Wonderful Life (Black song)
Encyclopedia
"Wonderful Life" is a song by British singer Black from his 1987 album of the same name
. Written by Black himself, Colin Vearncombe, the song was released twice as a single and was successful the second time, becoming a top ten hit in Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Austria and Italy.
. The band then decided to re-release the song with a new record company, A&M Records
after the success of "Sweetest Smile". The single then reached a higher peak of #8 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1987.
, near Black's hometown Liverpool, and features New Brighton Lighthouse and Promenade. It was directed by Gerard De Thame, husband of Rachel De Thame, and won an award at the NY Film Festival in 1988.
In 1994, it was the soundtrack to a British television advertisement for Standard Life
insurance, which rekindled interest in the song. The decision to re-release the track to take advantage of the renewed interest was rather delayed, and this time the song did not appear in the Top 40.
In 2008, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
developed a Public Service Announcement
which features the song in order to raise awareness of human trafficking among those who are vulnerable to trafficking, and those who are empowered to act against it.
In 2009 it was used by Emirates Airlines to promote air travel to Dubai.
The song featured in the soundtrack of Gurinder Chadha
's 2010 film It's a Wonderful Afterlife
.
In season 4, episode 14 of the U.S. series Queer as Folk (2004), the song eerily accompanies the main character's struggle to finish a 500-mile bicycle tour in spite of a broken collarbone.
The song was also used in a French
TV advertisement for the Fleury Michon ham, but not sung by Black.
It is also used by Romania
n music radio station Romantic FM in certain bumpers.
The music and lyrics of the song was used in 2010 in a TV commercial by ZAIN telecommunication company. It was used to promote donation for Palestinian refugees with a slogan: "They live for the hope.. You build."
7" single
recorded a cover version of the song for her second studio album Mastermind. This version had moderate success, peaking at #17 on the Australian Singles Chart
and at #58 on the UK Singles Chart
. In 2005, a dance and a ballad of this cover version were used in the Australian miniseries "The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
" on Channel 10. Since 2007, both the dance and ballad versions of Tina Cousins' cover of the song have been used at the Hoyts cinemas in Australia
directly prior to the start of a movie. Now only the ballad version is used. In 2008, this song featured in an UN TV spot ad raising awareness of Human Trafficking.
recorded her own cover version of "Wonderful Life" on her 1999 album To Others to One. It was released as a CD maxi single and was used in a television advertisement for Interpolis
, a Dutch insurance company. Macedonian alternative rock band Arhangel
recorded an alternative rock version of the song for their 1993 album Arhangel 2. Former German rock band Hyperchild covered the song for their album "Easily" and released it as a single in 2000. Serbia
n punk rock band KBO!
recorded a version of the song on their 2001 cover album (Ne) Menjajte Stanicu ((Do Not) Change the Station). French Neofolk band Oraison released a cover on their demo tape. Spanish singer Rosa Lopez
recorded a Spanish cover of the song entitled "Bella Vida" on her 2008 album Promesas. It was also released as the second single from the album. In 2009, German
techno
group Scooter
sampled the song on their single "The Sound Above My Hair
".In 2011 Kim Wilde
covered the song in the album "Snapshots (Kim Wilde album)
". In 2011, the song featured on the Christmas album 'Funny Looking Angels' by Smith & Burrows, a collaboration between Tom Smith
(Editors
) and Andy Burrows (We Are Scientists
and ex-Razorlight
).
Various other cover versions have been produced, by artists including TJ Davis
, Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters
, Ace of Base
, Lara Fabian
, Myslovitz
, Carrion
, Adelmo "Zucchero
" Fornaciari, Csézy
and Seeed
.
Wonderful Life (Black album)
Wonderful Life is the debut album of English singer Black, released on August 31, 1987. It peaked at #3 on the UK Albums Chart in September of that year.-Track listing:All songs written by Colin Vearncombe unless otherwise noted...
. Written by Black himself, Colin Vearncombe, the song was released twice as a single and was successful the second time, becoming a top ten hit in Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Austria and Italy.
Single release
First released in 1986 by Ugly Man Records, it initially peaked at #72 on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
. The band then decided to re-release the song with a new record company, A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
after the success of "Sweetest Smile". The single then reached a higher peak of #8 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1987.
Music video
The music video was shot in black and white around the English seaside resort of New BrightonNew Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
, near Black's hometown Liverpool, and features New Brighton Lighthouse and Promenade. It was directed by Gerard De Thame, husband of Rachel De Thame, and won an award at the NY Film Festival in 1988.
Use in the media
In 1990, the song featured in a UK television advertisement for Cadbury's Strollers.In 1994, it was the soundtrack to a British television advertisement for Standard Life
Standard Life
Standard Life plc is a long term savings and investment business, with headquarters in Edinburgh and operations across the globe. It has 1.5 million shareholders in more than 50 countries and over 6 million customers.-History:...
insurance, which rekindled interest in the song. The decision to re-release the track to take advantage of the renewed interest was rather delayed, and this time the song did not appear in the Top 40.
In 2008, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a United Nations agency that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division in the United Nations...
developed a Public Service Announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
which features the song in order to raise awareness of human trafficking among those who are vulnerable to trafficking, and those who are empowered to act against it.
In 2009 it was used by Emirates Airlines to promote air travel to Dubai.
The song featured in the soundtrack of Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha , OBE, is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in the United Kingdom. She is best known for the hit films Bhaji on the Beach , Bend It Like Beckham , Bride and Prejudice and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging...
's 2010 film It's a Wonderful Afterlife
It's a Wonderful Afterlife
It's a Wonderful Afterlife is a 2010 British comedy film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay centers on an Indian mother whose obsession with marrying off her daughter leads her into the realm of serial murder. It was filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue...
.
In season 4, episode 14 of the U.S. series Queer as Folk (2004), the song eerily accompanies the main character's struggle to finish a 500-mile bicycle tour in spite of a broken collarbone.
The song was also used in a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
TV advertisement for the Fleury Michon ham, but not sung by Black.
It is also used by Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n music radio station Romantic FM in certain bumpers.
The music and lyrics of the song was used in 2010 in a TV commercial by ZAIN telecommunication company. It was used to promote donation for Palestinian refugees with a slogan: "They live for the hope.. You build."
Formats and track listings
12" maxi single- "Wonderful Life" – 4:49
- "Life Calls" – 3:51
- "Had Enough" – 4:58
- "All We Need Is the Money" – 4:23
7" single
- "Wonderful Life" – 4:49
- "Life Calls" – 3:51
Peak positions
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 72 |
| Chart (1987–1988) | Peak position |
| Australian Singles Chart | 23 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 10 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 2 |
| German Singles Chart | 2 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 7 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 8 |
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
| Irish Singles Chart | 30 |
| UK Singles Chart | 42 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1987) | Position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 | 93 |
| End of year chart (1988) | Position |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 8 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Gold | 1988 | 500,000 |
| Germany | Gold | 1987 | 250,000 |
Chart successions
Tina Cousins version
British singer Tina CousinsTina Cousins
Tina Cousins is an English singer-songwriter and former fashion model. She has had five singles in the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with others. She has also achieved popularity in Australia. She started her career as a model...
recorded a cover version of the song for her second studio album Mastermind. This version had moderate success, peaking at #17 on the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
and at #58 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 ...
. In 2005, a dance and a ballad of this cover version were used in the Australian miniseries "The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant is a 2005 film loosely based on the life of Mary Bryant, a Cornish girl convicted of petty theft and is transported to the Australian Penal Colony on the First Fleet with other prisoners bound for Botany Bay. It is written by Peter Berry and directed by Peter...
" on Channel 10. Since 2007, both the dance and ballad versions of Tina Cousins' cover of the song have been used at the Hoyts cinemas in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
directly prior to the start of a movie. Now only the ballad version is used. In 2008, this song featured in an UN TV spot ad raising awareness of Human Trafficking.
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
17 |
| Finnish Singles Chart Mitä hittiä The Official Finnish Charts is a national record chart in Finland composed by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.The singles chart was started in January 1991 as Radiomafian lista and was broadcast on the radio station Radiomafia of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE. This chart is based on a... |
9 |
| 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 ... |
58 |
Other cover versions
Dutch singer Mathilde SantingMathilde Santing
Mathilde Santing is a Dutch singer .Santing was born in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. She started receiving national attention in 1981 after she appeared with Sonja Barend in a Dutch television programme called Sonja Op Maandag.Over the last 25 years she has released a steady stream of albums,...
recorded her own cover version of "Wonderful Life" on her 1999 album To Others to One. It was released as a CD maxi single and was used in a television advertisement for Interpolis
Interpolis
Interpolis is one of largest insurance companies in the Netherlands. The company has gained wide recognition with its advertising campaign "Interpolis.Crystal clear". Besides financial compensation, Interpolis also offers compensation in kind....
, a Dutch insurance company. Macedonian alternative rock band Arhangel
Arhangel
Arhangel is an Macedonian alternative rock band formed in 1987. The frontman is Risto Vrtev who has also been part of such rock bands as Mizar and Inola X. The original line-up is: Panta Dzambazoski, Risto Vrtev, Dragan Ginovski, Petar Jankov...
recorded an alternative rock version of the song for their 1993 album Arhangel 2. Former German rock band Hyperchild covered the song for their album "Easily" and released it as a single in 2000. Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n punk rock band KBO!
KBO!
KBO! is a Serbian punk rock band from Kragujevac. They are one of the first hardcore punk acts on the former Yugoslav punk scene. Since the very beginning, the band accepted the DIY ethic by forming their own record label KBO! Records, through which they have released all their official releases...
recorded a version of the song on their 2001 cover album (Ne) Menjajte Stanicu ((Do Not) Change the Station). French Neofolk band Oraison released a cover on their demo tape. Spanish singer Rosa Lopez
Rosa López
Rosa López, , is a Spanish singer. She came to fame in 2001 as part of the reality show "Operación Triunfo", she represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002. She has subsequently released five studio albums, an album on DVD and ten singles.She has been awarded several times throughout her...
recorded a Spanish cover of the song entitled "Bella Vida" on her 2008 album Promesas. It was also released as the second single from the album. In 2009, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
group Scooter
Scooter (band)
Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
sampled the song on their single "The Sound Above My Hair
Under the Radar Over the Top
Under the Radar Over the Top is the fourteenth studio album by German hard dance group Scooter. The album was released on 2 October 2009, preceded by the single "J'adore Hardcore" on 14 August. A second single, "Ti Sento", was released on the same day as the album...
".In 2011 Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
covered the song in the album "Snapshots (Kim Wilde album)
Snapshots (Kim Wilde album)
Snapshots is the twelfth studio album and the first covers album by British singer Kim Wilde. It was released in Germany on 26 August 2011 by Columbia SevenOne and was released in other regions as an import on 13 September 2011...
". In 2011, the song featured on the Christmas album 'Funny Looking Angels' by Smith & Burrows, a collaboration between Tom Smith
Tom Smith (musician)
Thomas Michael Henry Smith is an English musician. He is lead singer, lyricist, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for the Birmingham-based indie rock band Editors....
(Editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
) and Andy Burrows (We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists is a New York-based indie rock band that formed in Berkeley, California in 2000. Originally formed of Keith Murray on drums, Chris Cain playing bass guitar and Scott Lamb providing vocals and guitar, before Michael Tapper became drummer and Keith became vocalist and guitarist...
and ex-Razorlight
Razorlight
Razorlight are a UK based indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America" and its parent self-titled album, their second...
).
Various other cover versions have been produced, by artists including TJ Davis
TJ Davis
TJ Davis is a British singer. She started as a backing vocalist for Gary Numan, D:Ream, and Blur, and quickly developed a career of her own. She is known among video game music aficionados for working with award-winning composer Richard Jacques on the soundtracks of Sonic R and Metropolis Street...
, Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters
Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters
Giuliano Palma and the Bluebeaters are a rising cover band in Italy and perform a mix of reggae, ska and rocksteady. Formed in 1994, the Bluebeaters comprises musicians of the Italian groups Casino Royale , of Africa Unite and of the Fratelli di Soledad .-Members as of 2005:* Giuliano...
, Ace of Base
Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...
, Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian is a Belgian-Italian international singer who also holds Canadian citizenship. Multilingual, she sings in French, Italian and English....
, Myslovitz
Myslovitz
Myslovitz is a Polish rock band, whose music incorporates elements of college rock, shoegazing, and, arguably, Britpop. Since 2003, EMI Group has been attempting to establish them internationally, with considerable support from MTV Europe...
, Carrion
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
, Adelmo "Zucchero
Zucchero
Adelmo Fornaciari, Commander , more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero /ˈtsukkero/, is an Italian rock singer. His music is largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock music, and alternates between ballads and more rhythmic boogie-like pieces.Zucchero is the...
" Fornaciari, Csézy
Csézy
Csézy, real name Erzsébet Csézi is a Hungarian singer.On February 8, 2008 she was chosen to represent Hungary at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade with her song Szívverés. She finished last in the second semi-final on May 22 with just six points.-Albums:-External links: — official...
and Seeed
Seeed
Seeed is a German reggae/dancehall band from Berlin. Founded in 1998, they have become notable in Germany and its neighboring countries. Seeed and Cologne's singjay Gentleman are among Germany's most popular reggae musicians....
.