Lovely Day is a 1977 soul and R&B song by American artist Bill Withers. It was released as a single and appears on his sixth album Menagerie (1977). The track blends R&B, soul, funk and disco and is remembered for its optimistic mood and a long held note at the end.
Story and style: the song is a sunny, uplifting ode about starting the day on a positive note, with Withers delivering a standout 18-second sustained high note that became one of the longest held notes on a US Top 40 hit.
Production and personnel: written by Bill Withers and Skip Scarborough, produced by Bill Withers and Clarence McDonald. Key collaborators include Clarence McDonald on keyboards, Ray Parker Jr. on guitar, Jerry Knight on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion.
Reception and legacy: the single peaked at number 6 on the US R&B chart and number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached number 7 in the United Kingdom. A 1988 Sunshine Mix remix topped the UK club charts, and the song was later listed at number 402 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Songs of All Time (2021).
Uses and influence: over the years Lovely Day has seen reissues and numerous uses in advertising and media, including Tetley tea and Gap campaigns, and a 2021 performance by Demi Lovato for Celebrating America.
