Now Those Days Are Gone
Encyclopedia
"Now Those Days Are Gone" is a single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz
. It became a UK top ten hit in June 1982 and featured on the group's album Are You Ready.
and Nichola Martin and produced by Hill, this was the group's only single to feature member Mike Nolan
on lead vocals, it was also the last to be co-written by Martin, who founded the group. The song was a stark contrast to the group's singles up to this point, which had all featured very full pop productions, this time, the song was partly an a cappella
piece with soft harmonies and a gentle orchestral build towards the end. One reviewer remarked that the impressive vocal structure would give Bucks Fizz some much-needed credibility.
The song centres around the narrator who looks back on younger days and recalls how innocent he was then, and reflects on the love he once felt for his partner. The promotional video for the song saw the group in a World War II
setting, with Nolan as a radio singer and members Bobby G
, Cheryl Baker
and Jay Aston
being caught in a love triangle. Much of the video was filmed in Hyde Park, London
. The single sleeve's cover shot was taken at the group's publicist, Jenny Halsall's manor house in Cambridge.
Released in June 1982, this single followed up two No.1 hits, "My Camera Never Lies
" and "The Land Of Make Believe" and reached No.8 in the UK Charts. It remained on the chart for nine weeks and earned a silver disc for sales of over 250,000. It performed even better in Ireland, where it reached No.5. The following year, "Now Those Days Are Gone" received an Ivor Novello nomination for best song of 1982 - an award Andy Hill would go on to win years later with Celine Dion
's "Think Twice".
In Australia and many European countries, this single went unreleased, with tracks, "Are You Ready" or "Easy Love" being released in its place. The song was featured on the group's second (and most popular) album, Are You Ready. It was also later featured as the B-Side to "You and Your Heart so Blue
" - a 1985 single by the group. The B-Side to "Now Those Days Are Gone", "Takin' Me Higher" was a first, in that it was written and produced by the group themselves. The group continued to write and produce songs for their B-Sides over the next few years.
A newly recorded version of "Now Those Days Are Gone" was released in 2006 on the Bucks Fizz album, The Lost Masters, while an early demo by Hill was released in 2008 on The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut. This demo featured an expletive
, which necessitated the album to include a Parental advisory
sticker.
Bucks Fizz (band)
Bucks Fizz are an English pop group who achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and...
. It became a UK top ten hit in June 1982 and featured on the group's album Are You Ready.
Background
Written by Andy HillAndy Hill (composer)
Andy Hill is a British music producer and songwriter who scored many hits during the 1980s and 90s...
and Nichola Martin and produced by Hill, this was the group's only single to feature member Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan (singer)
Mike Nolan is a singer and was one of the four original members of the British pop group, Bucks Fizz. He was born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, but raised in the UK, where he still resides.- Early career :...
on lead vocals, it was also the last to be co-written by Martin, who founded the group. The song was a stark contrast to the group's singles up to this point, which had all featured very full pop productions, this time, the song was partly an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
piece with soft harmonies and a gentle orchestral build towards the end. One reviewer remarked that the impressive vocal structure would give Bucks Fizz some much-needed credibility.
The song centres around the narrator who looks back on younger days and recalls how innocent he was then, and reflects on the love he once felt for his partner. The promotional video for the song saw the group in a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
setting, with Nolan as a radio singer and members Bobby G
Bobby G
Bobby G is a member of pop group Bucks Fizz. He was the only remaining original member in the group...
, Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker is an English television presenter and singer. She is most famous for being a member of 1980s pop group Bucks Fizz, and has performed for the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, winning it the second time.-Early career:After leaving school and a series of secretarial jobs, Cheryl...
and Jay Aston
Jay Aston
Jay Hilda Aston is a singer, dancer, and occasional songwriter who was formerly with the British pop group, Bucks Fizz. She was the youngest member of the group's original line-up, being just 19 at the Eurovision Song Contest....
being caught in a love triangle. Much of the video was filmed in Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
. The single sleeve's cover shot was taken at the group's publicist, Jenny Halsall's manor house in Cambridge.
Released in June 1982, this single followed up two No.1 hits, "My Camera Never Lies
My Camera Never Lies
"My Camera Never Lies" is a 1982 single by pop group, Bucks Fizz. It became a UK number-one hit single in April 1982 and was featured on their album Are You Ready.- Background :...
" and "The Land Of Make Believe" and reached No.8 in the UK Charts. It remained on the chart for nine weeks and earned a silver disc for sales of over 250,000. It performed even better in Ireland, where it reached No.5. The following year, "Now Those Days Are Gone" received an Ivor Novello nomination for best song of 1982 - an award Andy Hill would go on to win years later with Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
's "Think Twice".
In Australia and many European countries, this single went unreleased, with tracks, "Are You Ready" or "Easy Love" being released in its place. The song was featured on the group's second (and most popular) album, Are You Ready. It was also later featured as the B-Side to "You and Your Heart so Blue
You and Your Heart so Blue
"You and Your Heart So Blue" is a single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. Released in June 1985, the song was written by Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield and was produced by Hill. This single was the last to feature member Jay Aston, who quit the group the same month....
" - a 1985 single by the group. The B-Side to "Now Those Days Are Gone", "Takin' Me Higher" was a first, in that it was written and produced by the group themselves. The group continued to write and produce songs for their B-Sides over the next few years.
A newly recorded version of "Now Those Days Are Gone" was released in 2006 on the Bucks Fizz album, The Lost Masters, while an early demo by Hill was released in 2008 on The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut. This demo featured an expletive
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, which necessitated the album to include a Parental advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
sticker.
Track listing
- "Now Those Days Are Gone" (Andy Hill / Nichola Martin) (3.33)
- "Takin' Me Higher" (Bucks Fizz) (3.46)
Chart positions
| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK | 8 |
| Ireland | 5 |