Lovely Day (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Lovely Day


Cover size =
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Artist = Bill Withers
Album = Menagerie
A-side =
B-side = "It Ain't Because of Me Baby"
Released = 1977
Format = 7" (45 rpm)
Recorded = 1977
Genre = R&B, Soul, Pop
Length = 3:46 (single version)
Label = Columbia Records
Writer = Bill Withers, Skip Scarborough
Producer = Bill Withers, Clarence McDonald
Audio sample? =
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Last single =
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"Lovely Day" is the title of a popular song from 1977 (see 1977 in music) by the American soul / R&B singer Bill Withers. The song was written by Withers and Skip Scarborough and appears on Withers' 1978 album "Menagerie".

Released as a single in late 1977, "Lovely Day" peaked at #6 on the "Billboard" R&B chart and at #30 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart in the US in early 1978.Whitburn, Joel (1996). "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits", 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)] It also made the Top 10 in the United Kingdom, where the song reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=7619 1978 UK chart info at chartstats.com] ] Withers' version of "Lovely Day" has been re-released as a single in the UK at least twice since the song's first chart run; in 1987 the song charted again at #92, while a version credited as the "Sunshine Mix" made the UK Top 10 in 1988, rising to #4. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=15701 1988 UK chart info at chartstats.com] ] This remix was done by a Dutch DJ named Ben Liebrand.

Producer Clarence McDonald also arranged the original 1977 version of the song and played keyboards. Guitars were played by Ray Parker, Jr., Jerry Knight played bass, and Russell Kunkel played drums. [ [http://www.discogs.com/release/1351525 Musicians credited at discogs.com] ]

Towards the end of the song, Withers holds a note for 18 seconds. This is believed to be the second-longest note in UK chart history, behind Morten Harket of a-ha's 20-second note in "Summer Moved On". [ [http://www.everyhit.com/record7.html Longest note in UK Chart history at everyhit.com] ]

Covers and samples

"Lovely Day" has been covered and sampled numerous times since Withers' original recording. These alternate versions of the song span many different musical genres, including R&B, pop, jazz, gospel, dance, and rap.

One of the more notable versions of this song was performed by The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. featuring Michelle Visage and was included on the to the 1992 film "The Bodyguard". This mostly rap version was titled "It's Gonna Be a Lovely Day", and it reached #34 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and #44 on the "Billboard" R&B chart, in addition to spending three weeks atop the US "Billboard" Hot Dance Club Play chart in December 1992 and January 1993. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=359&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Dance+Club+Play&ci=3013466&cdi=6675561&cid=12%2F26%2F1992 1992 Hot Dance Club Play chart info at billboard.com] ] . This version also reached #17 on the UK Singles Chart. [ [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=20495 1992 cover version UK chart info at chartstats.com] ]

Other uses of the song include:
*1979: British jazz fusion group Morrissey-Mullen, cover version from their album "Cape Wrath"
*1983: British pop group Central Line, cover version from their album "Breaking Point" (this version reached #81 on the UK Singles Chart [ [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=10894 1983 cover version UK chart info at chartstats.com] ] )
*1994: American gospel group Out of Eden, cover version from their album "Lovin' the Day"
*1998: American gospel singer Kirk Franklin, cover version from his album "The Nu Nation Project" (titled "Gonna Be a Lovely Day")
*1998: American rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, sampled original song on their track "Lovely Daze" from their greatest hits album
*1999: American rap singers Too Short, Ant Banks and Rappin' 4-Tay, sampled original song on their track "Playa's Holiday" from Banks' album "Derty Werk"
*2002: British DJ's Brancaccio & Aisher, sampled original song on their track "It's Gonna Be...(A Lovely Day)" (this version reached #40 on the UK Singles Chart [ [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=29768 2002 cover version UK chart info at chartstats.com] ] as well as hitting #1 on both the US "Billboard" Hot Dance Club Play chart [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=359&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Dance+Club+Play&ci=3045252&cdi=7847860&cid=04%2F27%2F2002 2002 Hot Dance Club Play chart info at billboard.com] ] and the UK Official Dance Chart)
*2002: American contemporary gospel group Take 6, cover version from their album "Beautiful World"
*2003: American R&B singer Luther Vandross featuring rapper Busta Rhymes, cover version from Vandross' Grammy Award-winning album "Dance with My Father"
*2004: American rappers Twista and Anthony Hamilton, sampled original song on their track "Sunshine" from Twista's album "Kamikaze"
*2006: American pop band Maroon 5, cover version from the soundtrack to the Luke Wilson film "Hoot" (this version features backing vocals by Bill Withers)
*2006: American jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour, instrumental cover version from his album "Smoke & Mirrors"
*2007: American R&B singer Diana Ross, cover version from her album "I Love You"
*2007: American rapper Swizz Beatz, sampled original song on his track "Take a Picture" from the album "One Man Band Man"

ee also

*List of number-one dance hits (United States)
*List of number-one dance hits (UK)

References

External links

* [http://www.discogs.com/release/712803 Withers original single info at discogs.com]
* [http://www.discogs.com/release/133903 1988 "Sunshine Mix" info at discogs.com]