GIRLS ALOUD | See The Day

Available on:
x Girls Aloud - Chemistry (2005) CD
x Girls Aloud - See The Day (2005) CD-S

Credits:
Written by Dee C. Lee.
Published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd.
Produced by Brian Higgins and Xenomania.
Mixed by Tim Powell and Brian Higgins.
Keyboards and Programming: Tim Powell, Brian Higgins and Jon Shave.
Guitar: Nick Coler.

Single information:
The single was released on 19 December 2005. It was their lowest-charting single at the time, peaking at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. "See the Day" was the third single to be taken from Girls Aloud's third studio album Chemistry.

Notes:
"See The Day" is an original by Dee C. Lee, released in 1985.

The song was approached, like "I'll Stand By You", as one which needed to stick closely to the original in terms of tone. The method paid off - "See The Day" was significant because it was a huge radio airplay hit at Christmas.

Cheryl Cole stated in January 2008 that the song was only put out because they were stuck for ballads. "I wish we hadn't released See The Day. I absolutely hate that track, I don't think it's us at all, it's really old fashioned."

REVIEWS:
x (...)the first of three occasions on Chemistry when the voice is left alone (relatively speaking) to own up and admit vulnerability. Indeed the lead vocal (Cheryl?) and Xenomania's arrangement do a far better job of bringing out the song's troubled compassion than its author, Dee C Lee, did on her original recording in 1985. (...) the arrangement seesaws between tubular bell and tympanic explosions and quiet piano, and nudges the cage of genius in the central instrumental section where Higgins brilliantly replaces the Ivor Raymonde wannabe of the original arrangement with eerie Morricone howls and gulfs of desert wind and stray bullets, before abruptly dropping back to the 6/8 piano, which we now see is a direct descendent of Japan's "Nightporter." Marcello Carlin

x Releasing the worst track on their album (inevitably a slushy ballad cover) around this time of year seems to be a bit of an annual tradition with Girls Aloud - first 2004's woeful I'll Stand By You, and now this uninspiring cover of Dee C Lee's See The Day. To be fair, it's not too shabby as girl band ballads go, but coming so hot on the heels of the still-charting Biology and taken from an album chock-full of corking tracks, it seems more than a little cynical. Still, the Girls have arranged themselves for your delight into a festive star formation on the cover, so this deserves a place on the wall if not in your CD player. Virgin.net

x Oops, Girls Aloud have done another cover version have they? Despite the fact that they're the finest pop act working today, they don't have a good record with other people's songs, as anyone who can recall their versions of Jump or I'll Stand By You will be able to testify to.
See The Day, originally done by Paul Weller's ex-wife D C Lee, isn't half bad though. It's not in the same league as the Girls' Xenomania compositions, but it's still by far the best cover version they've done. Nadine takes over lead vocals and it's easy to see why she's the one being allegedly groomed for a solo career. The lush production also contributes to this being one of the more effective Christmas ballads out there at the moment.
The thing is though, they can do so much better. Being a cover version, it's bereft of the wit and sparkle of the best of Girls Aloud, and it's certainly the weakest track on Chemistry. So put this down to being a Christmas single, and check out the rest of the album instead. John Murphy

LINKS:
x video on YouTube
x Wikipedia page