Perfect World (Huey Lewis and the News song)
{{Short description|1988 single}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Perfect World
| cover = Perfect World Single.JPG
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Huey Lewis and the News
| album = Small World
| B-side = Slammin'
| released = June 1988
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = 4:07
| label = Chrysalis
| writer = Alex Call
| producer = Huey Lewis and the News
| prev_title = Doing It All for My Baby
| prev_year = 1987
| next_title = Small World (Part One)
| next_year = 1988
}}
"Perfect World" is a song performed by Huey Lewis and the News and released as the first single from the album Small World in late June 1988. The single peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #48 on the UK Singles Chart.
History
The song was written by Alex Call, a former bandmate of Lewis and Sean Hopper from the band, Clover.{{cite news | title = Huey Lewis Broadens Sound on 'Small World' | newspaper =The Boston Globe | date =28 July 1988 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BG&p_theme=bg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADEE76CDE5A0CD&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |accessdate=25 April 2009|author=Morse, Steve }} Call had previously co-written the hit song "867-5309/Jenny" for Tommy Tutone. Huey Lewis gave the song a reggae flavor. The song is an optimistic commentary on a human being's hopes and dreams, as well as our private thoughts.{{cite news | title = A Tantalizing Taste of the Deeper Huey Lewis | newspaper =The Boston Globe | date =3 September 1988 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BG&p_theme=bg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADEE8456178DCD&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |accessdate=25 April 2009|author=Sullivan, Jim }} The song tells the person to "keep on dreaming," because there will never be a perfect world. The song admits that life isn't perfect, but tells the listener to use the power of positive dreaming to cope with the reality.{{cite news | title = There's Only Good News From Huey Lewis | newspaper =Los Angeles Times | date =31 July 1988 | url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/59826626.html?dids=59826626:59826626&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+31%2C+1988&author=MIKE+BOEHM&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=There%27s+Only+Good+News+From+Huey+Lewis+CHECK+LIST****Great+Balls+of+Fire***Good+Vibrations**Maybe+Baby*Running+on+Empty&pqatl=google |accessdate=25 April 2009|author=Boehm, Mike }}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The B-side to the single was an instrumental album track, "Slammin'".
Music video
The music video features the band playing on a stage surrounded by garbage at the Redwood Landfill north of Novato, California. Various pieces of garbage are seen flying in the air, hitting various members of the band. Throughout the video, Huey Lewis dances and strolls through a pathway as work is done by garbage trucks behind him. At the end of the video, the band is seen posing by more garbage. The video received heavy rotation on MTV and peaked at #3 on the channel's Top 20 Video Countdown.{{cite news | title = Video Top Ten | newspaper =Miami Herald | date =26 August 1988 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB3391DAABBCAC3&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |accessdate=25 April 2009 }} Lewis has said that the video is one of his favorites that he's done, and considered it one of the more "relaxed" videos the band ever filmed. "The early [videos] were fun, but we had so much to do with limited budget that we had to work to exhaustion".http://www.hueylewisandthenews.com/wp/?page_id=1038 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130831015940/http://www.hueylewisandthenews.com/wp/?page_id=1038 |date=2013-08-31 }} Huey Lewis Fan Q&A: November 16, 2015 Lewis felt the video was a "creative idea" and he enjoyed that it all took place in one location and was "fairly easy" to do.http://www.hueylewisandthenews.com/wp/?page_id=1038 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130831015940/http://www.hueylewisandthenews.com/wp/?page_id=1038 |date=2013-08-31 }} Huey Lewis Fan Q&A: December 16, 2018
Reception
Reception for the song was mostly positive. Lynn Van Matre of the Chicago Tribune said that the song was "Wry," and it seemed "destined" to be another top ten single from the band.{{cite news | title = World of Difference: Huey Lewis and the News Expand Its Horizons | newspaper =Chicago Tribune | date =7 August 1988 | url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24816464.html?dids=24816464:24816464&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Aug+07%2C+1988&author=Lynn+Van+Matre%2C+Pop+music+critic&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=WORLD+OF+DIFFERENCE+HUEY+LEWIS+%26+THE+NEWS+EXPANDS+ITS+HORIZONS&pqatl=google | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121020024803/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24816464.html?dids=24816464:24816464&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Aug+07,+1988&author=Lynn+Van+Matre,+Pop+music+critic&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=WORLD+OF+DIFFERENCE+HUEY+LEWIS+&+THE+NEWS+EXPANDS+ITS+HORIZONS&pqatl=google | url-status = dead | archive-date = October 20, 2012 |accessdate=25 April 2009|author=Matre, Lynn Van }} According to Martin Moynihan of the Albany Times Union, the song was "a pop music mix of Lewis' usual musical optimism tempered with an element of reserve"{{cite news |first= Moynihan |last= Martin |title= From Huey: Some New Different Music Styles Permeate Group's Latest Album |work= The Albany Times Union |date= 28 August 1988 }} Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said of the song, "None of the musical diversions work as well as the bouncy Top Ten hit 'Perfect World.'" Erlewine also believed that the song ranked "with the group's best material."{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r11599/review|pure_url=yes}} |title=allmusic ((( Small World > Overview ))) |accessdate=25 April 2009 |publisher=allmusic.com}} Jerry Spangler of Deseret News said that the song was a "captivating rocker."{{cite news | title = Keep Dreaming, Huey, of the Perfect Record | newspaper = Deseret News | date = 29 August 1988 | url = http://archive.deseretnews.com/archive/15522/ON-THE-RECORD-KEEP-DREAMIN-HUEY-OF-THE-PERFECT-RECORD.html | accessdate = 25 April 2009 | author = Spangler, Jerry }}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden considers the song a "companion piece" to the first song off of the Small World album, "Small World, Part One".{{cite news | title = The Pop Life | newspaper =New York Times | date =10 August 1988 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/10/movies/the-pop-life-635988.html?scp=1&sq=huey%20lewis%20small%20world&st=cse |accessdate=25 April 2009|author=Holden, Stephen }}
Chart performance
"Perfect World" was the first single released from the album Small World. Originally to be released in mid-June,{{cite news | title = Pop Eye | newspaper =Los Angeles Times | date =15 May 1988 | url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/59871640.html?dids=59871640:59871640&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=May+15%2C+1988&author=PATRICK+GOLDSTEIN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=POP+EYE&pqatl=google | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121020101107/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/59871640.html?dids=59871640:59871640&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=May+15,+1988&author=PATRICK+GOLDSTEIN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=POP+EYE&pqatl=google | url-status = dead | archive-date = October 20, 2012 |accessdate=25 April 2009|author=Goldstein, Patrick }}{{cite news | title = 'Edwin Drood' Producers Search for Actor to Replace George Rose | newspaper =Dallas Morning News | date =7 May 1988 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED3CFF03061D916&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |accessdate=25 April 2009 }} the single's release was held off until later in the month.{{cite news | title = Billboard Lends Weight to 'Oldies' Release | newspaper =Los Angeles Daily News | date =16 June 1988 | url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24791160.html?dids=24791160:24791160&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+16%2C+1988&author=Bruce+Britt%2C+Los+Angeles+Daily+News&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=BILLBOARD+LENDS+WEIGHT+TO+%27OLDIES%27+RELEASE&pqatl=google | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130131152256/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24791160.html?dids=24791160:24791160&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+16,+1988&author=Bruce+Britt,+Los+Angeles+Daily+News&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=BILLBOARD+LENDS+WEIGHT+TO+'OLDIES'+RELEASE&pqatl=google | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 31, 2013 |accessdate=25 April 2009|author=Britt, Bruce }} It was the 12th and last top 10 hit for the band, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable"
! Chart (1988) ! Position |
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard){{cite magazine |date=December 24, 1988 |title=1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles |page=Y-20 |magazine=Billboard |volume=100 |issue=52 }}{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1988|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1988|accessdate=January 11, 2020}}
| style="text-align:center;"|64 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Huey Lewis and the News}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Huey Lewis and the News songs
Category:Songs written by Alex Call