I just found this band recently, and this song caught my attention. It’s part jazz, soul, blues, and pop, and Carmel McCourt has a voice that makes you stop and listen. I can hear a few decades in the music, and I like that.
Carmel formed in Manchester in 1981 with McCourt on vocals, Jim Parris on bass, and Gerry Darby on drums and percussion. They were basically a trio, but they could sound much larger. Their music wasn’t easy to fit into a single category. They could move from jazz to gospel and blues with ease. They appeared at the ICA Rock Week in 1983, which helped lead to a deal with London Records. The band also sold out Ronnie Scott’s famous jazz club.
Bad Day was released in 1983 and became their breakthrough. One name in the credits jumped out at me immediately. Steve Nieve of Elvis Costello and the Attractions played keyboards on the song. Helen Watson and Rush Winters added backing vocals, which help give the record its gospel feel. The song later appeared on Carmel’s album The Drum Is Everything.
What caught me was how little this sounds like a typical record from 1983. There aren’t many production tricks getting in the way. The rhythm section is strong, along with McCourt’s powerful vocal. I can hear jazz in it, but I hear just as much soul and blues. The song peaked at #15 in the UK in 1983.
Bad Day
A hoo, hoo, a hoo, hoo, a hoo, hoo, a hoo, hoo
Ba ba ber dun ba ba, ber dun ba ba, ber dun ba ba
Bad day, bad day
Bad day when you wake up and you find out your dreams flown away
Don’t run away now, don’t be afraid be strong yeah, be strong now (?) Oh no
You better trust your faith, you better hide your tears (don’t, don’t cry, don’t, don’t cry)
Now everything you had has gone
This world keeps rolling on! Bad days come and bad days go away (?) oh no, oh no yeah!
Ah ah ah ah, ah ah ah ah, ah ah ah ah, ah ah ah ah
I heard, I heard about this (?) (What you say? What you say? What you say?)
I heard, i heard about this (?) (What you say? What you say? What you say?)
I say bad day, (bad day) bad day (bad day) now bad day (bad day)
Bad day you better go away now!
Now you better run away yeah!
I’m giving hope!
I’m giving hope!
I’m giving hope!
I’m giving hope yeah!
So bad day, bad day, bad day, ah you better run away now!
Ah you better go away
