It's a Fine Day
Encyclopedia
"It's a Fine Day" is a song written by English poet and musician Edward Barton
. It was originally recorded in 1983 by Jane, and later by Opus III
for whom it was a major international hit in 1992.
area of Manchester
. It was originally sung unaccompanied by, and credited to, Jane - that is, Jane Lancaster, Barton's girlfriend. 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.
It reached # 5 on the UK Indie Chart
, and later appeared, credited to Jane and Barton, on their eponymous mini-album Jane and Barton.
Jane's version of the song was remixed by A Guy Called Gerald
in 1992.
, with vocals by Kirsty Hawkshaw
. This version used only the first verse and chorus of the song. This version reached # 5 in the UK charts, and # 1 in the US Hot Dance Club Play Chart.
7" single
12" maxi
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.
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. Luise Gard provided the on-stage image for the touring version of Miss Jane, but did not contribute to the recordings. 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 in both 2002 with Mike Koglin
and in 2008 with Kinky Roland.
The American
Electropop/Hip-Hop act Far East Movement
used the song's background as the basis for their single "I Party" from their 2009 album "Animal."
Edward Barton
Edward Barton is a Manchester, England, poet, artist and musician, known for his eccentric stage performances and use of home-made instruments...
. It was originally recorded in 1983 by Jane, and later by Opus III
Opus III
Opus III were a techno and house music group from England who had success on the UK Singles Chart and on the U.S. Dance charts. The group consisted of vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw and producers/musicians Kevin 'The Fly' Dodds, Ian Munro and Nigel 'Spider' Walton...
for whom it was a major international hit in 1992.
Original recording by Jane
Barton wrote the lyrics as a poem when living in the HulmeHulme
Hulme is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. Located immediately south of Manchester city centre, it is an area with significant industrial heritage....
area of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. It was originally sung unaccompanied by, and credited to, Jane - that is, Jane Lancaster, Barton's girlfriend. They recorded and released it independently, and it was played by radio DJ John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
. 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.
It reached # 5 on the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
, and later appeared, credited to Jane and Barton, on their eponymous mini-album Jane and Barton.
Jane's version of the song was remixed by A Guy Called Gerald
A Guy Called Gerald
A Guy Called Gerald is the stage name for the musician, record producer and DJ Gerald Simpson ....
in 1992.
Opus III version
Also in 1992, the song was covered by Opus IIIOpus III
Opus III were a techno and house music group from England who had success on the UK Singles Chart and on the U.S. Dance charts. The group consisted of vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw and producers/musicians Kevin 'The Fly' Dodds, Ian Munro and Nigel 'Spider' Walton...
, with vocals by Kirsty Hawkshaw
Kirsty Hawkshaw
Kirsty Hawkshaw is a British dance/electronica/house/trance musician and songwriter. She is known for her participation as lead vocalist for the group Opus III, and her collaborative work with other musicians and producers....
. This version used only the first verse and chorus of the song. This version reached # 5 in the UK charts, and # 1 in the US Hot Dance Club Play Chart.
Track listings
CD single- "It's a Fine Day" (edit) — 3:40
- "It's a Fine Day" — 5:30
- "Evolution Rush" — 6:11
- "It's a Fine Day" (accapella version) — 3:42
7" single
- "It's a Fine Day" (edit) — 3:40
- "Evolution Rush" (edit) — 4:21
12" maxi
- "It's a Fine Day" (club remix) — 6:45
- "It's a Fine Day" (club remix) — 6:45
Charts
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 30 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 14 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 14 |
| German Singles Chart | 18 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 6 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 22 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 24 |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 |
Later versions
The song was also the basis of Orbital'sOrbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo from Sevenoaks, England consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2009 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows...
1993 track, "Halcyon + On + On
Halcyon (Orbital song)
"Halcyon" is a song written and performed by Orbital. The song features a backmasked vocal sample by Kirsty Hawkshaw from "It's a Fine Day" by Opus III . Ed Barton, the composer of "It's a Fine Day", receives a co-writing credit for the track...
", on their second eponymous album
Orbital (brown album)
Orbital 2 is the second album from British electronica duo Orbital. It is also known as the Brown Album to differentiate it from Orbital's 1991 debut album, which had a green cover...
- the "la la la" section of the chorus was backmasked and sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
throughout the song.
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. Luise Gard provided the on-stage image for the touring version of Miss Jane, but did not contribute to the recordings. Various remixes of this version were issued, including one by ATB
ATB
ATB may refer to:*The US Reorder tone is often referred to as an ATB, for All Trunks Busy*Active Time Battle system is a feature of role-playing games*Mountain bike is an off-road bicycle...
.
Other versions have been recorded by Dallas Superstars
Dallas Superstars
Dallas Superstars are a duo of Finnish record producers. Relatively unknown outside their home country, they have had international success with the club track, "Helium".-"Helium":...
and the Barcode Brothers
Barcode Brothers
Barcode Brothers was a Danish trance-duo consisting of Christian Møller Nielsen and Anders Øland. They are known for club hits like "Dooh Dooh", "Flute" and "SMS", and released two studio albums before disbanding in 2004.-Singles:*"Dooh Dooh"...
. Norwegian artist Erlend Øye
Erlend Øye
Erlend Øye is a Norwegian musician from Bergen, best known for being part of the indie folk duo Kings of Convenience together with Eirik Glambek Bøe. He has released one solo album, Unrest, in 2003 and a mix-CD in the DJ-Kicks series in 2004....
also covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
the song on his album that was part of the DJ-Kicks
DJ-Kicks
DJ-Kicks is a series of DJ mix albums, mixed by various artists for the independent record label !K7 Records.-History:...
series.
Opus III
Opus III
Opus III were a techno and house music group from England who had success on the UK Singles Chart and on the U.S. Dance charts. The group consisted of vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw and producers/musicians Kevin 'The Fly' Dodds, Ian Munro and Nigel 'Spider' Walton...
vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw
Kirsty Hawkshaw
Kirsty Hawkshaw is a British dance/electronica/house/trance musician and songwriter. She is known for her participation as lead vocalist for the group Opus III, and her collaborative work with other musicians and producers....
has remade the song in both 2002 with Mike Koglin
Mike Koglin
Mike Koglin is a German trance DJ and producer who lives in London since 1990.- Biography :1998 Mike Koglin had a huge club success with his single "The Silence", a remake of Depeche Modes "Enjoy the Silence". The song reached number 20 in the UK Top 40. He has since produced a large number of...
and in 2008 with Kinky Roland.
The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Electropop/Hip-Hop act Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
used the song's background as the basis for their single "I Party" from their 2009 album "Animal."