Wonderful Life (Black album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Wonderful Life

| type = studio

| artist = Black

| cover = Wonderful Life Black.jpg

| alt =

| released = 18 September 1987{{cite magazine |date=12 September 1987 |title=Index |magazine=Record Mirror |page=4 |issn=0144-5804}}

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio = Powerpoint Studios, London; Square One Studio, Bury

| genre =

| length = 44:40

| label = A&M

| producer =

Dave "Dix" Dickie
Robin Millar ("I'm Not Afraid" only)

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Black

| next_year = 1987

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Wonderful Life

| type = studio

| single1 = Wonderful Life

| single1date = September 1986

| single2 = Everything's Coming Up Roses

| single2date = April 1987

| single3 = Sweetest Smile

| single3date = June 1987

| single4 = I'm Not Afraid

| single4date = October 1987

| single5 = Paradise

| single5date = January 1988

}}{{Audio sample

| type = studio

| file = Sweetest_Smile.ogg

| description = "Sweetest Smile"

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1949|label=Black: Wonderful Life – Review}}

| rev2 = Record Mirror

| rev2score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Cohen |first=Lysette |date=12 September 1987 |title=Albums |magazine=Record Mirror |page=12 |issn=0144-5804}}

| rev3 = Smash Hits

| rev3score = 7{{frac|1|2}}/10{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Smash-Hits/1987/Smash-Hits-1987-09-09.pdf |title=Albums |magazine=Smash Hits |volume=9 |issue=17 |date=9–22 September 1987 |last=Patterson |first=Sylvia |page=68 |issn=0260-3004 |via=World Radio History |access-date=21 November 2023}}

| noprose = yes

}}

Wonderful Life is the debut album by English singer Black (the stage name of Colin Vearncombe). Released in 1987, it peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart in September of that year. Three of the songs were co-written with Vearncombe's friend and musical collaborator, keyboardist Dave "Dix" Dickie.

Background

In 1985 Vearncombe wrote the minor key song "Wonderful Life". It was released independently through Ugly Man Records, and got Black noticed by A&M Records who signed Vearncombe and launched his international career. Vearncombe said:

By the end of 1985 I had been in a couple of car crashes, my mother had a serious illness, I had been dropped by a record company, my first marriage went belly-up and I was homeless. Then I sat down and wrote this song called 'Wonderful Life'. I was being sarcastic.The Daily Telegraph, [paper only] (28 Jan 2016), p.27{{Cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/funeral-of-singer-black-to-take-place-in-co-cork-1.2520610 |title=Funeral of singer 'Black' to take place in Co Cork |last=Roche |first=Barry |date=Feb 3, 2016 |work=The Irish Times}}

Vearncombe suffered from the feeling of being a one-hit wonder, however, saying later:

Once you have had a hit, it's hard to write another song without having that in the back of your mind. For a long time, I would find myself hearing, 'I like it but it's not Wonderful Life'.The Daily Telegraph, ibid., p.27

The album's second single "Everything's Coming Up Roses" was also accompanied by a video,Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211209/PtfGSIpdAlA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170111050015/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtfGSIpdAlA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtfGSIpdAlA| title = Black - Everything Is Coming Up Roses | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} but reached only No. 76 in the UK Singles Chart, although also making No. 8 in both the Austrian and German charts.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} The follow-up "Sweetest Smile", however, became a UK top-10 hit. The third single, a re-release of "Wonderful Life", was a massive hit worldwide. The album of the same name, released in 1987, had similar success, reaping commercial and critical acclaim.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/26/colin-vearncombe-black|title=Colin Vearncombe obituary|first=Adam|last=Sweeting|author-link=Adam Sweeting |date=26 January 2016|publisher=|via=www.theguardian.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/colin-vearncombe-singer-known-as-black-whose-1987-song-wonderful-life-which-he-wrote-in-10-minutes-a6838276.html|title=Colin Vearncombe: Singer known as Black who wrote Wonderful Life|date=28 January 2016|website=The Independent}}

When interviewed in 2013 for superdeluxeedition.com, Vearncome was asked if the album had turned out how he wanted and if the record company had forced producers on him. He replied:

No, we were very, very lucky. You see I’d already been through the mill with Warners and stuff, and then I’d been homeless. There wasn’t much you could scare me with. I was actually homeless when I wrote "Sweetest Smile" and "Wonderful Life," but I was couch-surfing, and nothing touches you when you’re that age. For a while you can get away with it.{{cite web|url=http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/interview/wonderful-life-the-lost-interview-with-colin-vearncombe-rip/|title=Wonderful Life: The 'lost' interview with Colin Vearncombe RIP - superdeluxeedition|publisher=}}

Ugly Man Records issue a double-pack single, in September 1986 (Cat. JACK 71D), featuring "Wonderful Life", "Birthday Night", "Sometimes for the Asking" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses".{{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/jack71d|title = Black - Wonderful Life}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline = Side A

| all_writing = Colin Vearncombe unless otherwise noted

| title1 = Wonderful Life

| length1 = 4:46

| title2 = Everything's Coming Up Roses

| length2 = 4:04

| title3 = Sometimes for the Asking

| length3 = 4:09

| title4 = Finder

| length4 = 4:12

| title5 = Paradise

| writer5 = Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie

| length5 = 4:51

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side B

| total_length = 44:40

| title6 = I'm Not Afraid

| writer6 = Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie

| length6 = 5:00

| title7 = I Just Grew Tired

| length7 = 4:15

| title8 = Blue

| writer8 = Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie

| length8 = 3:38

| title9 = Just Making Memories

| length9 = 4:26

| title10 = Sweetest Smile

| length10 = 5:19

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = CD Bonus tracks

| total_length = 63:11

| title11 = Ravel in the Rain

| writer11 = Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie

| length11 = 3:47

| title12 = Leave Yourself Alone

| length12 = 4:32

| title13 = Sixteens

| length13 = 3:56

| title14 = It's Not You Lady Jane

| writer14 = Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie

| length14 = 3:25

| title15 = Hardly Star-Crossed Lovers

| length15 = 2:51

}}

Singles

The album produced five singles: "Wonderful Life", "I'm Not Afraid" "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Sweetest Smile" and "Paradise".

Personnel

=Musicians=

Colin Vearncombe – vocals, guitar
Roy Corkill – fretless bass
Jimmy Hughes – drums
Martin Green – saxophone
Dave "Dix" Dickie – keyboards, programming
The Creamy Whirls (Tina Labrinski, Sara Lamarra) – backing vocals
Jimmy Sangster – electric bass
Doreen Edwards – additional backing vocals
The Sidwell Brothers – brass section

Source:{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wonderful-life-mw0000193508/credits|title=Wonderful Life - Black |via=www.allmusic.com}}

=Production=

Recorded at Powerplant Studios (London), Square One Studio (Bury).
Engineered by Stephen Boyce-Buckley, and Pink Studio (Liverpool).

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="col"\| Chart (1987–1988) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
{{album chart\|Australia\|34\|artist=Black\|album=Wonderful Life\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 March 2021}}
{{album chart\|Austria\|6\|artist=Black\|album=Wonderful Life\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 March 2021}}
{{album chart\|Netherlands\|11\|artist=Black\|album=Wonderful Life\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 March 2021}}
scope="row"\|Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book \|last=Pennanen \|first=Timo \|title=Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 \|section=Black \|page=31 \|year=2021 \|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava \|location=Helsinki \|isbn=978-952-7460-01-6}} \| 31
{{album chart\|Germany4\|9\|id=626\|artist=Black\|album=Wonderful Life\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 March 2021}}
{{album chart\|New Zealand\|21\|artist=Black\|album=Wonderful Life\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 March 2021}}
{{album chart\|Sweden\|30\|artist=Black\|album=Wonderful Life\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 March 2021}}
{{album chart\|Switzerland\|5\|artist=Black\|album=Wonderful Life\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 March 2021}}
{{album chart\|UK\|3\|artist=Black\|rowheader=true\|access-date=5 March 2021}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\| Chart (1987) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web\|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1987&cat=a\|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1987\|website=dutchcharts.nl\|access-date=5 March 2021}} \| 76

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

scope="col"| Chart (1987)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1987&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1987|website=dutchcharts.nl|access-date=5 March 2021}}

| 76

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

scope="col"| Chart (1988)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria){{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=a&id=1988|title=Jahreshitparade Alben 1988|website=austriancharts.at|access-date=5 March 2021}}

| 25

scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1988|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|language=de|publisher=GfK Entertainment|access-date=5 March 2021}}

| 29

Sales and certifications

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Wonderful Life}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=Black|title=Wonderful Life|award=Gold|source=infodisc|type=album|relyear=1987|certyear=1988|access-date=July 22, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=Black|title=Wonderful Life|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1987|certyear=1988|access-date=July 22, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Black|title=Wonderful Life|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1987|certyear=1988|certref={{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/x263f6daopkswo8/Spanish_certifications_for_1979-1990.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=es |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=Fundación Autor/SGAE |date=September 2005 |page=924 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |access-date=July 22, 2022}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|type=single|artist=Black|title=Wonderful Life|award=Gold|relyear=1987|certyear=1988|certref={{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1988/M&M-1988-10-15.pdf|title=Spotlights - Black's Future Looks Bright|magazine=Music & Media|first=Sally|last=Stratton|volume=6|issue=43|date=28 October 1989|page=40|oclc=29800226|via=World Radio History |accessdate=15 August 2023}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Black|title=Wonderful Life|award=Platinum|id=8326-1382-2|type=album|relyear=1987|certyear=1991|access-date=July 22, 2022}}

References

External links

[http://www.colinvearncombe.com/music/wonderful-life Information] at Colin Vearncombe's official website
{{discogs master|16822}}
{{youTube|PtfGSIpdAlA|Black - Everything Is Coming Up Roses}}

Category:1987 debut albums

Category:Black (singer) albums

Category:Albums produced by Robin Millar

Category:A&M Records albums