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It's a Fine Day

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"It's a Fine Day" is a song written by English poet and musician Edward Barton. It was originally recorded a cappella in 1983 by Jane and later by Opus III, for whom it was a major international hit in 1992.

Original recording by Jane

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"It's a Fine Day"
Single by Jane
B-side"Of All Leaves Were Falling"
Released1983
LabelCherry Red Records
Songwriter(s)Edward Barton

Barton wrote the lyrics as a poem when living in the Hulme area of Manchester.[1] It was originally sung unaccompanied by, and credited to, "Jane" – that is, Jane Lancaster, Barton's girlfriend.[2][3] They recorded and released it independently, and it was played by radio DJ John Peel. It was then heard by Iain McNay of Cherry Red Records, who obtained the rights to the record and released it more widely on his label in 1983.[4] It reached number 5 on the UK Indie Chart, and later appeared, credited to Jane and Barton, on their eponymous mini-album, Jane and Barton. This version of the song appeared on the 2013 indie-pop compilation album, Scared to Get Happy: A Story of Indie-Pop 1980–1989.

Jane's version of the song was rereleased as a CD single in the United Kingdom in 1993, accompanied by a new remix by A Guy Called Gerald.

Charts

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Chart (1983) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart (OCC)[5] 87
UK Indie (OCC)[6] 5

Opus III version

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"It's a Fine Day"
Single by Opus III
from the album Mind Fruit
B-side"Evolution Rush"
ReleasedFebruary 10, 1992 (1992-02-10)[7]
StudioFluffy Trees
GenreProgressive house
Length3:36
LabelPWL International
Songwriter(s)Edward Barton
Producer(s)Opus III
Opus III singles chronology
"It's a Fine Day"
(1992) 		"I Talk to the Wind"
(1992)
Music video
"It's a Fine Day" on YouTube

In 1992, "It's a Fine Day" was covered by English electronic music group Opus III, whose lead vocalist was Kirsty Hawkshaw. It was their debut and released in February 1992 by PWL International as the first single from their album, Mind Fruit (1992). The single reached number five in the United Kingdom, and number-one in Greece and on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Its music video was directed by David Betteridge. In 2010, the song was named the 182nd best track of the 1990s by Pitchfork Media.[8] The two chief differences from Jane's original were that this version was not recorded a cappella but with a full instrumental accompaniment, and that it used only the chorus of the original song's lyrics.

Background and release

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At the time of the release, the producers (i.e., Kevin Dodds, Ian Munro, and Nigel Walton -- the other three member of Opus III) couldn't legally reveal themselves, as they were under contract as A.S.K. to MCA Records UK. Instead, the group spun a wholly fabricated story that the producers had stumbled on classically-trained vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw, hearing her sing while they were up a tree recording the sounds of birds on a DAT recorder at a Spiral Tribe rave in the Hertfordshire woods to sample for a new track.[9][10] Hawkshaw is the daughter of British composer and record producer Alan Hawkshaw,[11] and was noticed by the producers at a rave in 1990. The trio had released a single called "Dream", when she was invited to appear on stage as their dancer. Later, Hawkshaw received a tape with "It's a Fine Day", which sampled Jane Lancaster's vocal from the original. She told DJ Mag in 2024, that she got goosebumps hearing the track, "I was like, "Oh my God, this, this is me, this is my song. This is something I resonate with. It's beautiful. It's positive."[12] She rang Dodds up the next day, telling him that she definitely wanted to do the song.

"It's a Fine Day" was recorded in a kitchen in Sunderland and it was very difficult for Hawkshaw, because the guys wanted her to sing it exactly like Jane. She'd been singing all day, and it just wasn't quite getting there. Then their hairdresser turned up with his little boy, and he had a calming presence on Hawkshaw, although he was sitting in the other room than her. She told, "I know what I'm going to do, I'm going to sing to that little boy what it's like to be in a field, looking at all your friends in the eyes and really connecting at four in the morning as the sun is rising. And that's when the magic happened."[12] Pete Tong of BBC Radio 1 championed the track and started playing it on the radio and Pete Waterman of PWL Records wanted to release it. It was white labelled and sent out to DJs. When "It's a Fine Day" peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart, the band performed on the Top of the Pops, which had been Hawkshaw's childhood dream.[12]

Chart performance

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"It's a Fine Day" peaked at number one in Greece,[13] as well as number two in Spain.[14] It entered the top 10 in Finland (10), Ireland (6), Italy (9), and the United Kingdom. In the latter, the single reached number five during its second week on the UK Singles Chart, on February 23, 1992.[15] It spent two weeks at that position and ended up as number 60 on the UK year-end chart. On the UK Dance Singles Chart by Music Week, it reached number three.[16] "It's a Fine Day" was also a top-20 hit in Austria (14), France (14), Germany (18) and on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number 16 in March 1992.[17] The single also peaked within the top 30 in Belgian Flanders (24), Sweden (22) and Switzerland (24).

Outside Europe, "It's a Fine Day" reached number eight in Israel and peaked atop the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart,[18] while reaching number 12 on the Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart and number 30 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. In Australia, the single reached the top 60, peaking at number 54.

Critical reception

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Larry Flick from Billboard felt the "quirky dance act" has made a "near-perfect, radio-friendly ditty", noting that it's "empowered with a potent blend of, ethereal female vocals, a hypnotic hook, and an electro-hip beat."[19] Andy Kastanas from The Charlotte Observer named it "a dance-pop tune with "rave" undertones and pretty female vocals that'll make your day better than fine."[20] Marisa Fox from Entertainment Weekly described it as a "bubble-gummy dance track", adding that "this self-described ambient-techno group lives up to the genre’s esoteric side."[21] Dave Sholin from Gavin Report replied on the circulating story around the group, "A likely story. In any case, it was a fortunate meeting that gave life to this hot track."[9] Dave Simpson from Melody Maker complimented it as "a masterstroke in conception and execution", stating that "in five years' time, anyone searching for the sound and spirit of early '92 won't be far from "It's a Fine Day'"."[22]

Alan Jones from Music Week found that "it's the nearest thing yet to an ambient rave. Watch it chase Kylie and 2 Unlimited up the chart."[23] Wendi Cermak from The Network Forty wrote, "Like nothing else out there, this track is simultaneously spacey and driving, bordering on the current Euro-rave movement."[10] Danny Scott from Select remarked its "surreal ambient house sounds".[24] Seamus Quinn from NME said, "Believe me when I tell you that this will be a monster hit. It's also a very odd record. It combines an element of Temper Temper's "It's All Outta Loving You" with deliciously dreamy female vocals and a thumping rhythm track." He concluded, "A winner."[25] Another NME editor, Stephen Dalton, felt it's "the sound of spring arriving early. You'll love it."[26] And Roger Morton declared it as "a seductive piece of lightweight house, which takes Crystal Waters style breezy beats and nursery school melodies, and showers them with blossom and balloons."[27] Andy Beevers from the Record Mirror Dance Update named it "one of the year's most unusual hits."[28] Mark Frith from Smash Hits was less enthustiastic, giving it two out of five, but stated that it "has become something of a dance anthem."[29]

Retrospective response

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AllMusic editor MacKenzie Wilson said the song is "melodically enchanting with loopy trance vibes and textured synth waves", noting Kirsty Hawkshaw's "dove-like vocals transcended into freewheeling soundscapes".[30] In 1999, Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger called it a "precious lullaby for a sleepless generation."[31] In 2010, "It's a Fine Day" was ranked number 182 in Pitchfork Media's list of "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s".[8]

Music video

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The accompanying music video for "It's a Fine Day" was directed by David Betteridge.[32] It first aired in February 1992. The video features Kirsty Hawkshaw with her standout shaved head and bodysuit, performing and dancing against a backdrop of what is supposed to be a fine day.

Track listings

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Charts

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Later versions

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The Jane version was used in a 1986 commercial for Kleenex tissue in Japan, which itself has attracted attention as a Japanese urban legend.[49]

A Cantonese-language version of this single, "Can lalalalali at night only," was recorded by Hong Kong singer Yolinda Yan [zh] in 1992.

The song was also the basis of Orbital's 1993 track, "Halcyon + On + On", on their second eponymous album – the "la la la" section of the chorus was backmasked and sampled throughout the song. Interestingly enough, a music video for the song featured Hawkshaw, who was the aforementioned vocalist in the song’s sample.

A further version was released in 1998, credited to Miss Jane. This was produced by Italian producers David Carlotti and Carmine Sorrentino. The remake does feature vocals from the original Jane version. Louise Gard provided the on-stage image for the touring version of Miss Jane, but did not contribute to the recordings.[50] Various remixes of this version were issued, including one by ATB.

Other versions have been recorded by Dallas Superstars and the Barcode Brothers. Norwegian artist Erlend Øye also covered the song on his album that was part of the DJ-Kicks series.

Opus III vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw has remade the song three times: in 2002 with Mike Koglin, in 2008 with Kinky Roland, and in 2019 as "Fine Day 2K19".

American electropop and hip-hop act Far East Movement used the song's background as the basis for their single "I Party" from their 2009 album Animal.

Animal Collective member Avey Tare sampled the song's vocals on Oliver Twist, a song from his 2010 solo album Down There.

In 2012, "Fine Day" was remixed by Hungarian artist Sonic Entropy (or Péter Álmosdi).[51]

British Singer-Songwriter Billie Marten included a cover of the song in the deluxe version of her 2016 album "Writings of Blues and Yellows."[52]

German house producer and DJ Keanu Silva sampled the song in his track also titled "Fine Day" in July 2018. It has reached over 3 million views on YouTube.[53]

FKA Twigs also performed “It’s a Fine Day” in 2023 with the Rambert contemporary dance company as part of the Vogue World: London event.

Skrillex and Boys Noize have sampled the song in "Fine Day Anthem" in August 2023. [54]

References

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  1. ^ [1] Archived March 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Mojo magazine, March 2008, p.76
  3. ^ "Albums by Jane and Barton: Discography, songs, biography, and listening guide". Rate Your Music. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  4. ^ [2] Archived October 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "It's a Fine Day". Official Singles Chart. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  6. ^ Lazell, Barry (1997) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4
  7. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. February 8, 1992. p. 17.
  8. ^ a b "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s". Pitchfork Media. August 30, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Sholin, Dave (July 17, 1992). "Gavin Picks > Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 52. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Cermak, Wendi (June 10, 1992). "Hot Crossover: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. p. 42. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  11. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (October 17, 2021). "Alan Hawkshaw, Countdown and Grange Hill composer, dies aged 84". The Guardian.
  12. ^ a b c "Opus III 'It's A Fine Day': The Making Of A Dance Anthem". DJ Mag. November 17, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ a b "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 18. May 2, 1992. p. 34. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  14. ^ a b Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  15. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. February 22, 1992. p. 24. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 11. March 14, 1992. p. 23. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. August 29, 1992. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  19. ^ Flick, Larry (May 23, 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  20. ^ Kastanas, Andy (June 17, 1992). "Sounds of Progress". p. 20. The Charlotte Observer.
  21. ^ Fox, Marisa (November 6, 1992). "Mind Fruit". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  22. ^ Simpson, Dave (July 18, 1992). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 30. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  23. ^ Jones, Alan (February 8, 1992). "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 6. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  24. ^ Scott, Danny (August 1, 1992). "Reviews: New Albums". Select. p. 93. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  25. ^ Quinn, Seamus (January 25, 1992). "Vibes: Groove Check - Single of the Week". NME. p. 30. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  26. ^ Dalton, Stephen (February 15, 1992). "Vibes: Fine Time". NME. p. 49. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  27. ^ Morton, Roger (July 18, 1992). "Long Play". NME. p. 34. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  28. ^ Beevers, Andy (February 15, 1992). "DJ Directory: Opus III" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 3. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  29. ^ Frith, Mark (February 19, 1992). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 54. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  30. ^ Wilson, MacKenzie. "Opus III - Mind Fruit". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  31. ^ Ewing, Tom (September 8, 1999). "80. Opus III – "It's A Fine Day"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  32. ^ "Opus III feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw: It's a fine day". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  33. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 209.
  34. ^ "Opus III – It's a Fine Day" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  35. ^ "Opus III – It's a Fine Day" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  36. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  37. ^ "Opus III – It's a Fine Day" (in French). Les classement single.
  38. ^ "Opus III – It's a Fine Day" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  39. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – It's a Fine Day". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  40. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 26. June 27, 1992. p. 22. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  41. ^ "Opus III - It's A Fine Day" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  42. ^ "Opus III – It's a Fine Day" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  43. ^ "Opus III – It's a Fine Day". Singles Top 100.
  44. ^ "Opus III – It's a Fine Day". Swiss Singles Chart.
  45. ^ "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. September 12, 1992. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  46. ^ "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. August 15, 1992. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  47. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1992" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  48. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. January 16, 1993. p. 8.
  49. ^ "Cursed Kleenex commercial ~ Pink Tentacle". pinktentacle.com.
  50. ^ "Miss Jane Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  51. ^ "Opus III - Fine Day (Sonic Entropy Remix), by Sonic Entropy". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  52. ^ "Writing of Blues and Yellows (Deluxe Version) by Billie Marten". Genius. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  53. ^ "Keanu Silva - Fine Day (Official Audio)". YouTube. July 27, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  54. ^ "Skrillex and Boys Noize - Fine Day Anthem (Official Audio)". YouTube. August 3, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
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