"The Horses" is a song written by Rickie Lee Jones and Walter Becker. It was originally performed by Jones on her 1989 album, Flying Cowboys. While not released as a single, the original version did appear in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire and was also included on the film's soundtrack. The song was covered in 1990 by Daryl Braithwaite; his version reached No. 1 in Australia, and by 2022, it had been certified decuple platinum.
Background and release
The song was covered by Daryl Braithwaite on his 1990 album Rise. It was released as a single on 28 January 1991 and reached No. 1 on the Australian Singles Chart in May.[1][2] "The Horses" has been certified ten-times platinum in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[3]Margaret Urlich provided the female vocals on the recording but chose not to appear in the music video due to other work commitments. A model, Gillian Mather, lip-synced Urlich's voice for the music video.
In May 2016, while celebrating the 25th anniversary of the song peaking at No. 1 in Australia, Braithwaite said: "I would never have thought that 25 years down the track, 'The Horses' – a song that I heard quite by accident and then recorded, would be liked by so many people for so many different reasons. And for this I am eternally grateful. I am sure that Rickie Lee Jones and Walter Becker could never imagine how endearing the song would and has become."[4][5]
In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the "most Australian" songs of all time, Daryl Braithwaite's version of "The Horses" was ranked number 14.[6]
Track listings
Australian 7-inch, CD, and cassette single[7][8][9]
^The Horses (Australian CD single liner notes). Daryl Braithwaite. CBS Records. 1992. 656617 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Horses (Australian cassette single sleeve). Daryl Braithwaite. CBS Records. 1992. 656617 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Horses (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Daryl Braithwaite. Epic Records. 1992. 658199 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)