"That Was Yesterday" | ||||
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Single by Foreigner | ||||
from the album Agent Provocateur | ||||
B-side | "Two Different Worlds" | |||
Released | March 1985 [1] | |||
Recorded | early 1984 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:50 (single version) 6:23 (extended version) | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lou Gramm, Mick Jones | |||
Producer(s) | Alex Sadkin, Mick Jones | |||
Foreigner singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"That Was Yesterday" on YouTube |
"That Was Yesterday" is the second single taken from the album Agent Provocateur by the band Foreigner. This song was available in four versions, as a remixed single, an extended remix, an orchestral version, and the original mix. The song was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, and the B-side "Two Different Worlds" is also of note for being the first solo-written Lou Gramm song to appear on a single.
The extended remix added additional lyrics to the intro, and these lyrics can also be heard in the live version from the DVD All Access Tonight - 25 - Live In Concert.
Mick Jones explained that he draws a lot of songwriting material from subconscious emotions from past relationships. He said 'That Was Yesterday' "...is a song about a relationship that failed, which you're still clinging onto. You still feel that there's a chance to resurrect it. Some of these songs require really digging down deep, and sometimes they bring out very painful moments that you've had. A lot of the songs that I've written of that kind of emotion, they bring me to tears. They're painful to recall." [2]
AllMusic critic Bret Adams later called the song "a terrific hit single," citing its "catchy chorus" and "nifty synthesizer lick." [3] Billboard described it as a "gothic ballad" and compared it to Foreigner's previous single "I Want to Know What Love Is" by stating that "That Was Yesterday" has "thrumming synths...rather than soaring choristers." [4] Indianapolis Star critic Scott Miley say that it "adeptly reflect[s] despair with tantalizing synthesizers." [5] Cash Box described it as a "mid-tempo rocker" and said "brooding and at times powerful, 'That Was Yesterday' takes a hard look at a lost romance and Lou Gramm's lead vocal is emotionally biting." [6] Chicago Tribune writer Jan DeKnock made it a "Pick Hit" saying it likely won't perform as well as "I Want to Know What Love Is" because "its harder rock edge will keep it off some of the adult contemporary stations that made 'Love' such a big hit" but said that "That Was Yesterday" is "just the kind of good, solid mainstream rock that always finds a place on the charts." [7] Gazette writer Chris Rubich called it a "song of love, longing and loss" that is enhanced by its "dreamlike instrumentals." [8] Herald-News writer Sean Daly regarded it as one of the "more forceful recordings" on Agent Provocateur. [9] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Jeff Giles regarded "That Was Yesterday" as one of Foreigner's "better singles." [10] Knight News Wire writer Rick Shefchik criticized the song as being "sludgy," whose primary audience is "late '20s to early '30s stockbrokers on cocaine." [11]
Tri-City Herald critic Jim Angell praised the synthesizer playing. [12] But Accent music write Curt Anderson criticized the fact that the slow keyboard buildup goes nowhere, "as if the mere sound of a synthesizer is all the song needs." [13]
Gramm disagreed with the decision to release "That Was Yesterday" as the second single from Agent Provocateur because that meant that the first two singles were ballads. Gramm stated "I always thought our rock songs upheld a tradition of good rock and roll and here we release two ballads in a row." [14]
Jones regarded it as his favorite song from the album. [15]
A music video was created for "That Was Yesterday," directed by Jim Yukich. [16] As with "I Want to Know What Love Is," the music video for "That Was Yesterday" is based on a live performance of the song. [17] The video was filmed at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The band had intended the video for "That Was Yesterday" to be "flashier" than that for "I Want to Know What Love Is." [18] Jones has stated that he was pleased with the "warmth" of the song in the video. [17]
The single reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and also reached #4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and #24 on the Adult Contemporary chart. [19] [20] [21] It also reached the Top 40 in the UK (#28), the Netherlands (#19), Switzerland (#29) and Germany (#31). [22] [23]
Chart (1987–88) [24] | Peak position |
---|---|
Netherlands [23] | 19 |
Switzerland [23] | 29 |
Germany [23] | 31 |
Belgium [23] | 25 |
UK Singles Chart [22] | 28 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [19] | 12 |
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary [21] | 24 |
U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks [20] | 4 |
4, also known as Foreigner 4, is the fourth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on July 3, 1981 on Atlantic Records. Several singles from the album were hits, including "Urgent", "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Juke Box Hero".
Foreigner is a British-American rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by guitarist Mick Jones, vocalist Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Ed Gagliardi and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, the last of whom was also a founder member of King Crimson. Foreigner is one of the world's bestselling bands of all time, with worldwide sales of more than 80 million records, including 37.5 million in the US.
Foreigner is the debut studio album by British-American rock band Foreigner, released on 8 March 1977. It spun off three hit singles, "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice" and "Long, Long Way from Home". It also features album tracks such as "Headknocker" and "Starrider", the latter of which features a rare lead vocal from lead guitarist and co-founder Mick Jones.
Agent Provocateur is the fifth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on December 14, 1984. The album was the band's first and only number one album in the United Kingdom, and it reached the top 5 in the United States. Although album sales were lower than their previous work in the US, it contains the band's biggest hit single, "I Want to Know What Love Is", which is their only #1 single in the UK and the US, staying at the top spot for three and two weeks, respectively. The follow-up single, "That Was Yesterday", also proved to be a sizeable hit, peaking at #12 in the US. The album was certified Platinum in the UK by the BPI, and triple Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
"Juke Box Hero" is a song by British-American rock band Foreigner written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones from their 1981 album 4. It first entered the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in July 1981 and eventually reached #3 on that chart. Released as the album's third single in early 1982, it subsequently went to #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
"I Want to Know What Love Is" is a power ballad by the British-American rock band Foreigner. It was released in November 1984 as the lead single from their fifth album, Agent Provocateur. The song hit number one in both the United Kingdom and the United States and is the group's biggest hit to date. It remains one of the band's best-known songs and most enduring radio hits, charting in the top 25 in 2000, 2001, and 2002 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Recurrents chart. "I Want to Know What Love Is" has continued to garner critical acclaim, and is listed as one of Rolling Stone magazine's greatest songs of all time at number 476 in 2004 and at number 479 in 2010. The song is also featured in a number of films.
"Waiting for a Girl Like You" is a 1981 power ballad by the British-American rock band Foreigner released as the second single from the album 4 (1981) and was co-written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones. The opening motif was written by Ian McDonald and the distinctive synthesizer theme was performed by the then-little-known Thomas Dolby.
"Urgent" is a song by the British-American rock band Foreigner, and the first single from their album 4 in 1981.
"Hot Blooded" is a song by the British-American rock band Foreigner, from their second studio album Double Vision. It was released as a single in June 1978 and reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that September. The single was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It is also the theme song to the truTV scripted series Tacoma FD.
"Cold as Ice" is a 1977 song written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones that was first released by British-American rock band Foreigner from their eponymous debut album. It became one of the best-known songs of the band in the US, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was initially the B-side of some versions of the "Feels Like the First Time" 45 rpm single.
"Feels Like the First Time" is the debut single by British-American rock band Foreigner. It was written by Mick Jones and released in 1977 from the band's eponymous debut album. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Say You Will" is a song by British-American rock band Foreigner. It was the first single released from the album Inside Information (1987), and was co-written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones.
"I Don't Want to Live Without You" is a song written by Mick Jones that was first released by the pop rock band Foreigner on their 1987 album Inside Information. Jones has rated it as one of his favorite Foreigner songs.
"Dirty White Boy" is a song recorded by British-American rock band Foreigner, written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, and produced by Roy Thomas Baker, Jones, and Ian McDonald. It was the first single taken from the band's third studio album, Head Games (1979). The B-side, "Rev on the Red Line" has also proven to be very popular among fans, but was never released as an A-side. Lou Gramm's trademark scream at the end of the song is missing from this abbreviated version of "Dirty White Boy". The song spent nine weeks in the Top 40.
"Blue Morning, Blue Day" is a song written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones that was first released as the third single on Foreigner's second album, Double Vision, reaching #15 on the Hot 100, the band's sixth top 40 single in two years, and #45 in the U.K. The song was backed with the Mick Jones song "I Have Waited So Long". "Blue Morning, Blue Day" is also available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series and was released on clear blue vinyl.
"Women" is the fourth single taken from the third album, Head Games by the band, Foreigner. It was written by Mick Jones, and released in February 1980. The song's B-side, "The Modern Day" is also sung by its writer, Jones.
"Head Games" is the title-cut and second single taken from the band Foreigner's third release. It was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, and released primarily in the U.S. in November 1979 while at the same time, "Love On The Telephone" was being released elsewhere. The song's b-side, "Do What You Like" uses multi-layered harmony vocals along the lines of their earlier single, "Cold as Ice."
"Luanne" was the fifth and final single taken from the album 4 by the band Foreigner, and the second to feature a B-side that was not available on one of their albums, a controversial live version of their hit, "Hot Blooded". The song was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones and reached number 75 in the U.S. charts, but was a live staple for years to come. The live version of "Hot Blooded" was later placed on the international release of their retrospective, Records, but in subsequent re-releases has been dropped in favour of the original album version due to a couple of choice words spoken in ad lib during the song's performance by its singer, Lou Gramm.
"Reaction to Action" is the third single taken from the album Agent Provocateur by the band Foreigner. It was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones.
"Down on Love" is the fourth single taken from the album Agent Provocateur by the band Foreigner, and released in August 1985.