Daylight (Bobby Womack song)

"Daylight"
Single by Kelly Rowland featuring Gym Class Heroes
from the album Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe
Released	March 4, 2008 (U.S. digital)[1] May 5, 2008 (UK)[2] August 1, 2008 (GER)[3]
Format	Digital download, vinyl single, CD single
Recorded	2007; Fresh Kills (New York City, New York)
Genre	R&B, hip hop
Length	3:33 (album version) 3:30 (no rap version)
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Harold Payne, Bobby Womack
Producer	S*A*M & Sluggo
Kelly Rowland singles chronology "Work" (2008) "Daylight" (2008) "No Future in the Past" (2008) Travis McCoy singles chronology "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" (2006) "Daylight" (2008) "Coconut Juice" (2008)

"Daylight" is a R&B song written by Bobby Womack and Harold Payne, released in 1976 as a single by Womack.

In 2007, the song was re-recorded by American R&B singer Kelly Rowland and front man Travis McCoy of the indie hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes for the soundtrack of French film Asterix at the Olympic Games. Co-produced by S*A*M & Sluggo, it was released as the lead single from Rowland's re-release album Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, with a release date of March 2008 (see 2008 in music) for the United States, May 5, 2008 for the U.K. and August 1 for German-speaking Europe.^[2]

Writing and recording

Rowland's cover version of the Bobby Womack single was recorded sometime around October 2007 in London, while she was over in the United Kingdom promoting the release of Ms. Kelly. Although she "had a great time recording it,"^[4] Rowland has stated that she felt actually nervous about meeting with Travis McCoy in the studio: "When we got into the studio it was just magic together and I'm happy that it was because you always wonder how a collaboration is going to come out," she said,^[5] noting the song her favorite addition to Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe. Stating her reasons for choosing to work with Travis, she told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul: "I love the fact that Gym Class Heroes' music and sound is something different and eclectic. I figured me and Travis together would be an unusual tyepa duo. And I'm really happy I trusted my instincts. Because it turned out to be a really cool, different type of collaboration. To me Travis is like a rapper-slash-poet-slash-rocker, and our combination really worked!"^[6] Actually recorded for the soundtrack for Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008), Rowland was so satisfied with the track, she wanted to include on the Diva Deluxe re-release and release it as a single as well: "I love doing collaborations - it's always good to do something that's out the box."^[7]

Music video

The video for "Daylight" was filmed in November 2007 and was directed by Jeremy Rall and produced by Gina Leonard for Siblings Inc. and shot in New York City, New York, just ten blocks from the Empire State Building. A seven-seconds snippet of the video premiered on NBC's Clash of the Choirs. The clip shows Rowland among a bunch of people in a party scene alongside Travis McCoy. About shooting, Rowland said: "Shooting the music video for the song was hilarious, with Travis especially. He looked so funny and cute when he was riding a weird modified-bicycle in the middle of the bustling city."^[4] The other members of Gym Class Heroes make cameos in the video.

The full video finally premiered on Vivement Dimanche in France on January 6, 2008 including clips from the Asterix film. Stateside, the video premiered on MySpace on January 17, excluding the Asterix clips; the same day it also premiered on BET's 106 & Park as the 'New Joint' of the day. In the UK, the "Daylight" video premiered on music channel Bubble Hits on March 19, 2008.

Chart performance

"Daylight" charted at number 36 in the UK due to heavy download sales. The physical release of "Daylight" was on the 5 May 2008 and the song climbed over twenty-two places to number 14, the largest climber within the UK Singles Chart top 40 that week. "Daylight" became Rowland's eighth consecutive top twenty hit there, although it was not as successful as the first two singles from Ms. Kelly, "Like This" and "Work", both of which peaked inside the UK top 5. In its second week of release, single fell one place to #15.

Formats and track listings

U.S. digital single

1. "Daylight" (Album Version) - 3:34

U.S. digital remix EP

1. "Daylight" (Hex Hector remix) - 3:11
2. "Daylight" (Maurice Joshua Nu Soul remix) - 3:33
3. "Daylight" (Karmatronic remix) - 3:28
4. "Daylight" (Loze Daze remix) - 10:37
5. "Daylight" (Dan McKie Nightlight dub mix) - 7:59

UK CD single

1. "Daylight" (Album Version) - 3:33
2. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Radio Edit - with Rap) - 3:29

UK Promo CD

1. "Daylight" (Album Version) - 3:33
2. "Daylight" (No Rap Version) - 3:30

UK Remix Promo CD

1. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Club Mix)
2. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Radio Edit - with Rap) - 3:29
3. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Radio Edit)
4. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Rodox Dub)
5. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Urban Mix)
6. "Daylight" (Karmatronic Club Mix) - 6:59
7. "Daylight" (Original Version) - 3:33

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[8]	43
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles[9]	44
French Airplay Chart[10]	16
Global Dance Tracks[11]	17
Irish Singles Chart[8]	43
Japan Hot 100 Singles[12]	41
Romanian Airplay Chart[13]	91
UK Singles Chart[8]	14
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[14]	4

References

1. ^ "Grammy Winning R&B/Pop Superstar Kelly Rowland Kicks It New School with the Release of Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe". EarthTimes.org. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/grammy-winning-rbpop-superstar-kelly-rowland-kicks-it-new-school,298613.shtml. Retrieved 2008-03-05. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "New Single Daylight feat. Travis from Gym Class Heroes- out 5th May". KellyRowland.Bebo.com. http://kellyrowland.bebo.com. Retrieved 2008-03-29. 
3. ^ "Release.beat.preview". Musicbeat.de. http://www.musicbeat.de/?http://www.musicbeat.de/releasebeat/releasebeat.php?show=preview. Retrieved 2008-06-29. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Interview: "Kelly Rowland's All About Action"". TeenMusic. http://www.teenmusic.com/d.asp?r=165757&c=1004&p=4. Retrieved 2008-01-17. 
5. ^ "Interview: "Interview: Kelly Rowland Goes Deluxe"". TeenMusic. http://www.teenmusic.com/d/171686/1004/interview-kelly-rowland-goes-deluxe.html. Retrieved 2008-03-21. 
6. ^ Kelly Rowland interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' May 2008
7. ^ "Interview". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a87989/kelly-rowland.html. Retrieved 2008-03-22. 
8. ^ ^{a b c} "Song Performance". A-Charts. http://acharts.us/song/35373. Retrieved 2008-08-18. 
9. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles (2008-05-24)". Billboard. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/search/detailed_chart_display.jsp?g=s&cd=May-24-2008&f=European%20Hot%20100%20Singles&model.chartId=3095726. Retrieved 2008-05-20. 
10. ^ France Airplay TOP 100 - 03/02/2008
11. ^ Dance Tracks&model.chartId=3095064 "Global Dance Tracks (2008-05-17)". Billboard. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/search/detailed_chart_display.jsp?g=s&cd=May-17-2008&f=Global Dance Tracks&model.chartId=3095064. Retrieved 2008-03-02. 
12. ^ "Japan Hot 100 Singles (2008-07-11)". Billboard. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/search/detailed_chart_display.jsp?g=s&cd=Jul-11-2008&f=Japan_Hot_100_Singles&model.chartId=3097498. Retrieved 2009-05-18. 
13. ^ Romanian Top 100
14. ^ Dance Club Play&model.chartId=3092807 "Hot Dance Club Play". Billboard. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/search/detailed_chart_display.jsp?g=s&cd=Mar-29-2008&f=Hot Dance Club Play&model.chartId=3092807. Retrieved 2008-03-02.