She Makes My Day
{{Infobox song
| name = She Makes My Day
| cover = Robert Palmer She Makes My Day 1988 Single Cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Robert Palmer
| album = Heavy Nova
| B-side = Disturbing Behaviour
| released = 3 October 1988{{Cite web|url=http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Robert+Palmer&titel=She+Makes+My+Day&cat=s|title=Robert Palmer – She Makes My Day|first=Steffen|last=Hung|website=Hitparade.ch}}
| recorded = 1987
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 4:21
| label = EMI
| writer = Robert Palmer
| producer = Robert Palmer
| prev_title = Early in the Morning
| prev_year = 1988
| next_title = Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin'
| next_year = 1989
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|3icgetOak9o|"Robert Palmer – She Makes My Day (Official Video)"}}}}
}}
"She Makes My Day" is a song by English singer-songwriter Robert Palmer, which was released in 1988 as the third single from his ninth studio album Heavy Nova.{{cite web|author=Robert Palmer |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/heavy-nova-mw0000200891 |title=Heavy Nova – Robert Palmer | Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=2018-03-23}} The song was written and produced by Palmer.{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/em65 |title=Robert Palmer – She Makes My Day / Disturbing Behaviour – EMI – UK – EM 65 |website=45cat.com |date=2015-10-15 |access-date=2018-03-23}} "She Makes My Day" reached No. 6 in both the UK and Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16930/robert-palmer/ |title=ROBERT PALMER | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company |website=Officialcharts.com |access-date=2018-03-23}}{{cite web|author=Jaclyn Ward – Fireball Media Group |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=The Irish Charts – All there is to know |website=Irishcharts.ie |access-date=2018-03-23}}
Composition
In Michael Luckman's book Alien Rock: The Rock 'n' Roll Extraterrestrial Connection, Palmer said of writing the track, "I didn't give much thought to it at all. It was like automatic writing."{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m0Mz-AhfREUC&q=%22robert+palmer%22+%22she+makes+my+day%22&pg=PA71 |title=Alien Rock: The Rock 'n' Roll Extraterrestrial Connection – Michael Luckman – Google Books |date=2010-06-15 |isbn=9781451604320 |access-date=2018-03-23|last1=Luckman |first1=Michael }}
Release
"She Makes My Day" was released by EMI on 7" vinyl in the UK, Europe, Australia and the US. A 12" vinyl version was released in the UK and Spain, while a CD edition was also issued in the UK and Japan.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Palmer-She-Makes-My-Day/master/142482 |title=Robert Palmer – She Makes My Day at Discogs |website=Discogs.com |access-date=2018-03-23}} All editions featured the B-side "Disturbing Behaviour", except the US and Japanese releases. The US release featured "Casting a Spell" as the B-side, and "Change His Ways" for the Japanese release. All three B-sides appeared on Heavy Nova.
Promotion
A music video was filmed to promote the single. It received medium rotation on MTV.Billboard magazine – The Clip List – March 11, 1989 – page 67
Critical reception
Upon release, Billboard listed the song as a recommended single under the "Pop" category and described it as a "lilting, easy-paced rock ballad".Billboard magazine – Single reviews – February 11, 1989 – page 71 James Masterton, in his 2015 book The Top 40 Annual 1988, described the song as a "smouldering Sinatra-esque slow jazz single".{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kYrHBwAAQBAJ&q=%22robert+palmer%22+%22she+makes+my+day%22&pg=PT242 |title=The Top 40 Annual 1988 – James Masterton – Google Books |date=1988-10-15 |access-date=2018-03-23|last1=Masterton |first1=James }} In a retrospective review of Heavy Nova, Terry Staunton of Record Collector believed the song was an "intricately layered ballad" and "arguably the sweetest few minutes in his entire catalogue".{{cite web|url=http://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/heavy-novadont-explain |title=Heavy Nova/Don't Explain – Record Collector Magazine |website=Recordcollectormag.com |date=2011-05-26 |access-date=2018-03-23}}
Track listing
;7" single
- "She Makes My Day" – 4:21
- "Disturbing Behaviour" – 3:43
;7" single (US release)
- "She Makes My Day" – 4:21
- "Casting a Spell" – 3:55
;7" single (US promo)
- "She Makes My Day" – 4:21
- "She Makes My Day" – 4:21
;12" single
- "She Makes My Day" – 4:21
- "Disturbing Behaviour" – 3:43
- "Simply Irresistible (E.T. Remix)" – 6:33
;CD single (UK release)
- "She Makes My Day" – 4:23
- "Disturbing Behaviour" – 3:45
- "Simply Irresistible (E.T. Remix)" – 6:33
;CD single (Japan release)
- "She Makes My Day" – 4:23
- "Change His Ways" – 2:56
Personnel
- Robert Palmer – vocals, producer
- Eric "E.T." Thorngren – mixing
- David Harper – executive producer
- The Artful Dodgers Ltd – sleeve design
- Neil Matthews – photography
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| Chart (1988–89)
!Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Australia|9|artist=Robert Palmer|song=She Makes My Day|rowheader=true|access-date=24 March 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch100|57|artist=Robert Palmer|song=She Makes My Day|rowheader=true|access-date=24 March 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Ireland2|6|song=She Makes My Day|rowheader=true|access-date=24 March 2023}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|47|artist=Robert Palmer|song=She Makes My Day|rowheader=true|access-date=24 March 2023}} |
| {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|6|artist=Robert Palmer|artistid=16930|rowheader=true|access-date=24 March 2023}} |