This Day (song)

Last updated
"This Day"
Emma's Imagination This Day single cover.jpg
Single by Emma's Imagination
from the album Stand Still
B-side "You Know I'm No Good"
Released5 September 2010 (original); 3 January 2011 (re-recorded version)
Recorded2010
Genre Pop, Folk
Length1:51 (original); 3:11 (re-recorded version)
Label Future
Songwriter(s) Emma Gillespie
Producer(s) Martin Terefe
Emma's Imagination singles chronology
"Stamp Your Feet"
(2009)
"This Day"
(2010)
"Focus"
(2010)

"This Day" is a song performed by Scottish singer Emma's Imagination (an alias for Emma Gillespie), from her debut album Stand Still .

Contents

Details

The song, written by Gillespie, was first widely heard when she competed on the TV talent contest Must Be the Music from TV Channel Sky One, singing it on the second semi-final. Accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, Gillespie made it through the final stage of the contest, eventually winning it. Judge Sharleen Spiteri commented after her performance that she "honestly think you've written yourself a hit record." This acoustic version of the song was put on sale after the TV broadcast on itunes and Skysongs, with all the profits off the sales going directly to the artists.

Speaking about the song, Gillespie has said that "I wrote it whilst sitting in Glasgow Green on a really lovely sunny day. The song is about that feeling that you get when you're sitting in the sun and everything just seems alive and beautiful, almost like that day was made especially for you."

Re-recorded version

After winning the talent show, Gillespie was approached by several labels, eventually signing with Gary Barlow's Future Records, and recorded the album with producer Martin Terefe. As such, Gillespie cut a new version of the song for the album, adding fuller instrumentation with prominent drum and bass lines. Also notable is the addition of a string section throughout the song. While Gillespie said the new version may alienate some fans of the simpler acoustic version, she oversaw the process of how she wanted it to be recorded and personally liked the new take. This re-recorded version was selected as the album's lead single in January 2011.

Music video

A video was produced for the re-recorded version, directed by Vanessa Caswill. It shows Emma resting still on several landscapes, like grass, floorboards and bedsheets, while several objects pass beside or circling her, like a spider, dishes with sweets, fruits, roads with miniature cars or Emma's own acoustic guitar and shoes. Filmed with a green screen, Gillespie said afterwards she did not enjoy the experience much: "I had to lie on the floor from eight in the morning till 11 at night. All my muscles were spasming. It was horrible."

Release and reception

The original acoustic version of "This Day" was released the same night she performed it on Must Be the Music, and quickly escalated the UK charts. It eventually entered and peaked at #10 in the UK charts, becoming Emma's first top 10 hit. It also peaked at #9 in Ireland and at #7 in the Scottish Charts, and at #2 on the UK Indie Chart.

The re-recorded version, which drew some criticism for eliminating the simplicity of the song, substituting it with "anodyne strings" and "innocuous, featureless arrangements". The single, which had an acoustic cover of Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" as the b-side, only managed to chart at #187.

Track listing

Original single (2010)

  1. "This Day (1:51)

Re-recorded version (2011)

  1. "This Day" (3:11)
  2. "You Know I'm No Good" (3:41)

Charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart [1] 10
Scottish Singles Chart 7
UK Indie Chart 2
Irish Singles Chart 9
Chart (2011)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 187

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Not in Love</span> 1975 song by British band 10cc

"I'm Not in Love" is a song by British group 10cc, written by band members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman. It is known for its innovative and distinctive backing track, composed mostly of the band's multitracked vocals. Released in the UK in May 1975 as the second single from the band's third album, The Original Soundtrack, it became the second of the group's three number-one singles in the UK between 1973 and 1978, topping the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. "I'm Not in Love" became the band's breakthrough hit outside the United Kingdom, topping the charts in Canada and Ireland as well as peaking within the top 10 of the charts in several other countries, including Australia, West Germany, New Zealand, Norway and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Horses (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1971 song by the Rolling Stones

"Wild Horses" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was first released in 1970 by the Flying Burrito Brothers as the Stones didn't think the demo was worth recording fully. It was subsequently recorded by the Stones for their 1971 album Sticky Fingers when they felt it was worth reconsideration. It was also released on 12 June 1971 as a single, with "Sway" as its B-side.

<i>Porter & Dolly</i> 1980 studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton

Porter & Dolly is the thirteenth and final collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on August 4, 1980, by RCA Victor. The album is made up of previously unreleased material recorded during Wagoner and Parton's duet years (1967–76), with new studio overdubs. It was released as part of a settlement from legal action Wagoner took against Parton following her departure from his band and syndicated television series. Two singles were released from the album. "Making Plans" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and "If You Go, I'll Follow You" peaked at number 12.

<i>Halos & Horns</i> 2002 studio album by Dolly Parton

Halos & Horns is the thirty-ninth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on July 9, 2002, by Sugar Hill Records and Blue Eye Records. It is the third album in Parton's critically acclaimed bluegrass trilogy, continuing her experimentation with folk and bluegrass sounds. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 2003, while "Dagger Through the Heart" and "I'm Gone" were both nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Parton embarked on her first tour in 10 years in support of the album. The sold-out Halos & Horns Tour played 25 shows throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. The album tracks "These Old Bones" and "Sugar Hill" were adapted into episodes of Dolly Parton's Heartstrings in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edge of Seventeen</span> 1982 single by Stevie Nicks

"Edge of Seventeen" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks from her debut solo studio album Bella Donna (1981), released as the third single from the album on February 4, 1982. The lyrics were written by Nicks to express the grief resulting from the death of her uncle Jonathan and the murder of John Lennon during the same week of December 1980. The song features a distinctive, chugging 16th-note guitar riff, drum beat and a simple chord structure typical of Nicks' songs. The song's title for the single release was "Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove)". In the United States, "Edge of Seventeen" just missed out on the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 11. Despite this, it became one of Nicks' most enduring and recognizable songs and has been covered by several artists. In 2021, it was ranked No. 217 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Luciana Caporaso, simply known as Luciana, is a British singer and rapper. She is of English and Italian heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby I'm Yours (Barbara Lewis song)</span> 1965 single by Barbara Lewis

"Baby I'm Yours" is a song written by Van McCoy which was a hit in 1965 for Barbara Lewis, the original recording artist and featured on her album of the same name.

"(At Your Best) You Are Love" is a song by R&B group the Isley Brothers. It was originally released on their album Harvest for the World. The song was dedicated to their mother, Sally. Although not a single, the song was a radio hit in 1976, and later became a hit for R&B singer Aaliyah in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Days (The Kinks song)</span> 1968 single by the Kinks

"Days" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by Ray Davies. It was released as a non-album single in June 1968. It also appeared on an early version of the album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. It now appears as a bonus track of the remastered CD. On the original Pye 7N 17573 label, the name of the song is "Day's" owing to a grammatical error.

<i>Chupacabra</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Imani Coppola

Chupacabra is the debut album by American singer-songwriter and violinist Imani Coppola, released on October 28, 1997. The title refers to the legendary chupacabra, a creature believed through some parts of the Americas to drink the blood of livestock. The album achieved some success upon its release, receiving positive reviews from some music critics and entering album charts in the United States and the United Kingdom.

<i>Let Me In</i> (Chely Wright album) 1997 album by Chely Wright

Let Me In is the third studio album by American country music artist Chely Wright. The album was released on September 9, 1997 on MCA Nashville Records and was produced by Tony Brown. Let Me In was Wright's first album to chart on the Billboard Magazine album charts and also spawned her first Top 40 singles. It was also the first of three albums Wright recorded for the MCA Nashville label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The One (Kylie Minogue song)</span> 2008 single by Kylie Minogue

"The One" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her tenth studio album X (2007). It was written by Minogue, Richard Stannard, James Wiltshire, Russell Small, John Andersson, Johan Emmoth and Emma Holmgren, while production was handled by Stannard and Freemasons. The song was released as the fifth and final single from X on 28 July 2008, by Parlophone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fearless (Taylor Swift song)</span> 2010 single by Taylor Swift

"Fearless" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the title track of her second studio album, Fearless (2008). She wrote the track with Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey, and produced it with Nathan Chapman. A country pop and pop rock song, "Fearless" is instrumented by booming drums and chiming guitars. Lyrically, it sees Swift's narrator embracing the romantic drive of a thrilling first date, allowing herself to live true to her heart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Horse (Taylor Swift song)</span> 2008 single by Taylor Swift

"White Horse" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Big Machine Records released the track to US country radio on December 8, 2008. Swift wrote "White Horse" with Liz Rose and produced it with Nathan Chapman. An understated country pop ballad, the song is driven by a finger-picked guitar and includes piano and cello accents. The lyrics incorporate fairy-tale imagery of princesses and white horses: the narrator is heartbroken upon realizing that her boyfriend is not an ideal figure like she thought, and in the end she leaves her town with hopes of finding somebody more worthy.

Emma Gillespie, better known by her stage name Emma's Imagination, is a Scottish singer. She came to prominence after winning the Sky 1 TV talent contest Must Be the Music. She was signed to Gary Barlow's music label Future Records. She released her debut solo album, Stand Still in January 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indestructible (Robyn song)</span> 2010 single by Robyn

"Indestructible" is a song by Swedish recording artist Robyn, taken from her seventh studio album Body Talk (2010). The song was written by Robyn and Klas Åhlund, and produced by Åhlund. It was released as the lead single from Body Talk on 1 November 2010 in Sweden and one day later in the United States. The song was previously heard, in an acoustic form, as the final track on Body Talk Pt. 2, released in September 2010. The song was one of the first to be recorded for the Body Talk series, but Robyn saved it for later to give it a chance of becoming a single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessie J</span> English singer (born 1988)

Jessica Ellen Cornish, known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical Whistle Down the Wind. She studied at the BRIT School before signing with Gut Records and striking a songwriting deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

<i>Child of the Universe</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Delta Goodrem

Child of the Universe is the fourth studio album by Australian singer–songwriter Delta Goodrem. It was released on 26 October 2012 by Sony Music Entertainment. The album was preceded by its three singles "Sitting on Top of the World", "Dancing with a Broken Heart" and "Wish You Were Here". The album debuted at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipments of 35,000 copies.

<i>I Believe in You</i> (Dolly Parton album) 2017 studio album by Dolly Parton

I Believe in You is the forty-sixth solo studio album and first children's album by American country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released digitally on September 29, 2017, and physically on October 13, 2017, by Dolly Records and RCA Records. All proceeds from the album's sales will go to benefit Parton's Imagination Library.

<i>Stand Still</i> 2011 studio album by Emmas Imagination

Stand Still is the debut studio album by Scottish female singer-songwriter Emma Gillespie, recorded under the moniker Emma's Imagination, released in 2011.

References

  1. "Emma's Imagination: Artist Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved 1 May 2020.