"Sunday Morning" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by No Doubt | ||||
from the album Tragic Kingdom | ||||
Released | May 27, 1997 | |||
Recorded | 1994 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:33 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Matthew Wilder | |||
No Doubt singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Sunday Morning" on YouTube |
"Sunday Morning" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani, Eric Stefani, and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the record's fifth single on May 27, 1997. The song has also been included on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003 . Its lyrics describe a romantic relationship that ended in a breakup and was inspired by a discussion that Gwen Stefani had with Kanal. The song has been described as a ska and ska punk recording with elements of reggae and Motown (music style).
"Sunday Morning" received largely positive reviews from music critics who frequently deemed it a standout track on Tragic Kingdom. It has since been included on critics' lists of best No Doubt and Stefani-penned songs. The song was not released as a commercial single in the United States, making it ineligible to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart due to rules at the time. However, it managed to peak at number 35 on the Mainstream Top 40 component chart. It also reached number two in Iceland and the top 40 in Australia and Canada. Elsewhere, the song obtained lower positions.
The song's music video, directed by Sophie Muller, was the fifth and final video made for Tragic Kingdom. It features the band playing "Sunday Morning" in a garage to a lonesome man who strolled past their house. No Doubt later prepares a large dinner for themselves and once they settle in their backyard to eat, they engage in a food fight. The band has performed the single during many of their live appearances, including at their 1995–97 Tragic Kingdom World Tour and while serving as the guest musical act on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in April 1997. Stefani, individually, performed the track at her 2018–21 concert residency in Las Vegas.
"Sunday Morning" was written by Gwen Stefani, Eric Stefani, and Tony Kanal. The song was written by Eric Stefani prior to his departure from the group, who left due to creative differences in the beginning of 1995. [2] [3] Because of his absence, Gwen Stefani resumed the role as a songwriter which resulted in ultra-personal songs that described her personal and romantic life. [3] Songs written during this period were anticipated for inclusion on Tragic Kingdom (1995), the group's third studio album and first with Interscope Records since their debut, No Doubt , in 1992. The material on Tragic Kingdom documented Stefani's former relationship with Kanal, which had lasted seven years. [4] Kanal referred to "Sunday Morning" as his favorite No Doubt song in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in 1997. [1]
For the commercial CD single released created to promote the single, none of them were held in the United States. [5] Instead, promotional copies were sent to radio stations for airplay in that country. The copy included both the radio edit and album versions of "Sunday Morning". [6] A promotional VHS single was created by Interscope Geffen A&M Records. [7] Other promotional releases as CD singles occurred in France and Spain that used the radio edit and album version, respectively. [8] [9] On May 27, 1997 in Australia and Sweden, [10] the CD maxi single featured the single plus No Doubt (1992) track "Get on the Ball" and live versions of Tragic Kingdom album tracks "Just a Girl", "Don't Speak", and "Hey You". [11] The Philippines promotional cassette single includes an identical track listing on both the A-side and B-side. [12] A two-part CD single series released in the United Kingdom in 1997 includes "Sunday Morning", the official music video as a CD-ROM feature, and live versions of their songs "By the Way", "Different People", "Oi to the World", and "Tragic Kingdom". [13] [14] The promotional Japanese CD maxi single uses previous single "Excuse Me Mr." as the opening track and follows with "Sunday Morning", and live versions of "Just a Girl" and "Don't Speak". [15]
"Sunday Morning" has been described as a ska, ska punk, and hard rock song. [16] [17] [18] It contains elements of reggae music and was compared, musically, to the style of typical Motown releases. [1] [19] Rolling Stone's Chris Heath compared the sound of "Sunday Morning" to English singer Kim Wilde's 1981 debut single "Kids in America". [1] The song was produced by Matthew Wilder, the executive producer for Tragic Kingdom. Instrumentation consists of Kanal on Bass, Adrian Young on drums and percussion, Tom Dumont on guitar, Eric Stefani on piano and keyboards, and Phil Jordan on trumpet. [20]
According to the official sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Sunday Morning" is set in common time and has a moderately fast tempo of 157 beats per minute. [21] The key of the song is in E major, with Stefani's vocal range spanning one octave from B3 to C5 in scientific pitch notation. [21] The song opens with an extended instrumental and then follows chord progressions of E-C#m-E-C#m in the verses. [21] Heath described the sound transition after the introduction as "a thumping combination of Motown and pop cheese". [1]
According to the liner notes of the group's 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003 , Stefani brainstormed the lyrics to "Sunday Morning" after speaking with Kanal through a bathroom door while at his parents' house in Yorba Linda, California. [22] She later revisited the lyrics and edited them to describe a breakup. [23] Chris Heath from Rolling Stone described the song as "one of the meanest" on Tragic Kingdom and summarized the lyrical content as "Girl used to go out with boy and act pathetic and over-dependent, but now the tables are turned". [1] Rather than taking on the persona of a victim, Stefani plays the conqueror; as heard in the song's bridge, Stefani thanks her ex lover and remarks: "Now you're the parasite!" [24]
Professional critiques of "Sunday Morning" have been largely positive, both at the time of its release and retrospectively. Partridge, writing for Billboard, singled out Stefani's role as a songwriter, praising her ability to write after "constantly gaining and losing the upper hand in her romantic adventures". [24] Mike Boehm from the Los Angeles Times stated that "Sunday Morning" is an example of "the band's improved craft" on Tragic Kingdom and complimented its ability to correlate well with the conceptual themes of the album. [25]
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the album, a panel of critics from The A.V. Club reanalyzed Tragic Kingdom. Annie Zaleski from the publication admired the track in addition to "Happy Now?" and "Excuse Me Mr."; she noted that all three of them "have just the right amount of pep". [26] Alex McLevy was critical of Tragic Kingdom but wrote: "Luckily, 'Sunday Morning' is there to remind you just how good the band can be when it gets the recipe right." [26] Marah Eakin, also from The A.V. Club, claimed that the single aged well despite being two decades old. She also described it as her favorite song on the parent album. [26] In a poll held by Rolling Stone in 2016, Brittany Spanos asked her readers to vote on "The 10 Best Gwen Stefani Songs". "Sunday Morning" took fourth place and Spanos' consensus stated: "Stefani is a powerhouse on the raucous, bitter single. [...] From the moment Adrian Young's opening drum solo builds up, the song grows more and more massive and searing." [27]
"Sunday Morning" was not released as a commercial single in the United States and therefore was ineligible to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Despite its minimal commercial impression, the song charted on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart. The single peaked at number 35 during the magazine issue of June 20, 1997 and spent four weeks on the chart altogether. It became the fourth single from Tragic Kingdom to appear on the chart and is the group's lowest charting entry to date. [28] Partridge reflected on the song's mediocre impact on the record charts positively, writing: "[it] didn’t chart as high, but the damage was done. Gwen was a major celebrity, No Doubt was on its way to becoming one of the decade’s biggest bands." [16]
In Canada, the single entered the RPM Top Singles chart at number 91 during the week of May 19, 1997. [29] Its position improved weekly before reaching a peak of number 33 in it its tenth week. [30] It also was ranked within the country's Adult Contemporary and Rock/Alternative songs charts, where it peaked at positions 41 and 21, respectively. [31] [32] The single achieved significant success in Australia, where it entered the ARIA Singles Chart. It debuted at number 45 during the listing ending June 1, 1997 and rose to its peak position at number 21 in its sixth week. In total, the song charted for nineteen consecutive weeks in Australia. [10] At the annual year-end tally in 1997, "Sunday Morning" was listed as the year's 84th most successful song. [33] It also received a gold certification from the ARIA that same year for shipments of 35,000 copies in that country. [34]
"Sunday Morning" also charted in several countries in Europe. On the UK Singles Chart published by the Official Charts Company, it debuted and peaked at number 50 on December 20, 1997. [35] It became the fourth consecutive entry by the band from Tragic Kingdom, but also the lowest performing one. [36] On the Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 chart in Iceland, the single reached the number two position. [37] It later became the country's tenth best-selling song of 1997. [38] In Scotland, the song reached number 42 on the singles chart. [39] In Sweden, the song peaked at number 55. [40]
The corresponding music video to "Sunday Morning" was directed by Sophie Muller and was the fifth and final video produced from Tragic Kingdom. Muller was originally asked to work with the group for "Just a Girl" in 1995, but the opportunity fell through. However, she later had the chance to direct the music video for "Don't Speak" that same year. [41] After releasing that video, the band determined they wanted the next one filmed to use an opposite concept. During an interview with Complex magazine in 2012, Dumont spoke about the meaning of the music video for "Sunday Morning":
That video was just trying to capture that kind of really simple, silly, sweet story of our friendship. Especially coming after 'Don’t Speak,' because the 'Don’t Speak' video was about us fighting, and who wanted to come back to that? Both of those videos were fictional, but covered different aspects of our friendship. [22]
The video opens with No Doubt beginning to perform "Sunday Morning" in a small garage. Their music captures the attention of a lonesome man (Terry Hall) strolling past them, who decides to watch them play from a nearby swing. As the song's chorus begins, Stefani sits down in a chair, changes into a leopard pair of shoes, and departs the garage in order to shop at a nearby grocery store. While she purchases several cans of tomato sauce from the store, the other band members begin preparing dinner in the kitchen. As Stefani slices a tomato with a knife, she cuts her finger and Dumont accidentally drops a kettle of spaghetti sauce on the floor. She and Dumont clean up the mess and enter the backyard to begin the meal. While eating, Dumont initiates a food fight and the others join in. The videos ends with Hall watching the group from afar.
"Sunday Morning" was performed during the dates of their 1995–97 Tragic Kingdom World Tour. [42] The performance of the song at the July 1, 1997 show in Anaheim, at The Arrowhead Pond, was recorded and released as part of the band's first live album, Live in the Tragic Kingdom (1997). [43] On April 11, 1997, No Doubt served as the sole musical guest for an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . The band performed the single to Leno's studio audience. [19] At the Rock Steady Tour in 2002, No Doubt performed "Sunday Morning" after opening the concert with their 2002 single "Hella Good". [44] Their performances from the November 22–23 and 29, 2002 shows in Long Beach at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center were recorded and featured on the group's second live album, Rock Steady Live (2003). [44]
At the inaugural Rock in Rio USA music festival in 2015, No Doubt headlined the main stage during the first day of the event. They performed several songs from Tragic Kingdom, including "Don't Speak", "Sunday Morning", and "Excuse Me Mr.". [45] In 2018, Stefani began her Just a Girl concert residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort Las Vegas. [46] She performed "Sunday Morning" as the sixth song in the concert's set list. For the performance, the stage was decorated as a garage house party and accented with neon-colored objects and speakers. [47] At the shows, Stefani wore a tank top stylized with her name in black, sports red lipstick, and her signature platinum blonde hair. [48]
Australia and Sweden CD maxi-single [11]
Europe CD maxi-single (Part 1) [13]
Europe CD maxi-single (Part 2) [14]
France promotional CD single [8]
Japan promotional CD maxi-single [15]
| Philippines cassette maxi-single [12]
Spain promotional CD single [9]
US promotional CD single [6]
US promotional VHS single [7]
|
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Tragic Kingdom. [20]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [33] | Gold | 35,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [50] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | May 27, 1997 | CD maxi-single | [11] | |
Sweden | [11] | |||
Europe | 1997 | CD single (Part 1) |
| [13] |
CD single (Part 2) | [14] | |||
France | Promotional CD single | [8] | ||
Spain |
| [9] | ||
United States |
| [6] | ||
Philippines | Cassette | [12] | ||
Japan | Promotional CD maxi-single | Interscope | [15] | |
United States | Promotional VHS single | [7] |
Tragic Kingdom is the third studio album by American rock band No Doubt, released on October 10, 1995, by Trauma Records and Interscope Records. It was the final album to feature original keyboardist Eric Stefani, who left the band in 1994. The album was produced by Matthew Wilder and recorded in 11 studios in the Greater Los Angeles area between March 1993 and October 1995. Between 1995 and 1998, seven singles were released from it, including "Just a Girl", which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart; and "Don't Speak", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay and reached the top five of many international charts.
"Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was released in 1996 as the third single from Tragic Kingdom in the United States by Interscope Records. Lead singer Gwen Stefani and her brother Eric Stefani, former No Doubt member, wrote the song originally as a love song. The song went through several rewrites and new versions. Gwen modified it into a breakup song about her bandmate and ex-boyfriend Tony Kanal, shortly after he ended their seven-year relationship.
The Beacon Street Collection is the second studio album by American rock band No Doubt. It was released independently on March 25, 1995, through the band's label Beacon Street Records. Produced by the band and recorded in a homemade studio in the garage of their house on Beacon Avenue in Anaheim, California, from which the album takes its name, The Beacon Street Collection was released during a period when the band was receiving little attention from their label Interscope Records, and were not getting a chance to record a second album, as the label was disillusioned with them after the commercial failure of their 1992 eponymous debut. No Doubt had written large numbers of songs and knew that they would not make it onto any Interscope album, so they built their own studio and recorded the album there. Two singles were released: "Squeal" and "Doghouse".
Return of Saturn is the fourth studio album by American rock band No Doubt, released on April 11, 2000, by Trauma Records and Interscope Records. It marked the band's first album as a quartet, following the departure of original keyboardist Eric Stefani in 1994. After touring for two and a half years to promote their breakthrough third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995), No Doubt wrote several dozen songs for its follow-up and eventually settled on working with producer Glen Ballard. Creating the album became a tumultuous process lasting two years, during which there was dissension among band members and between the band and its label. The album was completed after the band returned to the studio and recorded what became two of its singles.
No Doubt is the debut studio album by American rock band No Doubt, released on March 17, 1992, by Interscope Records. It was originally recorded as an independent release, but was re-recorded after the band signed with Interscope. It was produced by Dito Godwin and recorded in Los Angeles.
Boom Box is a limited-edition box set album by the American rock band No Doubt, released on November 25, 2003 through Interscope Records. It compiled The Singles 1992–2003, The Videos 1992–2003, Everything in Time, and Live in the Tragic Kingdom. The Singles 1992–2003 was also released on a separate CD on the same date. Everything in Time was released as a separate CD later on October 12, 2004. The Videos 1992–2003 was released as a separate DVD on May 4, 2004. At the time of Boom Box's release, Live in the Tragic Kingdom had already been released on VHS and it was re-released on DVD on June 13, 2006.
"Spiderwebs" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the album's second single on November 19, 1995. "Spiderwebs" appears on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Stefani was inspired to write the song after an admirer recited bad poetry to her. "Spiderwebs" is a ska punk song with angsty lyrics responding to Stefani's potential suitors.
"Just a Girl" is a song by American band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). Released as the record's lead single in the United States on September 21, 1995, it was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, and produced by Matthew Wilder. It has also made an appearance on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Lyrically, "Just a Girl" is about Stefani's perspective of life as a woman and her struggles with having strict parents. "Just a Girl" was the first song Stefani wrote without the assistance of her brother Eric.
"Hey Baby" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their fifth studio album Rock Steady (2001). Written by band members Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal and Tom Dumont, "Hey Baby" was released as the album's lead single on October 29, 2001 by Interscope Records. "Hey Baby" is heavily influenced by the Jamaican dancehall music present at No Doubt's post-show parties and tour bus lounges of their Return of Saturn tour. Its lyrics describe the debauchery with groupies at these parties.
"Let Me Blow Ya Mind" is a song by American rapper Eve featuring American singer Gwen Stefani of No Doubt. It was released on April 2, 2001, as the second and final single from the former's second album, Scorpion. It became Eve's highest-charting single on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number two on the week of August 18, 2001. Worldwide, the song reached number 29 in Canada, number four in Australia and the United Kingdom, and number one in Belgium, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland.
"Ex-Girlfriend" is a song by American ska band No Doubt from their fourth studio album, Return of Saturn (2000). The song was released as the album's lead single in early 2000 and was moderately successful, reaching the top 40 in most countries it charted in, including peaking within the top 10 in Australia, Iceland, and Spain. A review from Billboard magazine called Stefani's vocal performance on the song "fantastic".
Live in the Tragic Kingdom is a video album by American rock band No Doubt. It was released on VHS on November 11, 1997, by Interscope Records, and consists of a filmed concert at The Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California, on May 31, and June 1, 1997, as part of the Tragic Kingdom World Tour. It was later released on DVD on November 25, 2003, as part of No Doubt's box set album Boom Box, and as a stand-alone DVD on June 13, 2006. A LaserDisc version was also released in Hong Kong.
"Excuse Me Mr." is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). The song was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, while produced by Matthew Wilder. It was released as the fourth single from the album on August 21, 1996. The song has also been included on the band's 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Musically, the former is a rock-influenced ska track with lyrics describing a woman trying to get the attention of a man. A country version of the song was also created but never released. The single received positive reviews from music critics who labelled it a successful breakup song and as one of the best tracks on Tragic Kingdom.
"Doghouse" is a song by American band No Doubt from their independent second studio album, The Beacon Street Collection (1995). Produced by the band, it was written by member Eric Stefani and released as the album's second and final single in late 1994. The band recorded "Doghouse" in their garage following Interscope Records's refusal to provide them funding and professional studio time. No Doubt used the proceeds from their concerts to create a 7" single for "Squeal" and "Doghouse". 1,000 copies of the single were distributed as part of the group's Beacon Street Records label.
"Hey You!" is a song recorded by American rock band No Doubt. It was released as the seventh and final single from their third studio album Tragic Kingdom (1995). The single was released as a CD single in the Netherlands on February 23, 1998. It is the final single to feature content from original keyboardist Eric Stefani, who left the group in 1995 due to creative issues.
"Happy Now?" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani, Tom Dumont, and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the record's sixth single overall on September 23, 1997. The commercial CD singles were distributed exclusively in Australia and Europe. However, the song was still released to radio stations in the United States. Musically, "Happy Now?" is a ska and rock song with and lyrics detailing a painful breakup, specifically the former relationship between Stefani and Kanal. Despite not receiving a formal release in the United States nor filming a proper music video, "Happy Now?" received heavy rotation on Californian radio stations, such as KROQ.
"Squeal" is a song by American band No Doubt for their independent second studio album, The Beacon Street Collection (1995). Produced by the band, it was written by member Eric Stefani and released as the album's lead single in mid 1994. The band recorded "Squeal" in their Fullerton garage following Interscope Records's refusal to allow them studio time due to the commercial failure of No Doubt in 1992. Using the proceeds from their concerts, No Doubt created 7" singles for album tracks "Squeal" and "Doghouse". 1,000 copies of the single were distributed as part of the group's Beacon Street Records label.
"Making Out" is a song by American band No Doubt from their fifth studio album, Rock Steady (2001). In the Philippines, the song was released as a promotional single and distributed in limited quantities on CDs through Interscope Records. Produced by the band and William Orbit, "Making Out" was written by members Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, and Tom Dumont. While recording Rock Steady, the group aimed to work with a variety of musicians during sessions, unlike the processes they had endured for previous albums. Upon working with Orbit, they created a new wave and synth-pop song, with nods to electronic and Europop music.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)