It's a Fine Day


"It's a Fine Day" is a song written by English poet and musician Edward Barton. It was originally recorded a cappella in 1983 by Jane, and later by Opus III for whom it was a major international hit in 1992.

Original recording by Jane

Barton wrote the lyrics as a poem when living in the Hulme area of Manchester. It was originally sung unaccompanied by, and credited to, Jane – that is, Jane Lancaster, Barton's girlfriend. They recorded and released it independently, and it was played by radio DJ John Peel. It was then heard by Iain McNay of Cherry Red Records, who obtained the rights to the record and released it more widely on his label in 1983.
It reached number 5 on the UK Indie Chart, and later appeared, credited to Jane and Barton, on their eponymous mini-album Jane and Barton.
This version of the song appeared on the 2013 indie-pop compilation album .
Jane's unaccompanied vocal version of the song was given a backing track by A Guy Called Gerald in 1992.

Charts

Opus III version

Also in 1992, the song was covered by English electronic music group Opus III, whose lead vocalist was Kirsty Hawkshaw. It was their debut and released as the first single from their album, Mind Fruit. The single reached number 5 in the United Kingdom and number-one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. It also peaked at number-one in Greece and at number 2 in Spain. In addition, the song reached Top 10 in Finland, Ireland and Italy, and Top 20 in Austria, France and Germany. In 2010 the song was named the 182nd best track of the 1990s by Pitchfork Media. The two chief differences from Jane's original were that this version was not recorded a cappella but with a full instrumental accompaniment, and that it used only the first verse and chorus of the original song's lyrics.

Critical reception

The song received favorable reviews from most music critics. AllMusic editor MacKenzie Wilson said the song is "melodically enchanting with loopy trance vibes and textured synth waves". He noted Hawkshaw's "dove-like vocals transcended into freewheeling soundscapes". Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that this "quirky dance act" has made a "near-perfect, radio-friendly ditty". He noted that it is "empowered with a potent blend of, ethereal female vocals, a hypnotic hook, and an electro-hip beat." Marisa Fox from Entertainment Weekly described it as a "bubble-gummy dance track" and added that "this self-described ambient-techno group lives up to the genre’s esoteric side." Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger noted it as a "precious lullaby for a sleepless generation." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that lead vocalist Hawkshaw "is the only name we know because the producers who put this British Dance sensation together can't legally reveal themselves. Supposedly, Kirsty was singing in her garden while this mysterious group was recording the sounds of birds. A likely story. In any case, it was a fortunate meeting that gave life to this hot track." The Network Forty wrote that "the song came about when the boys behind the group were out in the Hertfordshire woods recording bird noises to sample for a new track and stumbled on Classically-trained vocalist Kirsty." They added further that "the group approaches their music committed to a pure English vocal crossed with the backdrop of organic Dance rhythm. The overall effect is a powerful ambient concept of style and character which can't be ignored. Like nothing else out there, this track is simultaneously spacey and driving, bordering on the current Euro-Rave movement." Danny Scott from Select noted the "surreal ambient House sounds" of the track in his review of Mind Fruit.

Music video

The music video for "It's a Fine Day" was directed by David Betteridge. It first aired in February 1992. The video features Kirsty Hawkshaw performing and dancing against a backdrop of what is supposed to be a fine day.

Track listings

CD single

  1. "It's a Fine Day" – 3:40
  2. "It's a Fine Day" – 5:30
  3. "Evolution Rush" – 6:11
  4. "It's a Fine Day" – 3:42

    7" single

  5. "It's a Fine Day" – 3:40
  6. "Evolution Rush" – 4:21

    12" maxi

  7. "It's a Fine Day" – 6:45
  8. "It's a Fine Day" – 6:45

    Charts

Year-end charts

Later versions

The song was also the basis of Orbital's 1993 track, "Halcyon + On + On", on their second eponymous album – the "la la la" section of the chorus was backmasked and sampled throughout the song. Interestingly enough, a music video for the song featured Hawkshaw, who was the aforementioned vocalist in the song’s sample.
A Cantonese-language version of this single, "Can lalalalali at night only," was recorded by Hong Kong singer Yolinda Yan in 1992.
A further version was released in 1998, credited to Miss Jane. This was produced by Italian producers David Carlotti and Carmine Sorrentino. The remake does feature vocals from the original Jane version. Luise Gard provided the on-stage image for the touring version of Miss Jane, but did not contribute to the recordings. Various remixes of this version were issued, including one by ATB.
Other versions have been recorded by Dallas Superstars and the Barcode Brothers. Norwegian artist Erlend Øye also covered the song on his album that was part of the DJ-Kicks series.
Opus III vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw has remade the song three times: in 2002 with Mike Koglin, in 2008 with Kinky Roland, and in 2019 as “Fine Day 2K19.”
The American electropop/hip-hop act Far East Movement used the song's background as the basis for their single "I Party" from their 2009 album "Animal."
The Jane version was used in a 1986 commercial for Kleenex tissue in Japan, which itself has attracted attention as a Japanese urban legend.