"Day Is Gone" is a song by English rock band

Cardiacs Cardiacs are an English rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith (lead guitar and vocals) and his brother Jim (bass, backing vocals) in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest. The band's sound fused circus, baroque pop and medieval mu ...

from their third studio album, ''

Heaven Born and Ever Bright ''Heaven Born and Ever Bright'' is the third studio album by British rock band Cardiacs. It was produced by Tim Smith, engineered by David Murder and mixed by both. Due to Rough Trade going bankrupt soon after the album's release, it was scarce ...

'' (1992). It was released as a

twelve-inch single The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...

preceding the album on 28 October 1991 alongside a free

7-inch In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

titled "Appealing to Venus" ( b/w "Tree Tops High") by side project the Sea Nymphs from their eponymous debut studio album (1992). Both tracks were written by

Tim Smith Tim, Timothy or Timmy Smith may refer to: Musicians *T. V. Smith (born 1956), British singer and songwriter *Tim Smith (Cardiacs) (1961–2020), English singer-songwriter and frontman of Cardiacs *Timmy Trumpet (born 1982), Australian DJ and produ ...

who solely produced the former, while the Sea Nymphs produced the latter. Musicially, "Day Is Gone" has been described as a

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

song with a

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

and prominent guitars. A low-budget

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Day Is Gone" was released on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, featuring various shots of the band in a forest. After being reissued by the ''

Organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

'' magazine's record label, Org Records, "Appealing to Venus" was made

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

's daytime Single of the Week and led to the Sea Nymphs recording a

Peel Session John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

Background and composition

The classic Cardiacs six-piece lineup dissipated following the release of ''

On Land and in the Sea ''On Land and in the Sea'' is the second studio album proper by the English rock band Cardiacs. Produced by band leader Tim Smith, it was recorded and mixed in 1988 at The Slaughterhouse studios in Yorkshire and released in May 1989 by the band ...

'' (1989), with

William D. Drake William Derek Drake (born 7 February 1962) is an English musician, keyboardist, pianist, composer and singer-songwriter. He is best known as a former member of the cult English rock band Cardiacs, whom he played with for nine years between 1983 ...

, Tim Quy and Sarah Smith leaving the band. Cardiacs slimmed down to a four piece on their third studio album ''

'' (1992), which displayed a harder edged,

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

-leaning sound.

, Jim Smith and drummer Dominic Luckman remained, joined by guitarist Christian "Bic" Hayes. Hayes left the band before the song's release to commit to his other project

Levitation Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...

and was replaced by

Jon Poole Jonathan Charles Poole (born 16 October 1969), also known by his stage name Random Jon Poole, is an English multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as guitarist for Cardiacs and as bass player for the Wildhea ...

. "Day Is Gone" was composed and written by Tim Smith, utilising a

. It was recorded at Boundary Row Studios in London and Studio 811 in

Cowfold Cowfold is a village and civil parish between Billingshurst and Haywards Heath in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. The village is at the intersection of the A272 and A281 roads. The parish has a land area of 1926 hectare (4756& ...

, Sussex. The song was also produced and mixed by Smith, with regular collaborator David Murder as the

sound engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...

. Its guitars have been described as having a

element with spacious production.

Release and promotion

"Day Is Gone" was released as a single preceding ''Heaven Born and Ever Bright'' on 28 October 1991. The EP includes the

B-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

"No Bright Side", "Ideal" and "Joining the Plankton", a concert favourite. Future Cardiacs guitarist

Kavus Torabi Kavus Torabi ( fa, كاووس تورابى; born 5 December 1971) is a British-Iranian musician and composer, record label owner and broadcaster. A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his work in the psychedelic, avant-garde rock field (prim ...

mentions in his book '' Medical Grade Music'' that he got his nose pierced the same week as the EP's release. The single's cover features a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

and a daisy montage, which was also used on a

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are general ...

. A low-budget

for the song was released on

. During the video, various shots of the band in a forest are shown.

"Appealing to Venus"

The song "Appealing to Venus" by Cardiacs side project the Sea Nymphs was released for free as a

7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

with copies of the "Day Is Gone" twelve-inch, backed with the B-side "Tree Tops High". The song was written by Smith and produced by the Sea Nymphs, comprising Tim, Sarah and Drake. Org Records, the record label of the magazine ''

'', reissued "Appealing to Venus" on 1 June 1998 as a CD-only EP''.'' The label had previously released the Cardiacs single " Bellyeye" and featured both bands on various compilations and gigs. As there was a dislike of Cardiacs in the mainstream music business, Org neglected to mention that the release was a reissue and that the Sea Nymphs members were in another band. They sent a pre-release tape to DJs including

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

, who said he loved the single and asked if they could do a radio session. Mark Radcliffe and Mark Riley made "Appealing to Venus" their daytime Single of the Week on

, which ''Organ'' says was "probably the most exposure since the days of '

Is This the Life? "Is This the Life" (also written "Is This the Life?") is a song by English rock band Cardiacs from their debut studio album ''A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window'' (1988). The song was released on vinyl by the Alphabet Business Co ...

'." The Sea Nymphs snuck around the BBC Maida Vale studio attempting to not be recognised, and recorded the Peel Session with string machines and other equipment. John Peel, who wasn't there, called up the following day to say that he was pleased and mentioned that he knew who the band members were weeks later. Because of the single's radio play, labels called wanting to sign the band and Org asked for more tracks to release, but Smith had moved on and had begun work on Cardiacs' ''

Guns A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, pr ...

'' (1999).

Critical reception

Dom Lawson of ''

Classic Rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

'' called the single "irresistibly melodic", including "Day Is Gone" in the

playlist A playlist is a list of video or audio files that can be played back on a media player either sequentially or in a shuffled order. In its most general form, an audio playlist is simply a list of songs, but sometimes a loop. The term has sever ...

''Cardiacs: The Essential Playlist''. Marco Sgrignoli of ' commented that might contain "the most 'straight' in history". According to ''Organ'', the reissue of "Appealing to Venus" received positive words in the press from the same people who never had a good printed word for Cardiacs.

Cover versions

The Trudy The Trudy are an English post-punk band formed in Kingston upon Thames in 1979 by former Cardiacs members Peter Tagg (drums) and Ralph Cade (vocals and keyboards) along with Derek Tagg (guitar) and Sue Smallwood (bass). In 1980 The Trudy, with ...

covered the "Day Is Gone" on the tribute album '' Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith, Songbook 1'' (2010). In '' 3:AM Magazine'', Cathi Unsworth wrote that the Trudy "spring through the ong'scascading melodies." Sam Sheppard of ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' said that "The Trudy bring their sunkissed pop to 'Day Is Gone', accentuating the fact that Cardiacs, despite all the fiddly bits are basically a damn fine pop band."

Formats and track listings

All tracks are written by

. All lyrics by Smith, except where noted. ;"Day Is Gone" * 12-inch vinyl :A1. "Day Is Gone" – 3:19 :A2. "No Bright Side" (Smith,

Christian Hayes Christian David "Bic" Hayes (born 10 June 1964) is an English rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Best known as the frontman of Dark Star and guitarist with Levitation, he has also released solo material as Mikrokosmos, which was produced b ...

) – 5:15 :B1. "Ideal" – 4:24 :B2. "Joining the Plankton" – 3:42 * CD and digital EP # "Day Is Gone" – 3:19 # "No Bright Side" – 5:15 # "Ideal" – 4:24 # "Joining the Plankton" – 3:42 ;"Appealing to Venus" *7-inch vinyl :A. "Appealing to Venus" – 2:35 :B. "Tree Tops High" – 2:30 *''

'' EP reissue # "Appealing to Venus" – 2:36 # "God's Box" – 1:48 # "Up In Annies Room" – 3:33 # "Shaping the River" – 2:04 #* Bonus tracks # "Little Creations" – 1:56 # "Camouflage" – 3:51 # "Hymn" (

hidden track In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...

; music begins at 2:28) – 4:56 ;Notes *The music of "God's Box" is by

. *"Little Creations" and "Camouflage" are taken from ''

Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake ''Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake'' is an album by English psychedelic folk band the Sea Nymphs. Recorded and released in 1984 under the name Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake, it was the band's only recording to be distributed prior to their 1991 r ...

'' (1984). *"Hymn" is a hand-held tape recording of Cardiacs at the 1984

Stonehenge Free Festival The Stonehenge Free Festival was a British free festival from 1974 to 1984 held at the prehistoric monument Stonehenge in England during the month of June, and culminating with the summer solstice on or near 21 June. It emerged as the major fre ...

Credits and personnel

"Day Is Gone"

Credits adapted from the folded insert of the CD

digipak Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case A ...

. ;Cardiacs * Jim Smith – bass guitar, vocals *

– guitar, vocals *

– guitar, vocals * Dominic Luckman – drums, vocals ;Production * David Murder –

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

* Roger Tebbutt – acoustic liaison * Tim Smith – production

"Appealing to Venus"

Credits adapted from the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...

of ''The Sea Nymphs''. ;Personnel *

– vocals, keyboards, Television Organ * Tim Smith – vocals, keyboards, guitars * Sarah Smith – vocals, saxophones, clarinet, recorders * The Sea Nymphs – percussion, production

Footnotes

References

{{Cardiacs 1991 singles 1991 songs Cardiacs songs Songs written by Tim Smith (Cardiacs)