"Saint Cecilia" | ||||
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Single by Foo Fighters | ||||
from the album Saint Cecilia | ||||
Released | November 23, 2015 | |||
Format | Digital download | |||
Recorded | October 2015 | |||
Studio | Saint Cecelia Hotel, Austin, Texas | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:42 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Foo Fighters singles chronology | ||||
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"Saint Cecilia" is a single by American rock band Foo Fighters, off of their EP Saint Cecilia. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2016.
The song was first released as part of the Saint Cecilia, a free EP released by the Foo Fighters as a dedication to the victims of the November 2015 Paris Attacks. The song features background vocals by Ben Kweller. The performance was by chance, with Kweller literally passing by the hotel where the band was recording the song. The situation was outlined by Grohl in an October 2015 live performance, prior to the song's release, and then again, with the song's final release:
Weekend two was spent recording vocals and guitars in my bedroom, room 4. More friends, more margaritas, a fire in the fire pit. At one point, a familiar face walked in and said, 'Dave.....it’s Ben Kweller.....' It had been years! Such a talented young man. We hugged, hit play to listen to the last vocal take, and he instinctively started singing the perfect harmony to my line. Without hesitation, I immediately said, 'Get your ass in there and sing it right now.' So he picked up the coffee stained piece of hotel stationary with my lyrics penciled on it and banged out his part in two glorious takes. Always record, ladies and gentlemen. Always record. The night faded, friends and family scattered, and I fell asleep with my still glowing amp at the foot of my bed.
The song was released to rock radio, where it peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs In January 2016, "Saint Cecilia" became the band's twenty-second song to make to the Top 10 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, tying them with Godsmack for the most Top 10 placements on the chart since August 1995 when Foo Fighters had their first Top 10 with "This Is a Call". Similarly, it was their twenty-ninth song to reach the Alternative Songs Top 20, tying the band with the Red Hot Chili Peppers for second-most top 20 entries in the chart's history, behind U2.