28 November 1997
There wasn’t a Band Aid in the ’90s but this was the closest thing. It was for a worthy cause too: the BBC Children in Need appeal, although it was originally conceived and broadcast as a public service announcement for the BBC licence fee. So, despite its Irish contingent, Ireland’s 1997 Christmas number one was, after ‘Candle In The Wind’, another very British affair. However, since the green-jersey options that Christmas were Dustin and Boyzone—the latter appearing in the ‘Perfect Day’ video aptly dressed in bin-bags—I’m sure even Dev and Michael Collins would forgive us.
As with Band Aid, a lot of the enjoyment here is identifying the famous face and voice from the Panini-sticker line-up. Helpfully, it’s a lovely song to begin with, one that’s hard to get wrong: I even like Duran Duran’s version on their no-no-notorious 1995 covers album Thank You. Also, it’s unquestionably a good thing that this record has the likes of Emmylou Harris, Burning Spear, Robert Cray, Evan Dando (the only other person here besides Lou Reed to have previously recorded ‘Perfect Day’) and Joan Armatrading appearing on a number one single and getting some deserved mainstream attention. Emmylou’s lonesome prairie swoop and Brett Anderson’s sinister grumble are real highlights. Even Bono, along with Skye from Morcheeba the only Band Aid-er on ‘Perfect Day’, reins it in and is tolerable; he doesn’t make a Bono’s Line of it. On the downside, there’s the awful coda of Heather Small and Tom Jones hurling radioactive turds of you’re-gonna-reap-just-what-you-sow at each other. Shane MacGowan looks like he hasn’t a clue what’s going on; it smells like a cheap gag at his expense. Huey Morgan is a creep.
Seven weeks at number one in Ireland, compared to only three in the UK, was probably us doing the dog on ‘Perfect Day’. Still, it was a refreshing diversion, with plenty to like about it. We probably got off lucky that we didn’t then try to do one ourselves in Ireland.
Irish Number Ones 