"Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure. It originally appeared on the soundtrack to the documentary film Wigstock: the Movie, as "Cold Summer's Day". The duo re-recorded it for their seventh studio album, Erasure (1995), with new lyrics. Composed by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, it is an uptempo dance track. The album version is over six minutes long; the single edit removes an extended instrumental section between the second and third choruses.
| "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" | ||||
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| Single by Erasure | ||||
| from the album Erasure | ||||
| B-side | "Hi NRG" | |||
| Released | 27 November 1995[1] | |||
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| "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" on YouTube | ||||
The song was released as the second single from the album by Mute Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the United States. The track subsequently became Erasure's 22nd consecutive top-20 hit on the UK Singles Chart. In Germany, it stalled at number 69, while in the United States, it was a hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, peaking at number 10. The single's B-side is a cover version of "High Energy" (retitled "Hi NRG") by American singer Evelyn Thomas.
Critical reception
editPaul Gorman from Music Week wrote, "Initially harking back to a more familiar ground, Clarke and Bell deliver a higly [sic?] hummable four-on-the-floor putdown which transmutes into an epic of scorn."[2] Robert. I. Doerschuk from Musician felt the chorus of 'Fingers & Thumbs' "could have worked well with a Hooked On Four Tops arrangement of 'It's the Same Old Song'."[3] Ben Willmott from NME said the song is "the same old dreary Erasure with Eurovision drums and hooks as blunt as Frank Bruno's sense of humour, with a few spacy bits."[4]
Music video
editA music video was produced to accompany the single, featuring Bell singing the song as he walks through an amusement park. The actual filming was done in the London Docklands.[5]
Track listings
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Charts
edit| Chart (1995–1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[6] | 17 |
| Croatia (HRT)[7] | 22 |
| Germany (GfK)[8] | 69 |
| Scotland (OCC)[9] | 23 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 20 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[11] | 10 |
| US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[12] | 27 |
References
edit- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 25 November 1995. p. 39.
- ^ Gorman, Paul (30 September 1995). "Erasure – Duo Moves in a New Direction" (PDF). Music Week. p. 12. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ Doerschuk, Robert. I. (January 1996). "Et Cetera" (PDF). Musician. p. 94. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Willmott, Ben (25 November 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 40. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Erasure Information Service :: Features :: Private Ear". 8 April 2007. Archived from the original on 8 April 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2866." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Varaždin, Trg kralja Tomislava 2". Varaždinske vijesti (in Croatian) (22): 18. 10 April 1996. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Erasure – Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Erasure Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Erasure Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
External links
edit- "Being an extra for the Fingers and Thumbs video", "Erasure Information Service". Retrieved 20 June 2007.