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Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)

{{Short description|1995 single by Erasure}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)

| cover = Erasure single fingersthumbs.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Erasure

| album = Erasure

| B-side = Hi NRG

| released = {{start date|1995|11|27|df=y}}{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=39|date=25 November 1995}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length =

  • 6:44 (album version)
  • 4:23 (single edit)

| label =

| writer =

| producer =

| prev_title = Stay with Me

| prev_year = 1995

| next_title = Rock Me Gently

| next_year = 1996

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|di1mBv3iHMQ|"Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)"}}}}

}}

"Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure. It originally appeared on the soundtrack to the documentary film Wigstock: the Movie, as "Cold Summer's Day". The duo re-recorded it for their seventh studio album, Erasure (1995), with new lyrics. Composed by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, it is an uptempo dance track. The album version is over six minutes long; the single edit removes an extended instrumental section between the second and third choruses.

The song was released as the second single from the album by Mute Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the United States. The track subsequently became Erasure's 22nd consecutive top-20 hit on the UK Singles Chart. In Germany, it stalled at number 69, while in the United States, it was a hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, peaking at number 10. The single's B-side is a cover version of "High Energy" (retitled "Hi NRG") by American singer Evelyn Thomas.

Critical reception

Paul Gorman from Music Week wrote, "Initially harking back to a more familiar ground, Clarke and Bell deliver a {{sic|?|higly}} hummable four-on-the-floor putdown which transmutes into an epic of scorn."{{cite magazine|first= Paul |last= Gorman |title= Erasure – Duo Moves in a New Direction |magazine= Music Week |date= 30 September 1995 |page= 12 |access-date= 12 May 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-09-30.pdf |author-link= Paul Gorman}} Robert. I. Doerschuk from Musician felt the chorus of 'Fingers & Thumbs' "could have worked well with a Hooked On Four Tops arrangement of 'It's the Same Old Song'."{{cite magazine|first=Robert. I.|last=Doerschuk|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Musician/1990/1996/Musician-1996-01.pdf|title=Et Cetera|magazine=Musician|date=January 1996|page=94|access-date=28 September 2024}} Ben Willmott from NME said the song is "the same old dreary Erasure with Eurovision drums and hooks as blunt as Frank Bruno's sense of humour, with a few spacy bits."{{cite magazine|first=Ben|last=Willmott|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53604541263/|title=Singles|magazine=NME|date=25 November 1995|page=40|access-date=22 March 2024}}

Music video

A music video was produced to accompany the single, featuring Bell singing the song as he walks through an amusement park. The actual filming was done in the London Docklands.{{Cite web|url=http://www.erasureinfo.com/features/privateear_14.html|title=Erasure Information Service :: Features :: Private Ear|date=8 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408100023/http://www.erasureinfo.com/features/privateear_14.html|access-date=22 October 2021|archive-date=8 April 2007}}

Track listings

{{col-begin|width=74%}}

{{col-2}}

  • CD1 (CDMUTE178)
  1. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (single mix)
  2. "Hi NRG"
  3. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Twilight 0.2)
  4. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Figures in Crumbs) (a collaboration with Wir)
  • CD2 (LCDMUTE178)
  1. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Tin Tin Out remix)
  2. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Dub on the Moon)
  3. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Electrofinger)
  4. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Twilight Plus)

{{col-2}}

  • 12-inch single (12MUTE178)
  1. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Tin Tin Out remix)
  2. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Tin Tin Out instrumental)
  3. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Dub on the Moon)
  4. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (Twilight Plus)
  • Cassette single (CMUTE178)
  1. "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (single mix)
  2. "Hi NRG"

{{col-end}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1995–1996)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Canadadance|17|chartid=2866|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2023}}
scope="row"|Croatia (HRT){{cite journal|title=Varaždin, Trg kralja Tomislava 2|url=https://library.foi.hr/dbook/novine.php?C=3&godina=1996&broj=000015&page=017&upit=top%20international|date=April 10, 1996|journal=Varaždinske vijesti|language=hr|access-date=October 24, 2024|page=18|number=22}}

| style="text-align:center;"|22

{{single chart|Germany|69|artist=Erasure|song=Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)|songid=17277|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2023}}
{{single chart|Scotland|23|date=19951209|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2023}}
{{single chart|UK|20|date=19951209|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2023}}
{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|10|artist=Erasure|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2023}}
{{single chart|Billboarddancesales|27|artist=Erasure|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2023}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20070408100023/http://www.erasureinfo.com/features/privateear_14.html "Being an extra for the Fingers and Thumbs video"], "Erasure Information Service". Retrieved 20 June 2007.

{{Erasure}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:1995 singles

Category:Elektra Records singles

Category:Erasure songs

Category:Mute Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Gareth Jones

Category:Songs written by Andy Bell (singer)

Category:Songs written by Vince Clarke