Wikipedia

Wonderful Life (Black album)

Wonderful Life is the debut album by English singer Black (the stage name of Colin Vearncombe). Released in 1987, it peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart in September of that year. Three of the songs were co-written with Vearncombe's friend and musical collaborator, keyboardist Dave "Dix" Dickie.

Wonderful Life
Studio album by
Black
Released18 September 1987[1]
StudioPowerpoint Studios, London; Square One Studio, Bury
Genre
Length44:40
LabelA&M
Producer
Black chronology
Wonderful Life
(1987) 		Black
(1987)
Singles from Wonderful Life
  1. "Wonderful Life"
    Released: September 1986
  2. "Everything's Coming Up Roses"
    Released: April 1987
  3. "Sweetest Smile"
    Released: June 1987
  4. "I'm Not Afraid"
    Released: October 1987
  5. "Paradise"
    Released: 4 January 1988
Audio sample
"Sweetest Smile"
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Record Mirror[3]
Smash Hits71⁄2/10[4]

Background edit

In 1985 Vearncombe wrote the minor key song "Wonderful Life". It was released independently through Ugly Man Records, and got Black noticed by A&M Records who signed Vearncombe and launched his international career. Vearncombe said:

By the end of 1985 I had been in a couple of car crashes, my mother had a serious illness, I had been dropped by a record company, my first marriage went belly-up and I was homeless. Then I sat down and wrote this song called 'Wonderful Life'. I was being sarcastic.[5][6]

Vearncombe suffered from the feeling of being a one-hit wonder, however, saying later:

Once you have had a hit, it's hard to write another song without having that in the back of your mind. For a long time, I would find myself hearing, 'I like it but it's not Wonderful Life'.[7]

The album's second single "Everything's Coming Up Roses" was also accompanied by a video,[8] but reached only No. 76 in the UK Singles Chart, although also making No. 8 in both the Austrian and German charts.[citation needed] The follow-up "Sweetest Smile", however, became a UK top-10 hit. The third single, a re-release of "Wonderful Life", was a massive hit worldwide. The album of the same name, released in 1987, had similar success, reaping commercial and critical acclaim.[9][10]

When interviewed in 2013 for superdeluxeedition.com, Vearncome was asked if the album had turned out how he wanted and if the record company had forced producers on him. He replied:

No, we were very, very lucky. You see I’d already been through the mill with Warners and stuff, and then I’d been homeless. There wasn’t much you could scare me with. I was actually homeless when I wrote "Sweetest Smile" and "Wonderful Life," but I was couch-surfing, and nothing touches you when you’re that age. For a while you can get away with it.[11]

Ugly Man Records issue a double-pack single, in September 1986 (Cat. JACK 71D), featuring "Wonderful Life", "Birthday Night", "Sometimes for the Asking" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses".[12]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by Colin Vearncombe unless otherwise noted

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Wonderful Life" 4:46
2."Everything's Coming Up Roses" 4:04
3."Sometimes for the Asking" 4:09
4."Finder" 4:12
5."Paradise"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie4:51
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."I'm Not Afraid"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie5:00
7."I Just Grew Tired" 4:15
8."Blue"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie3:38
9."Just Making Memories" 4:26
10."Sweetest Smile" 5:19
Total length:44:40
CD Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Ravel in the Rain"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie3:47
12."Leave Yourself Alone" 4:32
13."Sixteens" 3:56
14."It's Not You Lady Jane"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie3:25
15."Hardly Star-Crossed Lovers" 2:51
Total length:63:11

Singles edit

The album produced five singles: "Wonderful Life", "I'm Not Afraid" "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Sweetest Smile" and "Paradise".

Personnel edit

Musicians edit

Source:[13]

Production edit

  • Recorded at Powerplant Studios (London), Square One Studio (Bury).
  • Engineered by Stephen Boyce-Buckley, and Pink Studio (Liverpool).

Charts edit

Sales and certifications edit

Certifications for Wonderful Life
Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[26] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[27] Gold 250,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[28][29] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[29] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Platinum 300,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References edit

  1. ^ "Index". Record Mirror. 12 September 1987. p. 4. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. ^ Black: Wonderful Life – Review at AllMusic
  3. ^ Cohen, Lysette (12 September 1987). "Albums". Record Mirror. p. 12. ISSN 0144-5804.
  4. ^ Patterson, Sylvia (9–22 September 1987). "Albums" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 17. p. 68. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 21 November 2023 – via World Radio History.
  5. ^ The Daily Telegraph, [paper only] (28 Jan 2016), p.27
  6. ^ Roche, Barry (3 February 2016). "Funeral of singer 'Black' to take place in Co Cork". The Irish Times.
  7. ^ The Daily Telegraph, ibid., p.27
  8. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Black - Everything Is Coming Up Roses. YouTube.
  9. ^ Sweeting, Adam (26 January 2016). "Colin Vearncombe obituary" – via www.theguardian.com.
  10. ^ "Colin Vearncombe: Singer known as Black who wrote Wonderful Life". The Independent. 28 January 2016.
  11. ^ "Wonderful Life: The 'lost' interview with Colin Vearncombe RIP - superdeluxeedition".
  12. ^ "Black - Wonderful Life".
  13. ^ "Wonderful Life - Black" – via www.allmusic.com.
  14. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Black – Wonderful Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Black – Wonderful Life" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Black – Wonderful Life" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  17. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Black". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 31. ISBN 978-952-7460-01-6.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Black – Wonderful Life" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Charts.nz – Black – Wonderful Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Black – Wonderful Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Black – Wonderful Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Black | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1987". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  24. ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1988". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  26. ^ "French album certifications – Black – Wonderful Life" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 22 July 2022. Select BLACK and click OK. 
  27. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Black; 'Wonderful Life')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  28. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 924. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  29. ^ a b Stratton, Sally (28 October 1989). "Spotlights - Black's Future Looks Bright" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 43. p. 40. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 15 August 2023 – via World Radio History.
  30. ^ "British album certifications – Black – Wonderful Life". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 July 2022.

External links edit

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