at a [[London Astoria]] [[concert|gig]] in 2000, and is considered to be one of the band's greatest achievements, musically and lyrically. Ash once said of the song:

*'''Tim:''' "I think Shining Light's a breath of fresh air"
*'''Rick:''' "It's a very melodic song, it sticks in your head, so we thought it'd have a pretty good chance of getting in the Top 10. It was good being back there 'cos it's been a long time, over two years since we had a single out".
*'''Charlotte:''' "It was the first song we recorded and we knew it would be the first single".

The song was extremely critically acclaimed and won, among others:

* [[Ivor Novello Award]]s 2001 - Best Contemporary Song<ref>[http://www.britishacademy.com/ivorsmenu/2001.htm British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* Irish Music Awards 2002 - Best Single

"Shining Light" can also be found on Ash's greatest hits [[compilation album|compilation]], ''[[Intergalactic Sonic 7″s]]'' as well as on the ''Tokyo Blitz'' [[DVD]].

The song was re-recorded by Canadian [[musician|artist]] [[Emm Gryner]] on her 2005 album ''[[Songs of Love and Death (Emm Gryner album)|Songs of Love and Death]]''. In addition, this was the song played on the last episode of ''[[Roswell (TV series)|Roswell]]'' as the group in the series drives away forever - signifying the [[death]] of the series. It has also been [[cover version|covered]] by [[Coldplay]] and [[Noel Gallagher]] claims it to be one of his favourite songs.

===B-Sides===
The [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] "Warmer Than Fire" was originally written by [[Steve Ludwin]] of [[Little Hell (band)|Little Hell]]. The song was intended to be a [[download]] only release for [[fan (person)|fans]], but due to its immense popularity it was released on the "Shining Light" single as well as on the ''[[Intergalactic Sonic 7″s|Cosmic Debris]]'' b-side collection. The song has also been performed several times live in [[concert]]. Rumours that Wheeler bought the [[royalties]] for the song from Ludwin for £35 have been denied by the band.

"Warmer than Fire" also had its own music video, directed by Darren Tiernan (Wheeler's cousin). It consists of footage of the band messing around in Puerto Banus, [[Spain]], where ''Free All Angels'' was being recorded and climaxes in a burning of a piano. The [[music video|video]] cost very little and has rarely been seen.

"Gabriel" also appears on CD1 (as well as on the ''[[Intergalactic Sonic 7″s|Cosmic Debris]]'' collection) and is considered to be quite a retro-sounding Ash track, reminiscent of "Innocent Smile" on ''[[1977 (Ash album)|1977]]''.

"Feel No Pain" is the first b-side on CD2, and was one of the leftover tracks from the ''Free All Angels'' recording session. The song is mainly about actually writing a song.

"Jesus Says" originally released on the ''[[Nu-Clear Sounds]]'' appears as a remix entitled the "Hedrock Valley Beats Lightyear 12-inch mix which appears on CD2.

"Shining Light" has been used as song in advert for [[Toyota]] cars in [[Croatia]].

There are three separate edits of "Shining Light." The album version is 5:09 in length and features an extended bridge. The song was edited for radio too at 4:07 with a shortened bridge and guitar solo. The third edit of the song was for the ''[[Intergalactic Sonic 7″s|Cosmic Debris]]'' collection and is 4:23 in length. The band played the song live according to this edit at many gigs from the Free All Angels tour onwards, however on their latest tour in 2007, the longest version was played.

==Track listings==
'''CD1'''
#"Shining Light (Radio edit)" (Wheeler)
#"Warmer Than Fire" (Ludwin)
#"Gabriel" (Hamilton)

'''CD2'''
#"Shining Light (Album version)" (Wheeler)
#"Feel No Pain" (Wheeler)
#"Jesus Says (Hedrock Valley Beats Lightyear Remix)" (Hamilton/Wheeler)
#"Shining Light (Video)"

'''7-inch'''
#"Shining Light (Album version)" (Wheeler)
#"Warmer than Fire" (Ludwin)

'''Promo CD'''
#"Shining Light (Radio edit)" (Wheeler)

'''German Version (Infectious Records / edel Records gmbH | 0124685MSH)'''
#"Shining Light (Radio edit)" (Wheeler)
#"Warmer Than Fire" (Ludwin)
#"Shining Light (Album version)" (Wheeler)
#"Gabriel" (Hamilton)
# "Shining Light" (Video)

==Charts==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!scope="col"|Chart (2001)
!scope="col"|Peak<br/>position
|-
{{single chart|Australiapandora|69|url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020220130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue574.pdf|urltitle=Issue 574|rowheader=true|access-date=21 September 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
|-
!scope="row"|Europe ([[European Hot 100 Singles|Eurochart Hot 100]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2001/MM-2001-02-17.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=18|issue=8|page=10|date=17 February 2001|access-date=10 September 2020}}</ref>
|42
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|23|song=Shining Light|rowheader=true|access-date=18 November 2018}}
|-
{{single chart|Scotland|7|date=20010210|rowheader=true|access-date=18 November 2018}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|8|date=20010210|rowheader=true|access-date=18 November 2018}}
|-
{{single chart|UKindie|1|date=20010210|rowheader=true|access-date=18 November 2018}}
|}

==Release history==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|29 January 2001
|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}
|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|[[Infectious Records|Infectious]]|Home Grown}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/2001/Music-Week-2001-01-27.pdf|title=New Releases – For Week Starting January 29, 2001: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=39|date=27 January 2001|access-date=9 August 2021}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|Australia
|19 February 2001
|CD
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/issue573.PDF|title=The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 19th February 2001|publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]]|page=23|date=19 February 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020220130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue573.PDF|archive-date=20 February 2002|access-date=9 August 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|Japan
|11 April 2001
|CD (with "[[Burn Baby Burn (song)|Burn Baby Burn]]")
|[[SME Records|SME]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/33684/products/435800/1/|title=ASH {{!}} シィニング・ライト/バーン・ベイビー・バーン|trans-title=ASH {{!}} Shining Light / Burn Baby Burn|publisher=[[Oricon]]|language=ja|access-date=22 February 2025}}</ref>
|}

==Appearances in popular media==
"Shining Light" was the closing song in the last episode of the American [[science fiction]] television series [[Roswell (TV series)|''Roswell'']].

"Shining Light" also appears as the background music for the special film on the racehorse Fantastic Light, which appeared on the 2005 Darley Stud Stud Book.

"Shining Light" features as a background track in Season 2 Episode 9 of the Channel 4 TV Series, "Teachers"

The version recorded by [[Annie Lennox]] was used as Elaine Hammond's ([[Sigourney Weaver]]) theme song in the US mini-series ''[[Political Animals (miniseries)|Political Animals]]''.

==Annie Lennox version==
{{Infobox song
| name           = Shining Light
| cover          = ShiningLight-AnnieLennox.jpg
| alt            = 
| type           = single
| artist         = [[Annie Lennox]]
| album          = [[The Annie Lennox Collection]]
| released       = 2 March 2009
| recorded       = 2008
| studio         = 
| venue          = 
| genre          = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| length         = {{ubl|4:05 (album version)|3:53 (radio edit)}}
| label          = [[RCA Records|RCA]]
| writer         = [[Tim Wheeler]]
| producer       = 
| prev_title     = [[Many Rivers to Cross#Annie Lennox version|Many Rivers to Cross]]
| prev_year      = 2008
| next_title     = [[Pattern of My Life]]
| next_year      = 2009
}}

Annie Lennox's cover of "Shining Light" was released as the first single from ''[[The Annie Lennox Collection]]''. It was one of her most 'pop' recordings for some time. The video, which features Lennox singing with an all-woman band (all played by Lennox) in a brightly lit multi-coloured studio, was premiered on MSN Music on 30 January 2009.<ref>{{youtube|OfJeQDkz4JU|Annie Lennox - Shining Light}}</ref> 

===Background and release===

The cover attracted praise, with [[Tim Wheeler]] from Ash saying, "It's cool – I'm really into it. It makes me proud that someone of her stature and talent is doing something different with our song," and [[Popjustice]] making it its Song of the Day on 8 January 2009, saying "…after about 90 seconds it sounds like the greatest noise ever invented by a human". 

===Promotion and charts===

Lennox performed the song on ''[[Friday Night with Jonathan Ross]]'' on 6 March 2009 and also on ''[[The Paul O'Grady Show]]'' (9 March), ''[[The One Show]]'' (10 March), ''[[This Morning (TV series)|This Morning]]'' (11 March) and was also part of [[Comic Relief]] on 13 March 2009.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00j093w BBC One - Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Series 16, Episode 7<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The single was only available by download via Amazon or [[iTunes]].  The single became Lennox's first UK top 40 hit as a solo artist since 1995, reaching number 39.  (She had reached the top 40 as a member of [[Eurythmics]] on three occasions in the interim.)  It is also Lennox's final UK top 40 hit to date.

===Track listing===
'''UK digital single'''
# "Shining Light" (Radio edit) – 3:53

===Charts===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!scope="col"|Chart (2009)
!scope="col"|Peak<br/>position
|-
!scope="row"|Japan ([[Oricon]])<ref>[http://acharts.us/song/42155 Annie Lennox – Shining Light – Music Charts<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|97
|-
{{single chart|UK|39|date=20090321|rowheader=true|access-date=18 November 2018|refname="lennoxuk"}}
|}
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}
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{{Ash (band)}}
{{Annie Lennox}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2000 songs]]
[[Category:2001 singles]]
[[Category:2009 singles]]
[[Category:Annie Lennox songs]]
[[Category:Ash (band) songs]]
[[Category:Infectious Records singles]]
[[Category:RCA Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Tim Wheeler]]
[[Category:UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Dream pop songs]]