CHRISTIE: Yellow River - Performed in 1972 (My "Stereo Studio Sound" Re-Edit) Credit to I.P. Daily

CHRISTIE: Yellow River - Performed in 1972 (My "Stereo Studio Sound" Re-Edit) Credit to I.P. Daily

"Yellow River" is a song recorded by the British band Christie. It was released in 1970 and became a No. 1 hit song for the band in the UK.

The song was written by the leader of Christie, Jeff Christie. It was first offered to The Tremeloes, who recorded it with the intention of releasing it as a single early in 1970. However, after the success of their then most recent single, "(Call Me) Number One", and after considering it too pop-oriented for their future direction, they decided to follow it up with another of their own compositions, "By the Way", which was only a minor Top 40 success.

Producer Mike Smith therefore took their vocals off the recording and added Jeff Christie's. Released on 23 April 1970, it became an international hit, reaching number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for one week in June 1970. In the US, it reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In the song, the actual location of Yellow River is not specified, although the author, Jeff Christie, is on record as saying that it was inspired by the idea of a soldier going home at the end of the American Civil War. As the song was released during the Vietnam War, it has been interpreted as being about a soldier leaving the U.S. Military at the end of his period of conscription.