Things Can Only Get Better (Howard Jones song)
Encyclopedia
"Things Can Only Get Better" was released as the first single
from Howard Jones
' 1985 album Dream Into Action
, reaching #6 in the UK Singles Chart
and #5 in the United States
on the Billboard
Hot 100
chart.
A typically upbeat Jones composition, it was one of two songs from the album to feature all-female singing group Afrodiziak
on backing vocals. John Leland
from Spin magazine
wrote that "It mines the best of the Anglo soul movement: a clean slap-bass line, precise horns and synths, and some well-paced and inviting singing".
The main B side was another album track from the UK version of the album, "Why Look For The Key", although with a slightly longer fade
that made it about twenty seconds longer than the version on the UK version of Dream Into Action. "You Jazzy Nork!" is a reworked instrumental version of "Why Look For The Key" performed by the Alphonse Conway Orchestra.
The cover of the 12" single featured a photograph of Jones, in profile, sitting in a high bar stool
. This image was used in silhouette
for the 7" artwork, the single being issued in several alternative sleeves with different colour backgrounds.
The song was also featured in The Sims 2: Open for Business
expansion pack, and an episode of Everybody Hates Chris
.
12"
Both a 7" and 12" picture disc
were released with the same tracks as the standard formats.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Howard Jones
Howard Jones (musician)
Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
' 1985 album Dream Into Action
Dream into Action
Dream into Action is the second album by British pop musician Howard Jones. It was released in March 1985 and reached No.2 in the UK Album Charts...
, reaching #6 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and #5 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart.
A typically upbeat Jones composition, it was one of two songs from the album to feature all-female singing group Afrodiziak
Afrodiziak
Afrodiziak was the collective name used by the British singers Caron Wheeler and Claudia Fontaine in the mid-to-late 1980s. As a duo, they were best known for performing backup vocals on Elvis Costello's 1983 album Punch the Clock, especially its single, the international hit "Everyday I Write the...
on backing vocals. John Leland
John Leland (journalist)
John Leland is an author and has been a New York Times journalist since 2000. During a stint in 1994, he was editor in chief of Details magazine...
from Spin magazine
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
wrote that "It mines the best of the Anglo soul movement: a clean slap-bass line, precise horns and synths, and some well-paced and inviting singing".
The main B side was another album track from the UK version of the album, "Why Look For The Key", although with a slightly longer fade
Fade (audio engineering)
In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theater lighting, in much the same way ....
that made it about twenty seconds longer than the version on the UK version of Dream Into Action. "You Jazzy Nork!" is a reworked instrumental version of "Why Look For The Key" performed by the Alphonse Conway Orchestra.
The cover of the 12" single featured a photograph of Jones, in profile, sitting in a high bar stool
Bar stool
Bar stools are a type of tall stool, often with a foot rest, which because of their height and narrowness are designed for seating in a public house or bar...
. This image was used in silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
for the 7" artwork, the single being issued in several alternative sleeves with different colour backgrounds.
The song was also featured in The Sims 2: Open for Business
The Sims 2: Open for Business
The Sims 2: Open for Business is the third expansion pack for The Sims 2, released on March 3, 2006, which allows Sims to run a home or community lot based business. Aspyr released a port of the game for Mac OS X on September 4, 2006...
expansion pack, and an episode of Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
.
Track listing
7"- "Things Can Only Get Better" - 3:57
- "Why Look For The Key" - 3:43
12"
- "Things Can Only Get Better (Extended Mix)" - 7:18
- "Why Look For The Key" - 3:43
- "You Jazzy Nork!" - 4:48
Both a 7" and 12" picture disc
Picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
were released with the same tracks as the standard formats.