A Matter of Trust

"A Matter of Trust"
Single by Billy Joel
from the album The Bridge
B-side"Getting Closer"
Released1986
Recorded1985
GenreHard rock[1]
Length4:08
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Billy Joel
Producer(s)Phil Ramone
Billy Joel singles chronology
"Modern Woman"
(1986) 		"A Matter of Trust"
(1986) 		"This Is the Time"
(1986)
Music video
"A Matter of Trust" on YouTube

"A Matter of Trust" is a song by Billy Joel from his 1986 album The Bridge.[2] It was released as the album's second single and became a top ten hit. The song gained major traction in the Soviet Union as part of a state-sponsored television promotion of Joel's songs in preparation for his 1987 USSR concerts, recorded on Kontsert.[3]

Music video

The song's music video, directed by Russell Mulcahy and conceived and produced by Paul Flattery, features Joel and his band performing in the basement of a building in St. Mark's Place in New York City's East Village, and also features shots of various people in the city who eventually gather 'round the building's windows to see Joel perform. Most appear to be enjoying the performance except one woman on a fire escape who yells at them to "shut up!" However, she is ignored, and even members of the NYPD do not mind. Joel's then-wife Christie Brinkley appears in the video holding their baby daughter Alexa. The song differs from most Joel songs in that it is based on electric guitar rather than piano, which gives it a rock edge, compared to the soft-rock balladry with which he is more often associated. It is the only Joel music video that features him on guitar—a factor he cited when saying it was his favorite of all his videos.

Reception

Billboard called it "refreshingly untidy rock" with "elegant song structure".[4] Cash Box said that this "generic sounding pop tune may not be one of Joel’s best, but with his gut level vocal and the heavy rock guitar backing featured within it, the tune is given a cutting edge."[5]

Legacy

During the 2020 presidential cycle and COVID-19 pandemic, CNN broadcast commercials promoting the importance of trust and which featured "A Matter of Trust" as background music. CNN states in an email: "This version's stripped-down instrumentals set against the black and white images create space to pause and reflect on this year's chaotic news cycles, and offer hope for how we can grow better together from these unprecedented times."[6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1986–1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 3
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 48
South Africa (Springbok)[10] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 52
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 10
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[13] 17
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[14]

14

Year-end charts

Chart (1986) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] 18

References

  1. ^ "The Bridge by Billy Joel album review | Classic Rock Review". June 14, 2011.
  2. ^ "A Matter Of Trust". Billy Joel Official Site. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  3. ^ "Billy Joel: A Matter of Trust - The Bridge to Russia - The Concert | KQED". KQED Public Media. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  4. ^ "Reviews". Billboard. August 9, 1986. p. 73. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  5. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. August 9, 1986. p. 9. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  6. ^ "For CNN, It's A Matter of Trust". Promax. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  9. ^ "Billy Joel – A Matter of Trust". Top 40 Singles.
  10. ^ "'Tell Her About It' on the South African Singles Chart". Springbok Radio. October 7, 1983. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  11. ^ "Billy Joel: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  12. ^ "Billy Joel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  13. ^ "Billy Joel Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "Billy Joel Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  15. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. No. 650. December 1986. Retrieved January 24, 2023 – via Imgur.
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