Tuesday Tunes 113: Another Day

I said last week that I had a number of other day songs that I could play, and as nothing else has happened to change my mind I’m sticking to the plan and playing you a second set today. As before, I’m mixing some you will probably know with several that you probably won’t, but they are all good so I’m sure there will be something here for you to enjoy.

Something I also said last week was that I knew of five day songs by The Beatles, but I didn’t play any of them. Let’s get the party started this week with one of those, shall we:

As I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you, A Hard Day’s Night was the title of The Beatles’ first movie, which was also released as a (mostly) soundtrack album. It came out in June 1964 in the US, and in July in the UK, but with different track listings – the US version had more of the movie soundtrack, whereas our version had more songs. It was their fourth album in the US but just their third in the UK – they messed around with the releases in those days, which is how Capitol Records managed to come up with an album they titled The Beatles’ Second Album which was actually their third over there: I’m guessing they were relying on their education system producing kids who couldn’t count. It was, of course, #1 in both countries, and has sold upwards of 5m copies worldwide. This song was released as a single in July 1964, although for some reason it came out a couple of days later in the US and with a different B-side from here. Record companies, eh – don’t you just love them? Again, this went to #1 in both the UK and the US, and in many other countries as well.

When I played one of their songs last week I also mentioned that the Kinks had another day song. It is rather different from last week’s, but I have always liked it and think it worth sharing with you:

Days was released by The Kinks as a single in June 1968, as one of a sequence of songs that weren’t on any of their albums. It was included on a European release of their album The Village Green Preservation Society, but wasn’t on the version that came out in the UK and the US. It reached #12 in the UK but didn’t chart in the US: in those days they were, I think, still subject to an unofficial ban on many radio stations over there following an onstage fight between a couple of them, which got them badged as a bad influence for susceptible American youth. I’ve always thought that this was stupid: at that time the US was sending its kids to die in the totally pointless Vietnam War, so why determine what they can or can’t listen to? Maybe they should have listened, as the lyrics to this are typical of Ray Davies’ songwriting. This was a bit of a crossover song for them as it opened up a wider audience for them here: I had all of their early singles, but the purchase of this one in our house was made by Mum, who loved the song, and I suspect she wasn’t alone in that among her generation. It was covered in 1989 by the late, great Kirsty McColl, whose version is lovely. Coincidentally that one also got to #12 in our charts: look it out if you don’t know it.

I’ve shared songs by Frank Turner with you before. He is very much one of my favourites, and as he has a day song it probably won’t come as a surprise to you that I’m playing it:

Losing Days is a track on Frank’s fifth album, Tape Deck Heart, which was released in April 2013 and is still, I think, my favourite of his – but they are all great! He has had a string of hit albums here, and this one got to #2. It also made #52 in the US, where he has been much less successful. He is currently coming towards the end of a massive tour over there – fifty gigs in fifty states – so hopefully he will have seen an improvement in sales as a result of that. His most recent album, FTHC, came out in February of this year and gave him his first #1 album – it hasn’t charted so far in the States, though. This song was released as the lead track on an EP in September 2013, but only got to #162 here – as I said, he’s very much an albums artist!

I played a track by Matchbox Twenty a couple of weeks ago, in Tuesday Tunes 111, and said then that they were a band I really like. So I couldn’t leave out their day song, could I:

Long Day is a track on Matchbox Twenty’s debut album, Yourself Or Someone Like You, which was released in October 1996 and reached #5 in the US and #50 here. It has to date sold more than 15m copies worldwide, 12m of those in the US alone. A pretty good start for a band! This track was the first single taken from the album, but it didn’t make the charts. Like most of their songs it was written by their lead singer, Rob Thomas, who you may recall from his collaboration with Santana on their 1998 album Supernatural, which hit #1 just about anywhere you care to look. Its big hit single, Smooth, was co-written by Rob: it reached #1 in the US and many other countries, and #3 here in the UK. And if you’d like to know who the gorgeous woman in the video is, I wish you luck trying to find out: not even the IMDb is telling!

When I said I could think of five Beatles day songs I wasn’t including this next one. Although it was written while Paul was still a member of the band, and there are demo versions of them playing it during the sessions for the Let It Be album, it was actually released as his debut solo single:

Another Day was recorded as part of the sessions for his second solo album, Ram, which was released in May 1971, peaking at #1 in the UK and #2 in the US. But they decided to release this track as a single ahead of the album, in February 1971, and it got to #2 in the UK and #5 in the US. It didn’t feature on the album back then, but was later included on a remastered re-release version in 1993. It probably doesn’t rank as one of his greatest ever songs, but it is a pleasant listen and I’ve always rather liked it. And having used it for today’s title, it was the least I could do to play it!

I played a Keith Urban song for the first time a month or so ago, and thought I’d give you another of his today:

Keith was born in New Zealand, but moved at the age of 2 to Australia, which is where his music career began. He has lived for the past thirty years in the US, having moved to Nashville in 1992. That is where he met his wife, Nicole Kidman, which probably didn’t harm his career! Days Go By is a track on his album Be Here, which came out in September 2004, and got to #3 in the US and to #1 on their Country chart. It also made #8 in Canada and #11 in his (mostly) native Australia, but didn’t make the UK charts – he has had very little chart success here. This track was released as a single in June 2004, ahead of the album, and made #1 on both the US and Canadian Country charts, as well as #31 on the main US listing. Again, it wasn’t a hit here, but I rather like it.

I’m closing this week with two tracks from my list of ‘usual suspects.’ First up, this guy:

John Mellencamp has made 23 albums and to me there isn’t a bad one amongst them. Just Another Day featured on his fourteenth release, Mr. Happy Go Lucky, which came out in September 1996. This was his first album after he survived a heart attack in 1994, and there is a theme of happiness and thanks running through its tracks. It got to #9 in the US and even made it into the UK charts, at #82. He does have a loyal following here, though, of whom I am but one – I bought this album on the day it came out, on my way home from work, and played it on the car journey home: the first of many times I’ve listened to it. This track was released as a single in February 1997, reaching #42 on the main US chart though it did get to #2 on their Adult Alternative Songs listings, which are based on radio airplay. It also gave him his first #1 in Canada.

For today’s final tune, here is the other ‘usual suspect’:

Lonesome Day is the opening track on Bruce Springsteen’s twelfth album, The Rising, which came out in July 2002. It was based in large part on Bruce’s reflections during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and focuses on themes of relationship struggles, existential crisis and social uplift. It was his first solo album in seven years, and his first with the accompaniment of the E Street Band in eighteen years. As such it was eagerly anticipated by fans. It performed well and was also liked by the critics: it reached #1 in the US, the UK, Canada and many other countries, and both the album and its title track received Grammy Awards. This one was released as a single in December 2002: it didn’t make the US charts but got to #39 in the UK. I enjoy Bruce in his more introspective moments, and this is no exception. And a brief footnote for UK readers: the new issue of Mojo magazine has a twenty page special feature on the Boss – recommended reading!

That’s it for this week. As always, I hope you have found something among these to enjoy. I’m now off to try and avoid the extreme weather we are currently enduring and to keep an eye on the contest for leader of the Conservative party, to see which incompetent climate change denier will be our next Prime Minister. I’ve just read that our High Court has ruled the Government’s net zero target policy to be illegal, and has given them eight months to make it right. All in all, that makes this a good day! Take care, and I’ll see you again soon ☀️🔥😅

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