How I wrote ‘What A Beautiful Day’ by The Levellers’ Mark Chadwick in Songwriting Magazine Spring 2018

The punk-folk-rock band’s lead singer, Mark Chadwick, tells us how the rousing, mid-90s anthem took simply three minutes to write down

The Levellers shaped in Brighton in 1988, with a musical type influenced by punk rock and conventional English people. Led by guitarist and singer Mark Chadwick, the band rapidly constructed a loyal following and by 1993 their third album Levellers had entered the UK charts at No 2. The follow-up Zeitgeist would change into the band’s first and solely chart-topping album, however 1997’s Mouth To Mouth offered them with certainly one of their largest hit singles in What A Beautiful Day.

As we hear from its precept author Mark, the “disgustingly on the spot” tune virtually didn’t see the sunshine of day.

Launched: 1997
Artist: The Levellers
Label: China Information
Songwriters: The Levellers
Producers: Jon Kelly
UK chart place: 13
US chart place: –

“When I wrote Beautiful Day, it was sort of across the finish of John Main’s authorities and the tip of the Tories, round ’95 or ’96. The album we have been writing for was Mouth To Mouth and that’s what it will definitely ended up on, however on the time I wasn’t writing to a particular style or something.

“Mainly, it was written the place we’d constructed our personal studio: The Metway, in Brighton. I solely lived down the street, so quite than sitting on the finish of my mattress with an acoustic guitar, I was going to the studio.

“I’d by no means do it with an engineer or something; I’d simply go in there and sit alone with displays and stuff, and play fairly loudly. I’d plug within the acoustic guitar and have a mic going, to get that reside vibe and the quantity. I didn’t need anybody close to me, however the workplaces of the studio have been upstairs, so it was an phantasm – I was taking part in so loud, everybody within the constructing may hear me! I was in my bubble.

“I had a notepad subsequent to me and I actually went, [sings the chorus melody] ‘La-da- da-dada-daa-daa-da…’ It was a kind of disgusting moments – I hate when I hear different individuals say it – however it was written in three minutes! And I wrote the lyrics within the subsequent three! I’m actually jealous when I hear different writers say that, as a result of it doesn’t occur fairly often, it actually doesn’t.

“Then I performed it and recorded it, and thought, ‘That’s a bit fucking trite, to be sincere Mark!’ However a man upstairs, who was working for us, heard me and opened the door to the studio and mentioned, ‘Mark, that’s the hit.’ I was like, ‘That took me three minutes to write down, how can that be a success?’ I prefer to labour over these items, however he went, ‘No, that’s it man.’ Then he closed the door and walked off. So then I performed it to the band and so they received it right away. That’s the character of songwriting: you’re the final particular person to resolve whether or not it’s good or not. I thought it was a chunk of shit, however it labored and that’s the best way it’s – you simply don’t know.

“The lyrics simply made sense to me; it’s simply selecting out bits of historical past. November the fifth is an enormous a part of the tradition within the south-east of England, so it began with Man Fawkes after which Che Guevara and each revolutionary, and saying how lovely it’s when issues change for the higher. That’s the concept of the tune and I didn’t change a bloody phrase of it.

“It was disgustingly on the spot! However I get a number of pleasure out of taking part in it reside, to be sincere, as a result of I know individuals adore it – it simply chimes with one thing in them. Really, the title was going to be [the song’s second line] ‘King Of All Time’ and Jeremy [Cunningham, the bassist] was actually eager on that, however the remainder of the band and the document firm all went, ‘No you idiots, it’s referred to as What A Beautiful Day, that’s what everybody’s going to sing!’”

The Levellers are celebrated their 30th 12 months with an acoustic album, We The Collective, out now. For more information, head over to levellers.co.uk

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