A Red Letter Day
Encyclopedia
"A Red Letter Day" is a single by British electronic music
group Pet Shop Boys
. It was released the fourth single from their 1996 album Bilingual
on March 17, 1997. The single peaked at high #9 on the UK Singles Chart
, making it another top 10 single for the group. However it then fell straight out the UK top 40 (to #42) the following week. At the time, this was a record as the biggest such fall to ever occur in UK chart history, but it was then beaten five months later by Embrace with their single "My Weakness is None of Your Business
" (which fell from #9 to #44 the following week).
The duo were big admirers of the Motiv8 sound who had remixed various other artists at the time. Neil Tennant
asked the man behind Motiv8 (Steve Rodway
) to remix this single. He even went to visit Rodway at work in his studio during the remix. Ironically after it was finished and delivered, Tennant insisted a synth line which Rodway had come up with on the Motiv8 version, should be used on the Pet Shop Boys' own main mix. After trying unsuccessfully to recreate Rodway's riff it eventually had to be sampled
from the Motiv8 mix, thus it appears on both the Pet Shop Boys' main version as well as the Motiv8 remix.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
group Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. It was released the fourth single from their 1996 album Bilingual
Bilingual (album)
Bilingual is the tenth album by the English dance music group Pet Shop Boys. It has sold about 1,000,000 albums world-wide.-Overview:...
on March 17, 1997. The single peaked at high #9 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, making it another top 10 single for the group. However it then fell straight out the UK top 40 (to #42) the following week. At the time, this was a record as the biggest such fall to ever occur in UK chart history, but it was then beaten five months later by Embrace with their single "My Weakness is None of Your Business
My Weakness Is None of Your Business
"My Weakness Is None of Your Business" is a song by Embrace, released as the band's fifth single. It was the third top 10 single from their debut album The Good Will Out, peaking at number nine in the UK but it fell straight out of the UK Top 40 altogther the following week, a chart record at...
" (which fell from #9 to #44 the following week).
The duo were big admirers of the Motiv8 sound who had remixed various other artists at the time. Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
asked the man behind Motiv8 (Steve Rodway
Steve Rodway
Steve Rodway , also known under the alias Motiv 8 or Motiv8, is an Electronic dance music record producer, songwriter, remixer and sound engineer....
) to remix this single. He even went to visit Rodway at work in his studio during the remix. Ironically after it was finished and delivered, Tennant insisted a synth line which Rodway had come up with on the Motiv8 version, should be used on the Pet Shop Boys' own main mix. After trying unsuccessfully to recreate Rodway's riff it eventually had to be sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from the Motiv8 mix, thus it appears on both the Pet Shop Boys' main version as well as the Motiv8 remix.
CD 1
- "A Red Letter Day"
- "The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On"
- "Delusions of Grandeur"
- "A Red Letter Day" (Moscow Mix)
CD 2
- "A Red Letter Day" (Trouser Autoerotic Decapitation Mix)
- "A Red Letter Day" (Motiv 8Steve RodwaySteve Rodway , also known under the alias Motiv 8 or Motiv8, is an Electronic dance music record producer, songwriter, remixer and sound engineer....
Twelve Inch Master Mix) - "A Red Letter Day" (Basement JaxxBasement JaxxBasement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
Vocal Mix) - "A Red Letter Day" (PSB Extended Edit)
- "A Red Letter Day" (Trouser EnthusiastsTrouser EnthusiastsTrouser Enthusiasts was an electronic dance music production group, active during the 1990s, formed by Belfast-born Ian Masterson and David Green. The group was best known as producers of pop and dance remixes, having worked for, most prominently, Pet Shop Boys, Dannii Minogue, and Saint Etienne...
Congo Dongo Dubstramental)
Official versions
- Album version – 5:09
- Basement Jaxx Nite Dub – 6:07
- Basement Jaxx Vocal mix – 6:50
- Moscow mix – 5:39
- Motiv8 Cyber Dub mix – 7:11
- Motiv8 12" Master mix – 6:58
- PSB extended edit – 5:39
- Expanded single version – 5:36
- Single remix – 4:34
- Trouser Autoerotic Decapitation mix – 10:04
- Trouser Enthusiasts Congo Dongo Dubstramental – 8:06
Chart performance
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Finnish Singles Chart | 18 | 1 |
| German Singles Chart | 55 | 9 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 30 | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 9 | 3 |