"Colour My Life" is the second single from British band M People from their first album Northern Soul. It was written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. The single was originally released in May 1991 as a vinyl only release and was given a full release on 24 February 1992. The song peaked at number thirty five on the UK Singles Chart.
Background
As one of the album's premiere cuts, "Colour My Life" had already had built up a quite a following and gained critical praise in clubs as a much-played dance song when previewed as a White Label the year previously and most dance floors had picked up and rotated this version throughout 1991 providing great exposure. The first single that M People's Mike Pickering wrote for specifically for lead vocalist, 25-year-old Heather Small and the first M People track she ever recorded.
Critical reception
Evening Herald noted "the woozy refrain" of the song. Fred Shuster from Los Angeles Daily News said that "Colour My Life" is the "highlight" of the album and "an update of the Chic disco formula of male-female vocals, piano, bubbling bass and strings." Music & Media wrote that "although from Manchester, this is a long way from the "madchester" beat. This quartet, featuring Hot House lead vocalist Heather Small, mixes '70s "northern soul" with a mellow house style. Hypnotizing, but still melodic." They added that the song is "the best Philly soul pastiche in ages." Adam Higginbotham from Select said that "Colour My Life" is the best track on the album Northern Soul.
Chart performance
The single became their second moderate chart hit, but did not fare as well as predecessor How Can I Love You More? which scraped into the Top 30 at 29. In the week of release the single sold 7,400 copies to land at number 37, but club support saw the single maintain sales and climb in its second week to peak at number 35 selling a further 8,000 copies.
Remixes
There are several different mixes of the single, but the main version is simply known as "Colour My Life". Other versions are slight remixes of the single with "Colour my life ", "Colour My Life " and "Colour My Life ". The "Original Mix" appears on the Limited Release and on Northern Soul, but not on this single.
Music video
The studio-set video features Heather Small singing and dancing in a striking lime green jacket centre stage with the band playing along in the background. Paul Heard is playing bass guitar and Mike Pickering on the keyboards, not their normal instruments to play and also a drummer percussionist and two lively backing singers co-ordinating dance moves with their arms.
Artwork
The artwork of the single combines the lines used in the limited release to become four colourful "flowers" that consist of differently coloured red, blue, green and purple circles which is very much in-keeping with the big red flower illustration that is on the parent's album's artwork.
