"One Better Day" is a song by British band Madness from their 1984 album Keep Moving. The song was written by Graham McPherson and Mark Bedford.^[1] The song was released as a single in the UK, and spent 7 weeks in British charts peaking at number 18.^[2]

The single was a last minute choice, as "Victoria Gardens" from the same album was originally slated to be the album's second single.^[2] The remixed version of "Victoria Gardens" intended for the A-side was instead included as a bonus track on the 12" single. This was the last single under the Stiff Records label, before the band's creation of their own label, Zarjazz Records.^[2]

1 Music video
2 Appearances
3 Formats and track listings
4 Notes

[edit] Music video

Suggs as a homeless person.

As the single was the final release under Stiff Records, the label did not want to film an accompanying music video, and the band had to fund it themselves.^[2] Mike Barson flew from Amsterdam especially to be a part of the video.^[2] The resulting music video was filmed in Arlington Road, just outside "Arlington House". Incidentally, "Arlington House" is the first line of the song, and was a local homeless refuge, one of the Rowton Houses.^[2]

Most of the video shows the band members as homeless people, except a few clips showing them performing the song. It also shows Suggs dancing with his wife Bette Bright, who plays a homeless woman in the video.

[edit] Appearances

In addition to its single release and appearance on the album Keep Moving, "One Better Day" also appears on the Madness collections Divine Madness (a.k.a. The Heavy Heavy Hits), Utter Madness, Total Madness, The Business and Our House: the Best of Madness. It did not appear on any of the band's US compilations.

[edit] Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "One Better Day".

7" Single

"One Better Day" (McPherson/Bedford) - 4:06
"Guns" (McPherson) - 3:14

12" Single

"One Better Day" (McPherson/Bedford) - 4:06
"Guns" (McPherson) - 3:14
"Victoria Gardens" (Smyth/Barson/Smyth) - 4:01
"Sarah" (Thompson/Madness) - 3:43

[edit] Notes

^ "Allmusic.com Keep Moving Overview". Retrieved on June 27, 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "The Madness Timeline: 1984". Retrieved on June 27, 2007.

v • d • e Madness

Suggs • Mike Barson • Lee Thompson • Chris Foreman • Mark Bedford • Daniel Woodgate • Chas Smash

Studio Albums	One Step Beyond... • Absolutely • 7 • The Rise & Fall • Keep Moving • Mad Not Mad • Wonderful • The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 • The Liberty of Norton Folgate

Compilation Albums	Complete Madness • Madness • Utter Madness • It's... Madness • It's... Madness Too • Divine Madness • The Business • Total Madness • Our House

Live Albums	Madstock! • Universal Madness

Singles	"The Prince" • "One Step Beyond" • "My Girl" • "Work Rest and Play EP" • "Baggy Trousers" • "Embarrassment" • "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" • "Grey Day" • "Shut Up" • "It Must Be Love" • "Cardiac Arrest" • "House of Fun" • "Driving in My Car" • "Our House" • "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" / "Madness (Is All in the Mind)" • "Wings of a Dove" • "The Sun and the Rain" • "Michael Caine" • "One Better Day" • "Yesterday's Men" • "Uncle Sam" • "Sweetest Girl" • "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train" • "Night Boat to Cairo" • "Lovestruck" • "Johnny The Horse" • "Drip Fed Fred" • "Shame & Scandal" • "Girl Why Don't You" • "Sorry" • "NW5"

Associated Articles	Our House the Musical • 2 Tone • Zarjazz Records • Starvation/Tam Tam Pour L'Ethiopie