Perfect (Fairground Attraction song)

"Perfect"
Single by Fairground Attraction
from the album The First of a Million Kisses
B-side	"Mythology" "Falling Backwards" "Mystery Train"
Released	21 March 1988 (1988-03-21) [1]
Length	3:36
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Mark E. Nevin
Producer(s)	Fairground Attraction Kevin Moloney
Fairground Attraction singles chronology
"Perfect" (1988) "Find My Love" (1988)
Music video
"Perfect" on YouTube

"Perfect" is the debut single by the Scottish folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction, written by Mark E. Nevin. Released on 21 March 1988 by RCA, the single reached number one in the United Kingdom on 8 May 1988, where it stayed for one week. It also reached number one in Australia, Ireland, and South Africa. In the United States, the song peaked at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. ^[2] "Perfect" won the award for British Single of the Year at the Brit Awards 1989 and was nominated for the Ivor Novello 'Best Song Musically and Lyrically' award.

Release

In the UK, "Perfect" was released as a 7-inch single, 12-inch single, and CD single. The song was included on the band's debut studio album, The First of a Million Kisses , released later the same year. A version of the song with a different vocalist was used in television advertising for the British supermarket chain Asda in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was re-released as a single in 1993 after it had reappeared on the compilation album Celtic Heart but this time included "Captured" by Brian Kennedy in the tracklisting.

Critical reception

Tony Reed from Melody Maker wrote, "Acoustic folky rockabilly, and a brilliant, brilliant woman singing it. A minor triumph, to be sure, but for what it is — perfect." ^[3] Neil Taylor from NME said, "Pop seems to be the order of the day in this pile and this single is one of the best. Eddi Reader's confident, strident vocal sounds like a mish-mash of country and high glitz, but a strong backbeat pulls the record into the safety zone of rock." ^[4]

Track listings

7-inch single [5] "Perfect" – 3:33 "Mythology" – 4:30 12-inch and CD single [6] [7] "Perfect" – 3:33 "Falling Backwards" – 2:25 "Mythology" – 4:30 "Mystery Train" – 1:40

7-inch single (1993) [8] "Perfect" "Captured" (Brian Kennedy) CD single (1993) [9] "Perfect" "Walkin' After Midnight" "You Send Me" "Captured" (Brian Kennedy)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988–1989) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [10] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [11] 19 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [12] 4 Denmark (IFPI) [13] 2 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [14] 2 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [15] 22 France (SNEP) [16] 50 Ireland (IRMA) [17] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [18] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [19] 5 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [20] 4 Norway (VG-lista) [21] 10 South Africa (Springbok Radio) [22] 1 Spain (AFYVE) [23] 6 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [24] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [25] 5 UK Singles (OCC) [26] 1 US Billboard Hot 100 [27] 80 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [28] 31 US Hot Country Singles ( Billboard ) [29] 85 US Modern Rock Tracks ( Billboard ) [30] 23 West Germany (GfK) [31] 5

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Australia (ARIA) [32] 6 Belgium (Ultratop) [33] 49 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [34] 33 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [35] 35 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [36] 87 New Zealand (RIANZ) [37] 29 South Africa (Springbok Radio) [38] 5 UK Singles (OCC) [39] 13 West Germany (Media Control) [40] 45

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Sweden (GLF) [41]	Gold	25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [1]	Silver	250,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Baillie & the Boys version

"Perfect"
Single by Baillie & the Boys
from the album The Lights of Home
B-side	"Lovin' by Numbers"
Released	14 April 1990
Genre	Country
Length	2:57
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Mark E. Nevin
Producer(s)	Kyle Lehning
Baillie & the Boys singles chronology
"I Can't Turn the Tide" (1989) "Perfect" (1990) "Fool Such as I" (1990)

American country music group Baillie & the Boys released their version in April 1990 as the first single from their third studio album The Lights of Home . The song reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. ^[42]

Charts

Chart (1990)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [43]	16
US Country Songs ( Billboard )	23

References

1. "British single certifications – Fairground Attraction – Perfect". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 November 2022.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 141. ISBN   978-0-89820-177-2.
3. Reed, Tony (2 April 1988). "Singles". Melody Maker . p. 32. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
4. Taylor, Neil (2 April 1988). "Singles". NME . p. 12. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
5. Perfect (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). RCA Records. 1988. PB 41845.
6. Perfect (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). RCA Records. 1988. PT 41846.
7. Perfect (UK CD single disc notes). RCA Records. 1988. PD 41846.
8. Perfect (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). RCA Records, BMG. 1993. 74321 13491 7.
9. Perfect (UK CD single liner notes). RCA Records, BMG. 1993. 74321 13491 2.
10. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
11. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
12. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
13. "Top 3 in Europe". Music & Media . Vol. 5, no. 31. 30 July 1988. p. 20.
14. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 21. 21 May 1988. p. 20.
15. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Fairground Attraction". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 78. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
16. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Fairground Attraction". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
18. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
19. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
20. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
21. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect". VG-lista. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
22. "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs P–R". rock.co.za. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
23. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
24. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
25. "Fairground Attraction – Perfect". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
27. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard . 14 January 1989. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
28. "Hot Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 3. 21 January 1989. p. 18.
29. "Hot Country Songs" . Billboard. 28 January 1989. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
30. "Alternative Airplay" . Billboard. 10 December 1988. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
31. "Offiziellecharts.de – Fairground Attraction – Perfect" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
32. "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1988". ARIA . Retrieved 14 November 2022.
33. "Jaaroverzichten 1988" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved 14 November 2022.
34. "Hot 100 Singles 1988". Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 52/1. 1 January 1989. p. 30.
35. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 14 November 2022.
36. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1988" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved 14 November 2022.
37. "End of Year Charts 1988". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 14 November 2022.
38. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1988". rock.co.za. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
39. "Top 100 Singles: Year-End Chart 1988". Music Week . 4 March 1989. p. 12.
40. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1988" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved 14 November 2022.
41. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
42. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 37.
43. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1258." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. 23 June 1990. Retrieved 23 August 2013.

External links

• " Perfect " at Discogs (list of releases)