"Life in One Day" by Howard Jones

Song#:  2378
Date:  07/06/1985
Debut:  72
Peak:  19
Weeks:  16
Genre:  Synthpop



Pop Bits:  Jones grabbed his first US Top 10 hit with the #5 "Things Can Only Get Better," a track from his second album Dream Into Action. For a follow-up, this song was chosen for release. It did fairly well getting inside the Pop Top 20 while reaching #16 at AC.  It also made a showing on the Rock chart at #36. In the UK, this was the third single lifted from the album. It did about the same there getting to #14. The album would be a success on both sides of the pond going gold in the UK and platinum in the US.

ReduxReview:  I've always thought this had a bit of a children's song feel to it with it's tin whistle-ish little melody and lyrical sentiment. I really didn't have much hope for this song as a single. I just didn't think US pop listeners would take to it, especially with lyrics like "gets the hereditary bone." So I was quite surprised when the tune found its way into the Top 20. I thought there were better candidates for single contention on the album, but somehow this one ended up working. It's a good song with solid production that secured Jones another hit.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  In the UK, the second single from the album was a track titled "Look Mama." It became Jones' sixth Top 10 UK hit reaching #10. The song was not issued as a single in the US. The beginning portion of the song features a woman and a young boy talking. That little conversation is a snippet of dialog from the 1974 Martin Scorsese film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The voices belong to the characters Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son (Alfred Lutter). The well-received film would win Burstyn an Oscar for Best Actress. In 1976, the movie was adapted into the hit TV sitcom Alice that starred Linda Lavin. The show ran for nine seasons.

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