Life in a Northern Town
1985 single by the Dream Academy
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"Life in a Northern Town" is the debut single by British band the Dream Academy, released in March 1985 as a promotional single from the band's self-titled debut studio album. Written by Nick Laird-Clowes and Gilbert Gabriel,[5] the song was produced by Laird-Clowes and Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.[5][6]
| "Life in a Northern Town" | ||||
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| Single by the Dream Academy | ||||
| from the album The Dream Academy | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | 12 March 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:19 | |||
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| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| The Dream Academy singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Life in a Northern Town" on YouTube | ||||
"Life in a Northern Town" reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1986 and reached No. 15 on the UK charts. It is the band's highest charting single in the UK,[7] the US,[8] and Ireland.[9]
Writing
Laird-Clowes has stated that the song is about the collapse of the shipping industry in the United Kingdom.[10] Gilbert Gabriel, a member of the Dream Academy and co-writer of "Life in a Northern Town", said that the inspiration for the tune came from his experience at Dartington College of Arts.[11]
According to Nick Laird-Clowes, "We had the idea, even before we sat down, to write a folk song with an African-style chorus. We started it and when we got to the verse melody, there was something about it that reminded me of Nick Drake."[6][12] The song includes elements of classical music,[13] an "African-esque" chant of "hey ma ma ma ma" (which was later sampled by dance duo Dario G for their track "Sunchyme" and by the duo Tritonal),[14] and hints of psychedelia.[11] "Life in a Northern Town" is written in the key of E major with a main chord pattern of E-Amaj7-E.[15]
"Life in a Northern Town" was dedicated to singer-songwriter Nick Drake, who died in 1974.[6][16] Laird-Clowes said he wrote the song on the guitar that Drake is holding on the cover of his 1971 album Bryter Layter.[17]
Laird-Clowes told Mojo that his mentor Paul Simon spurred him to come up with the title; "I played him the song and he asked, 'What are you going to call it – Ah Hey Ma Ma Ma?' I told him that we intended to name it 'Morning Lasted All Day.' 'That’s no good,' he said and so I came up with 'Life In a Northern Town,' which he thought was a great title."[12]
Release
"Life in a Northern Town" was released as a single in 1985. It was included as a track on the band's self-titled album.[5] By December 1985, Radio & Records reported that 70% of contemporary hit radio stations were playing the song across the United States.[18] The single peaked at number seven on the US charts[19] and number 15 on the UK charts.[20] In the United States, the single remained in the Billboard Top 100 for 21 weeks.[12]
Two videos were released to promote the single.[6] The earlier version features the group performing the song in various locations in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.[21] The second version, released in November 1985, features the group performing at a concert while clips play featuring footage of Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester, and Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.[22]
Reception
Stephen Holden of The New York Times described "Life in a Northern Town" as a "richly textured nostalgic ballad...that looks back warmly on 'winter 1963, when it felt like the world would freeze with John F. Kennedy and the Beatles'".[23]
ClassicFM.com describes the song as "brimming with nostalgia, something that's mainly achieved, somewhat unexpectedly, with the wistful sound of an oboe".[24]
Track listing
7" single
- "Life in a Northern Town" – 4:17
- "Test Tape No. 3" – 5:01
12" single
- "Life in a Northern Town" (Extended) – 5:19
- "Test Tape No. 3" – 5:03
- "Life in a Northern Town" (7" Mix) – 4:14
- "Poised on the Edge of Forever" – 3:32
Personnel
Credits sourced from "One Two Testing" and Mix.[25][26]
The Dream Academy
- Nick Laird-Clowes – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitars
- Gilbert Gabriel – backing vocals, ARP Solina String Ensemble, Roland JX-3P synthesizer, E-mu Emulator II
- Kate St John – backing vocals, cor anglais, piano
Additional musicians
- Ben Hoffnung – timpani, percussion
- George Nicholson – Roland TR-808 programming
- David Gilmour – sound effects, tape effects
Chart history
Weekly charts
| Chart (1985–1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[27] | 4 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[28] | 7 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[29] | 9 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[30] | 15 |
| UK Airplay (Music & Media)[31] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[32] | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[33] | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Year-end chart (1985) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[34] | 38 |
| Year-end chart (1986) | Position |
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[35] | 78 |
Sugarland version
| "Life in a Northern Town" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Sugarland featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen | |
| from the album Love on the Inside | |
| Released | 22 July 2008 |
| Recorded | 2007 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 4:14 |
| Label | Mercury Nashville |
| Songwriters | Gilbert Gabriel Nick Laird-Clowes |
| Producers | Byron Gallimore Sugarland |
The song was covered in 2007 by the country music duo Sugarland, along with Little Big Town and Jake Owen, on the Sugarland Change for Change Tour. A live performance from 2007 was made into a music video by Becky Fluke for the network Country Music Television.[36]
This performance was included on the Deluxe Fan Edition of Sugarland's 2008 album Love on the Inside[36] and on Capitol Records' late 2008 re-release of Little Big Town's 2007 album A Place to Land. It was nominated for Vocal Event of the Year at the Country Music Association awards,[37] Best Country Collaboration with Vocals at the 51st Grammy Awards,[38] and Vocal Event of the Year at the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music awards.[39]
Chart positions
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[40] | 53 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[41] | 28 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[42] | 43 |