"Working on It" is a song by British singer-songwriter

Chris Rea Christopher Anton Rea ( ; born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, fie ...

, released in 1989 as the fifth and final single from his compilation album ''

New Light Through Old Windows ''New Light Through Old Windows'' is the first compilation album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1988. The album consists primarily of re-recordings of songs from Rea's earlier albums, as well as the new track "Working on It" ...

'' (1988). It was written by Rea, and produced by Rea and

Jon Kelly Jon Kelly is a British audio engineer and record producer, who began his career as an engineer at Air London Studios. He has produced albums and singles for Chris Rea, the Damned, Kate Bush (where he co-produced with Bush on her third album '' ...

. "Working on It" reached No. 53 in the UK and No. 73 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It also topped the ''Billboard''

Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...

chart. The song has appeared on the soundtracks of the American adventure comedy film ''

Camp Nowhere ''Camp Nowhere'' is a 1994 American adventure comedy film directed by Jonathan Prince, written by Andrew Kurtzman and Eliot Wald, and stars Christopher Lloyd, Jonathan Jackson and Jessica Alba in her film debut. Plot 12-year-old Morris "Mud" ...

'' and the TV film '' Beyond the Law''.

Critical reception

Upon release, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' listed the song as a recommended pop single and commented: "Top-five hit at album rock shows Rea's new label affiliation to be a smart career move. Straight-ahead, four-on-the-floor power rock could find a home at pop outlets as well." ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'' commented that the song "deserve hit status".The Philadelphia Inquirer - February 16, 1989 - page 84

Track listing

;7" single (US release) # "Working on It" – 3:47 # "

Loving You Again "Loving You Again" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, which was released in 1987 as the second single from his ninth studio album ''Dancing with Strangers''. The song was written and produced by Rea. "Loving You Again" reached No. 47 ...

" (Live Version) – 5:20 ;7" single (UK/European release) # "Working on It" – 4:24 # "One Golden Rule" – 4:29 ;7" single (Australian release) # "Working on It" – 4:24 # "Driving Home for Christmas" – 3:58 ;7" single (US promo) # "Working on It" – 3:47 # "Working on It" – 3:47 ;12" single (UK/European release) # "Working on It" (Extended Mix) – 5:55 # "One Golden Rule" – 4:29 ;Cassette single # "Working on It" (Edit) – 3:47 # "Loving You Again" (Live Version) – 5:20 ;CD single (German release) # "Working on It" – 4:25 # "Working on It" (Extended Mix) – 5:55 # "One Golden Rule" – 4:30 # "Stainsby Girls" – 4:07 ;CD single (US release) # "Working on It" (LP Version) - 4:24

Chart performance

Personnel

- vocals, instruments, producer *

- producer * Justin Shirley-Smith - engineer * Paul Lilly, Danny Hyde - mixing on "Loving You Again (Live Version)" * Chris Rea, David Richards - producers of "One Golden Rule" ;Other * Kav Deluxe - design (US sleeve) * Elizabeth Brady - illustration (US sleeve) * Greg Jakobek - illustration (UK/European sleeve)

References

{{Chris Rea 1988 songs 1989 singles Geffen Records singles Warner Records singles Songs written by Chris Rea Chris Rea songs