Grey Day

Infobox Single
Name=Grey Day


Artist=Madness
from Album=7
Released=April 17, 1981
Format=7"
12"
Recorded=1981
Genre=Pop
Length=3:40
Label=Stiff Records
Writer=Mike Barson
Producer=Clive Langer Alan Winstanley
Chart position=* #4 (UK)
* #82 (AUS)
Reviews=
Artist=Madness
Last single="Return of the Los Palmas 7"
(1981)
This single="Grey Day"
(1981)
Next single="Shut Up"
(1981)Extra tracklisting
Album = 7
Type = studio
Tracks = ;Side One
# "Cardiac Arrest"
# "Shut Up"
# "Sign of the Times"
# "Missing You"
# "Mrs. Hutchinson"
# "Tomorrow's Dream";Side Two
# "Grey Day"
# "Pac-A-Mac"
# "Promises Promises"
# "Benny Bullfrog"
# "When Dawn Arrives"
# "The Opium Eaters"
# "Day on the Town"Extra tracklisting
Album = Divine Madness
Type = Compilation
prev_track = "The Return of the Los Palmas 7"
prev_no = 7
this_track = "Grey Day"
track_no = 8
next_track = "Shut Up"
next_no = 9

"Grey Day" is a pop song written by Mike Barson and recorded by British pop/ska band Madness. cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jxfwxqw5ldfe |title= "Allmusic.com 7 overview" Retrieved on July 21, 2007.] The song was the first single released from the band's third studio album "7". cite web|url= http://www.madness.co.uk/time/1981/text.htm |title= "The Madness Timeline: 1981" Retrieved on July 21, 2007.] It was big departure from their early ska sound with much darker, miserable feel.

The song was written prior to band becoming a success in the UK music scene, and the first performance of the song came back in 1978 at the Acklam Hall while the band were known as "The North London Invaders". The song was finally recorded in 1981 and was released as a single on April 17, 1981. The song spent 10 weeks in the UK Singles Chart, reaching a high of number 4.

Music video

, where the band performed the song. The street they are featured walking down is Royal College Street just off of Camden High Street, they are seen entering various of the houses between 115 and 125.

Appearances

"Grey Day" is one of Madness' most anthologised singles. In addition to its single release and appearance on the album "7", "Grey Day" also appears on the Madness collections "Divine Madness" (a.k.a. "The Heavy Heavy Hits"), "Complete Madness", "It's... Madness", "The Business" and "". It also features on all four US Madness retrospectives, "Madness", "Total Madness", "Ultimate Collection" and "The Millennium Collection".

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Grey Day".

*7" Single
#"Grey Day" (Barson) - 3:37
#"Memories" (Foreman) - 2:24

*12" Single
#"Un Paso Adelante!" (Campbell) - 2:18
#"Baggy Trousers" (McPherson/Foreman) - 2:46
#"Grey Day" (Barson) - 3:37
#"Take It Or Leave It" (Thompson/Barson) - 3:27

Notes