Wonderful Life (Black album)

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.

Wonderful Life
Studio album by
Black
Released18 September 1987[1]
StudioPowerpoint Studios, London; Square One Studio, Bury
Genre
Length44:40
LabelA&M
Producer
Black chronology
Wonderful Life
(1987)		 Black
(1987)
Singles from Wonderful Life
  1. "Wonderful Life"
    Released: September 1986
  2. "Everything's Coming Up Roses"
    Released: April 1987
  3. "Sweetest Smile"
    Released: June 1987
  4. "I'm Not Afraid"
    Released: October 1987
  5. "Paradise"
    Released: 4 January 1988
Audio sample
"Sweetest Smile"
  • file
  • help
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Record Mirror[3]
Smash Hits71⁄2/10[4]

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.[5][6]

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'.[7]

The album's second single "Everything's Coming Up Roses" was also accompanied by a video,[8] but reached only No. 76 in the UK Singles Chart, although also making No. 8 in both the Austrian and German charts. 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.[9][10]

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.[11]

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".[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Colin Vearncombe unless otherwise noted

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Wonderful Life" 4:46
2."Everything's Coming Up Roses" 4:04
3."Sometimes for the Asking" 4:09
4."Finder" 4:12
5."Paradise"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie4:51
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."I'm Not Afraid"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie5:00
7."I Just Grew Tired" 4:15
8."Blue"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie3:38
9."Just Making Memories" 4:26
10."Sweetest Smile" 5:19
Total length:44:40
CD Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Ravel in the Rain"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie3:47
12."Leave Yourself Alone" 4:32
13."Sixteens" 3:56
14."It's Not You Lady Jane"Colin Vearncombe, Dave Dickie3:25
15."Hardly Star-Crossed Lovers" 2:51
Total length:63:11

Singles

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

Personnel

Musicians

Source:[13]

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

Charts

Sales and certifications
Certifications for Wonderful Life
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
France (SNEP)[26] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[27] Gold 250,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[28][29] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[29] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Platinum 300,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Index". Record Mirror. 12 September 1987. p. 4. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. Black: Wonderful Life – Review at AllMusic
  3. Cohen, Lysette (12 September 1987). "Albums". Record Mirror. p. 12. ISSN 0144-5804.
  4. Patterson, Sylvia (9–22 September 1987). "Albums" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 17. p. 68. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 21 November 2023 – via World Radio History.
  5. The Daily Telegraph, [paper only] (28 Jan 2016), p.27
  6. Roche, Barry (3 February 2016). "Funeral of singer 'Black' to take place in Co Cork". The Irish Times.
  7. The Daily Telegraph, ibid., p.27
  8. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Black - Everything Is Coming Up Roses. YouTube.
  9. Sweeting, Adam (26 January 2016). "Colin Vearncombe obituary" – via www.theguardian.com.
  10. "Colin Vearncombe: Singer known as Black who wrote Wonderful Life". The Independent. 28 January 2016.
  11. "Wonderful Life: The 'lost' interview with Colin Vearncombe RIP - superdeluxeedition".
  12. "Black - Wonderful Life".
  13. "Wonderful Life - Black" – via www.allmusic.com.
  14. "Australiancharts.com – Black – Wonderful Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  15. "Austriancharts.at – Black – Wonderful Life" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Black – Wonderful Life" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  17. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Black". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 31. ISBN 978-952-7460-01-6.
  18. "Offiziellecharts.de – Black – Wonderful Life" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  19. "Charts.nz – Black – Wonderful Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  20. "Swedishcharts.com – Black – Wonderful Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  21. "Swisscharts.com – Black – Wonderful Life". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  22. "Black | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  23. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1987". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  24. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1988". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  25. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  26. "French album certifications – Black – Wonderful Life" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 22 July 2022. Select BLACK and click OK. 
  27. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Black; 'Wonderful Life')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  28. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 924. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  29. Stratton, Sally (28 October 1989). "Spotlights - Black's Future Looks Bright" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 43. p. 40. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 15 August 2023 – via World Radio History.
  30. "British album certifications – Black – Wonderful Life". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
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