"For a Friend" is a single from the British pop duo The Communards taken from their 1987 album Red.

"For a Friend"
Single by The Communards
from the album Red
B-side	"Victims (Live)" (7")
Released	8 February 1988 (UK)[1]
Recorded	1987
Genre	Pop, ballad
Length	4:39 (CD single)
Label	London Records (UK) / Metronome (Germany)
Songwriter(s)	Richard Coles, Jimmy Somerville
Producer(s)	Stephen Hague
The Communards singles chronology
"Never Can Say Goodbye" (1987) "For a Friend" (1988) "There's More to Love" (1988)

The song is an emotional ballad and was written in the memory of Mark Ashton,[2] a friend of Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles.[3] Mark Hooper of The Rough Guide to Rock writes that this cut may be Somerville's "most impassioned moment".[2] "For a Friend" reached number 28 on the British charts.[4]

In media

The official music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan.[5] In 2014, the song was featured on the soundtrack to the film Pride.[6] It was also one of the songs played at Burberry’s February 2018 show, presented on 17 February at the Dimco Buildings in West London, marking Christopher Bailey’s final outing for the brand.[7]

Track and format listing

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Notes

References

• Hooper, Mark (2003). Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0. OL 9016361W.
• Kutner, Jon (28 October 2012). "For A Friend (Communards)".
• Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book of the British charts: Singles & Albums. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84449-058-5.

External links

• For a Friend at AllMusic
• "For a Friend" at MusicBrainz
• "For a Friend" at Discogs
• "Jimmy Somerville on TV-am in 1988" on YouTube