| "Now Those Days Are Gone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bucks Fizz | ||||
| from the album Are You Ready | ||||
| B-side | "Takin' Me Higher" | |||
| Released | 6 June 1982 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3.33 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Andy Hill, Nichola Martin | |||
| Producer(s) | Andy Hill | |||
| Bucks Fizz singles chronology | ||||
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"Now Those Days Are Gone" is a single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It became a UK top ten hit in July 1982 and featured on the group's album Are You Ready. The song was nominated for an Ivor Novello award the following year.
Written by Andy Hill and Nichola Martin and produced by Hill, this was the group's only single to feature member Mike Nolan on lead vocals, it was also the last to be co-written by Martin, who founded the group. The song was a stark contrast to the group's singles up to this point, which had all featured very full pop productions, this time, the song was partly an a cappella piece with soft harmonies and a gentle orchestral build towards the end. Years later, Nolan commented on the recording of the song saying that he favoured another ballad from the album called "Love Dies Hard" but it had already been given to other male member Bobby G. The vocal harmonies were very intricate and took many takes to get right in the studio. When the album was finished, Hill invited record company executives to listen to the tracks and at the close of this song there was a round of applause where they instantly decided this would be the next single, much to Nolan's delight. [1] One reviewer remarked that the impressive vocal structure would give Bucks Fizz some much-needed credibility. [2]
The song centres around the narrator who looks back on younger days and recalls how innocent he was then, and reflects on the love he once felt for his partner. The promotional video for the song saw the group in a World War II setting, with Nolan as a radio singer and members Bobby G, Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston being caught in a love triangle. [3] [4] Much of the video was filmed in Hyde Park, London. Nolan's scenes were completely studio bound, meaning that he finished the shoot early [ citation needed ] while the other three were filmed on location. Baker recalls that while walking along the Serpentine lake, Bobby G was attacked by a group of swans and had to be rescued. [1] The single sleeve's cover shot was taken at the group's publicist, Jenny Halsall's manor house in Cambridge.
Released in June 1982, this single followed up two No.1 hits, "My Camera Never Lies" and "The Land Of Make Believe" and reached No.8 in the UK Charts. It remained on the chart for nine weeks and earned a silver disc for sales of over 250,000. [5] [6] It performed even better in Ireland, where it reached No.5. [7] The following year, "Now Those Days Are Gone" received an Ivor Novello nomination for best song of 1982 - an award Andy Hill would go on to win years later with Celine Dion's "Think Twice". [8] In 2015, Guardian journalist Bob Stanley commented favourably on the song saying "Now Those Days Are Gone sounded out of place at the time, a mid-70s ballad transplanted into the summer of 'Come on Eileen', but with its long a cappella sections, aching string part and Mike Nolan’s androgynous, weeping lead, it was home counties, potting-shed balladry of the highest order". [9]
In Australia and many European countries, this single went unreleased, with tracks, "Are You Ready" or "Easy Love" being released in its place. [10] The song was featured on the group's second (and most popular) album, Are You Ready. It was also later featured as the B-side to "You and Your Heart so Blue" - a 1985 single by the group. The B-side to "Now Those Days Are Gone", "Takin' Me Higher" was a first, in that it was written and produced by the group themselves. The group continued to write and produce songs for their B-sides over the next few years.
A newly recorded version of "Now Those Days Are Gone" was released in 2006 on the Bucks Fizz album, The Lost Masters, while an early demo by Hill was released in 2008 on The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut . [11] This demo featured an expletive, which necessitated the album to include a Parental advisory sticker.
| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK | 8 |
| Ireland | 5 |
Bucks Fizz are a British pop group that achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston. They received attention for the dance routine which accompanied the song, in which the male members of the group ripped the female members' outer skirts off to reveal much shorter mini-skirts beneath. The group went on to have a successful career around the world, but the UK remained their biggest market, where they had three No.1 singles with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s. They also had UK Top 10 hits with "Now Those Days Are Gone" (1982), "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (1982), "When We Were Young" (1983) and "New Beginning " (1986). Bucks Fizz have sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Jay Hilda Aston is an English singer and occasional songwriter. She was a member of the British pop group Bucks Fizz from 1981 to 1985. She was the youngest member of the group's original line-up, aged 19 when they won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest. During Aston's membership, the group had 12 of their 13 UK top 40 hit singles, including three number one hits. Since 2009, she has performed alongside fellow original Bucks Fizz members Cheryl Baker and Mike Nolan. The group used to perform under the name the Original Bucks Fizz but are now known as the Fizz.
Michael Nolan is an Irish singer who is best known as one of the four original members of the British pop group, Bucks Fizz. He was born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, but brought up in the UK, where he still resides. As a member of Bucks Fizz, he won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and achieved 20 UK top 60 singles between 1981 and 1988, including three number one hits. He was a member of the group until 1996. Since 2004, he has been a member of the group The Fizz, along with other former Bucks Fizz members Cheryl Baker, Shelley Preston and Jay Aston.
Bucks Fizz is the eponymous debut studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 26 July 1981, it features their Eurovision-winning song "Making Your Mind Up" as well as the two follow-up singles "Piece of the Action" and "One of Those Nights". The album was produced by Andy Hill and released on RCA Records. Bucks Fizz has been re-released twice on CD, first in 2004 with bonus tracks and as a two-disc edition in 2015.
Are You Ready is the second studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 26 April 1982 and features the UK No. 1 singles "The Land of Make Believe" and "My Camera Never Lies" as well as the follow-up "Now Those Days Are Gone". It was produced by Andy Hill and released on RCA records. It remains the group's most successful album.
Hand Cut is the third studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 1 March 1983 and features the UK top 20 hits, "If You Can't Stand the Heat" and "Run for Your Life".
Writing on the Wall is the fifth and final studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 24 November 1986 and featured the comeback top ten single "New Beginning ". It was their first and only album to feature then new member Shelley Preston and their only album released on Polydor Records. Despite the album being initially unsuccessful in the charts, it was re-released twice - first in 2004 and again in 2012, both times with different track listings. It remains the group's final studio album to date.
"The Land of Make Believe" is a 1981 single by British band Bucks Fizz. It reached No.1 in the UK in early 1982 - the second single by the band to do so. The song was produced by Andy Hill with music by Hill and lyrics by ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. Despite the apparent sugar-coated style of the song, Sinfield later claimed it was a subtle attack on Margaret Thatcher and her government's policy at the time. "The Land of Make Believe" became a big hit across Europe in early 1982, topping the charts in Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland as well as the UK. The song was later covered by pop band allSTARS* for a 2002 single release.
Shelley Preston is a singer who is most famous for being a member of the pop group Bucks Fizz, when she replaced Jay Aston in June 1985. Her biggest hit as a member of the band was the 1986 track "New Beginning", which reached the UK top ten. She left the group in 1990. From 2004 to 2009, she was a member of the group The Original Bucks Fizz, along with former Bucks Fizz members Cheryl Baker and Mike Nolan.
"Love the One You're With" is a song by folk rock musician Stephen Stills. It was released as the lead single from his debut self-titled studio album in November 1970. The song, inspired by a remark Stills heard from musician Billy Preston, became his biggest hit single, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1971. David Crosby and Graham Nash, Stills' fellow members of Crosby, Stills & Nash, provide background vocals on the song. The song was also covered by a number of artists, notably the Isley Brothers, Bucks Fizz and Luther Vandross.
"My Camera Never Lies" is a 1982 single by pop group Bucks Fizz. It became the group's second consecutive UK number-one in April 1982. The song was written by Andy Hill and Nichola Martin, and was featured on Bucks Fizz's second album Are You Ready.
Andrew Gerard Hill is an English record producer and songwriter, who was involved in creating many hits during the 1980s and 1990s. He is most famous for his work with Bucks Fizz and Celine Dion.
"When We Were Young" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. The track features lead vocals by band member Jay Aston. The song became their sixth top-ten-hit in the UK and it is one of their biggest hits in Europe.
Live at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon is a live album released in 1991 by pop group Bucks Fizz. It was their first and only release with Jet Records.
The Story So Far is a compilation album by British pop group Bucks Fizz, released in 1988. The album collects together 18 of the group's biggest hit singles spanning the years 1981 to 1988, including their three number ones.
"Run for Your Life" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was written by Andy Hill and Ian Bairnson and became the group's eighth consecutive top 20 hit in the UK. It featured on the group's third album Hand Cut.
"London Town" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was their first single not to reach the UK top 20, breaking a run of nine consecutive top 20 hits. The song was written and produced by Andy Hill.
"Golden Days" is a 1984 single by the UK pop group Bucks Fizz. Written by Terry Britten and Sue Shifrin, it was the follow-up to their top 20 single "Talking in Your Sleep", but failed to chart as highly. A month later it was featured on the band's fourth studio album I Hear Talk. "Golden Days" was originally recorded by Cliff Richard.
"I Hear Talk" is a 1984 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz, written by Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield, the team responsible for the group's biggest hit in the UK, "The Land of Make Believe". It was also produced by Hill. Released as a single in December 1984, it is the title track from the group's fourth studio album. In 2010, the song was chosen as the first single by the Original Bucks Fizz in a live jazz-style reworking.
"You and Your Heart So Blue" is a single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. Released in June 1985, the song was written by Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield and was produced by Hill. This single was the last to feature member Jay Aston, who quit the group the same month.
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