Good Day at the Races

Last updated
"Good Day at the Races"
GoodDayAtTheRaces.png
Single by Hollerado
from the album Margaritaville 2: The Reckoning
ReleasedSeptember 2011
Recorded2010
Genre Indie rock, alternative rock
Length3:29 (single version)
3:55 (album version)
Label Royal Mountain Records
Songwriter(s) Dean Baxter, Jake Boyd, Nixon Boyd, Menno Versteeg
Hollerado singles chronology
"Got to Lose"
(2011)
"Good Day at the Races"
(2011)
"Pick Me Up"
(2012)

"Good Day at the Races" is the first single from Canadian band Hollerado's LP, Margaritaville 2: The Reckoning.

Contents

Lyrics

Hollerado frontman Menno Versteeg has stated that Good Day at the Races is "a song about Freddie Mercury," [1] lead singer of the British rock band Queen. Queen's fifth album, A Day at the Races, included the song Somebody to Love in which Mercury, who was bisexual, pleaded, "Can anybody find me somebody to love?" Good Day at the Races alludes to that song with the line, "Way down low but I got somebody to love."

Version differences

The single version is quite different from the version found on Margaritaville 2: The Reckoning. The LP is described as containing "two brand new tracks produced by Jace Lasek of Besnard Lakes, b-sides from the Record in a Bag session, a live recording of the song "Canadianarama" and a couple of songs that Menno and Jake recorded themselves in one of the living rooms they were living in for a few weeks." [2] Due to the album version of "Good Day at the Races" having a much less refined sound, it is possible that that version was recorded in a living room and that the band later recorded the single version in a studio. The album version also has fairly distorted vocals, while the single version's are clear.

The music video does use the single version, but is slightly different at the end. It finishes with "way down low, but I got somebody to..." being sung while the guitar is sustained, and eventually turns into an a capella, with all instruments returning briefly at the end to play just a few more notes.

Music video

The music video, directed by Michael Maxxis was Filmed at The Abbyville Rodeo Grounds in Abbyville, Kansas and Hedrick's Exotic Animal Farm in Nickerson, KS, features the bands riding on and racing ostriches. It also shows the band banging on buckets with sticks of wood, women dancing while looking totally uninterested, shots of a small crowd in the bleachers eating and drinking soda while seeming bored, and stop motion animation of fruits in sand. Occasionally, the music will stop for a second to show a clip of the band riding the ostriches, and also of one member running away from an ostrich that is chasing him.

Track listing

Source: [3] [ better source needed ]

No.TitleLength
1."Good Day at the Races"3:29
2."Walkin' Out on Daytime"4:25

Charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Canadian Alternative Chart [4] 7

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bohemian Rhapsody</span> 1975 single by Queen

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack of a refraining chorus and consisting of several sections: an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part and a reflective coda. It is one of the few progressive rock songs of the 1970s to have proved accessible to a mainstream audience.

<i>Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes</i> 1977 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes is the seventh studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. This is his breakthrough album, which remains the best-selling studio album of Buffett's career, and contains his biggest single, "Margaritaville". It was initially released in January 1977 as ABC AB-990 and rereleased on its successor label, MCA.

<i>News of the World</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Queen

News of the World is the sixth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 28 October 1977 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. News of the World was the band's second album to be recorded at Sarm and Wessex Sound Studios in London, and engineered by Mike Stone, and was co-produced by the band and Stone.

<i>Queen II</i> 1974 studio album by Queen

Queen II is the second studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 8 March 1974 by EMI Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US. It was recorded at Trident Studios and Langham 1 Studios, London, in August 1973 with co-producers Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Geoffrey Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone. It is significant for being the first album to contain elements of the band's signature sound of multi-layered overdubs, vocal harmonies, and varied musical styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaritaville</span> 1977 single by Jimmy Buffett

"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, released on his seventh album, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. In the United States, "Margaritaville" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and went to number one on the Easy Listening chart, also peaking at No. 13 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard ranked it number 14 on its 1977 Pop Singles year-end chart. It was Buffett's highest charting solo single. After Buffett’s death on September 1, 2023, the song re-entered the Top 40 for the week ending September 16, 2023.

<i>A Night at the Opera</i> (Queen album) 1975 studio album by Queen

A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 28 November 1975, by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, it was reportedly the most expensive album ever recorded at the time of its release.

<i>Innuendo</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Queen

Innuendo is the fourteenth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 4 February 1991 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and was the band's first studio album to be released by Hollywood Records in the United States. Produced by David Richards and the band, it was the band's last album to be released in lead singer Freddie Mercury's lifetime. The album reached the No. 1 spot on the UK album charts for two weeks, and also peaked at No. 1 in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, staying at No. 1 for three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, and eight weeks, respectively. It was the first Queen album to go Gold in the US upon its release since The Works in 1984.

<i>Queen</i> (Queen album) 1973 debut studio album by Queen

Queen is the debut studio album by the British rock band Queen. Released on 13 July 1973 by EMI Records in the UK and by Elektra Records in the US, it was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker, John Anthony and the band members themselves.

<i>A Day at the Races</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Queen

A Day at the Races is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 10 December 1976 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Recorded at The Manor, Sarm East, and Wessex Sound Studios in England, it was the band's first completely self-produced album, and the first completed without the involvement of producer Roy Thomas Baker; engineering duties were handled by Mike Stone. It serves as a companion to Queen's previous album, A Night at the Opera, with both taking their names from Marx Brothers films and having similar packaging and eclectic musical themes.

<i>Made in Heaven</i> 1995 studio album by Queen

Made in Heaven is the fifteenth and final studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 6 November 1995 by Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and by Hollywood Records in the United States. It was the band's first and only album released solely under the name "Queen" after the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1991. Following Mercury's death, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bass guitarist John Deacon worked with vocal and piano parts that Mercury recorded before his death, adding new instrumentation to the recordings. Both stages of recording, before and after Mercury's death, were completed at the band's studio in Montreux, Switzerland. The album debuted at number 1 in the UK, where it went quadruple platinum selling 1.2 million copies. 500,000 copies were shipped in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tie Your Mother Down</span> Song written and composed by Brian May

"Tie Your Mother Down" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by lead guitarist Brian May. It is the opening track and the second single from their 1976 album A Day at the Races. On its original release as a single in 1977 the song peaked at 31 in the UK Singles Chart. More than 20 years later, it was released as a double a-side to "No-One but You " where it reached 13 in UK Singles Chart. On the album the song is preceded by a one-minute instrumental intro featuring a Shepard tone melody, performed by Brian May, which is reprised in the ending of "Teo Torriatte": this was intended to create a "circle" within the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killer Queen</span> 1974 single by Queen

"Killer Queen" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by lead singer Freddie Mercury and recorded for their third album Sheer Heart Attack in 1974. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and became their first US hit, reaching number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is about a high-class call girl and has been characterised as "Mercury's piano-led paean to a Moët-quaffing courtesan".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep Yourself Alive</span> 1973 single by Queen

"Keep Yourself Alive" is the debut single by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, it is the opening track on the band's self-titled debut album (1973). It was released as Queen's first single along with "Son and Daughter" as the B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)</span> 1997 single by Queen

"No-One But You " is the final single recorded by the British rock band Queen. Recorded and released in 1997, six years after the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury, it is the only Queen recording to feature a three-piece lineup: guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon. May and Taylor share lead vocals. The song was released on the album Queen Rocks and it was also released as a double a-side single with "Tie Your Mother Down". It was later included on the compilation album Greatest Hits III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spread Your Wings</span> 1978 single by Queen

"Spread Your Wings" is a power ballad by English rock band Queen, from their 1977 album News of the World. Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as the A-side of the single "Spread Your Wings"/"Sheer Heart Attack" in 1978. According to music writer Benoit Clerc, "Spread Your Wings" was chosen as the 2nd single from News of the World because the band regretted releasing "Tie Your Mother Down" as a single from A Day at the Races over Deacon's "You and I."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somebody to Love (Queen song)</span> 1976 single by Queen

"Somebody to Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by lead singer and pianist Freddie Mercury. It debuted on the band's 1976 album A Day at the Races and also appears on their 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits.

"Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" is the eighth track from the British rock band Queen's 1976 album A Day at the Races, written by Freddie Mercury. It was also released as a single in 1977 on 7-inch vinyl. It was one of several British music hall-inspired songs composed by members of the band. It reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollerado</span> Canadian indie rock band

Hollerado is a Canadian indie rock band from Ottawa, Ontario. Formed in 2007, the band consisted of Menno Versteeg, Nixon Boyd, Dean Baxter and Jake Boyd. Hollerado went on to release four studio albums, before disbanding in 2019. They were nominated for awards such as the Juno Award that included Best New Group Award at the 2011 Juno Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menno Versteeg</span> Canadian musician

Menno Versteeg, also known as Mav Karlo, is a Canadian musician, best known as the frontman for indie rock group Hollerado. Versteeg received a nomination for Recording Package of the Year at the 2014 Juno Awards for his work on Hollerado's White Paint.

Anyway Gang is a Canadian rock band consisting of Sam Roberts, Chris Murphy, Menno Versteeg, and Dave Monks. The group formed in the summer of 2018 and released their debut single, "Big Night" in September 2019. Their debut album, Anyway Gang, was released on November 29, 2019, on Royal Mountain Records.

References

  1. Lepage, Mark (4 August 2013). "Mark Lepage at Osheaga 2013, Sunday: New Order, Hollerado, Little Green Cars". Montreal Gazette blogs. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  2. "Royal Mountain Records".
  3. http://www.galleryac.com/hollerado-good-day-at-the-races.html
  4. "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock - December 13, 2011". America's Music Charts. 13 December 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2011.