behindthegrooves:

On this day in music history: March 1, 1986 – “Kyrie” by Mr. Mister hits #1 on the Hot 100 for 2 weeks. Written by Richard Page, Steve George and John Lang, it is the second chart topping single for the Los Angeles, CA based rock band. Lead singer and bassist Richard Page begins writing the song in 1984 while Mr. Mister is on the road in support of their first album “I Wear The Face” (as the opening act for Adam Ant). Showing what he’s initially come up with to the rest of the band, they quickly record a demo. Heavily influenced by both religion and music from childhood (both of his parents were choirmasters), Page writes the song as a personal prayer. “Kyrie eleison” is a Greek phrase that translates as “Lord Have Mercy” and is one of the oldest written phrases in human history. Released in early December of 1985, right on the heels of their first number one single “Broken Wings”, “Kyrie” takes flight quickly. Entering the Hot 100 at #61 on December 21, 1985, it climbs to the top of the chart ten weeks later. For part of the singles initial press run, RCA Records presses vinyl 45 copies of “Kyrie” on dark translucent purple vinyl. The back to back chart topping successes of “Wings” and “Kyrie” drives Mr. Mister’s second album “Welcome To The Real World” to number one on the Billboard Top 200 also on March 1, 1986, which is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.