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One Better Day
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = One Better Day
| cover = One Better Day.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Madness
| album = Keep Moving
| released = 2 June 1984
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = *Reggae
*Sophisti-pop
*Ska
| length = 4:06
| label = Stiff
| composer = Mark Bedford
| lyricist = Graham McPherson
| producer = *Clive Langer
*Alan Winstanley
| prev_title = Michael Caine
| prev_year = 1984
| next_title = Yesterday's Men
| next_year = 1985
| misc =
}}
"'One Better Day'" is a song by British band Madness from their 1984 album 'Keep Moving'. The song, written by Graham McPherson and Mark Bedford, Retrieved on June 27, 2007. was released as a single in the United Kingdom, and spent seven weeks in the charts peaking at number 18. Retrieved on June 27, 2007.
The single was a last minute choice, as "Victoria Gardens" from the same album was originally slated to be the album's second single. The remixed version of "Victoria Gardens" intended for the A-side was instead included as a bonus track on the 12" single. The substitution was likely made to avoid releasing two consecutive singles with Carl Smyth as lead vocalist, following the disappointing (by their standards) sales of "Michael Caine" and widespread rumours that Suggs was about to leave, or had already left, the group. This was the last single on the Stiff Records label, before the band's creation of their own label, Zarjazz Records. The B-side "Guns" was McPherson's first solo writing credit and meant that all seven members of the group had at least one solo composition.
Music video
The single was the final release under 'Stiff Records' and the label did not want to produce an accompanying music video so the band had to fund it themselves. Mike Barson flew from Amsterdam especially and a video was filmed in London's Arlington Road, just outside the homeless refuge Arlington House, which is mentioned in the first line of the song.
Most of the video shows the band members as homeless people, except a few clips showing them performing the song. It also shows Suggs dancing with his wife Bette Bright, who plays a homeless woman in the video.
Appearances
In addition to its single release and appearance on the album 'Keep Moving', "One Better Day" also appears on the Madness collections 'Divine Madness' (a.k.a. 'The Heavy Heavy Hits'), 'Utter Madness', 'Total Madness', 'The Business' and 'Our House: the Best of Madness'. It did not appear on any of the band's US compilations.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "One Better Day".
*'7" Single'
#"One Better Day" (McPherson/Bedford) - 4:06
#"Guns" (McPherson) - 3:14
*'12" Single'
#"One Better Day" (McPherson/Bedford) - 4:06
#"Guns" (McPherson) - 3:14
#"Victoria Gardens" (Smyth/Barson/Smyth) - 4:01
#"Sarah" (Thompson/Madness) - 3:43
Chart performance
Notes
Category:1984 singles
Category:Madness (band) songs
Category:Songs written by Suggs (singer)
Category:Songs written by Mark Bedford
Category:1984 songs
Category:Stiff Records singles
Category:Songs about homelessness
Category:Song recordings produced by Clive Langer
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