"For Today" is a song by the New Zealand band Netherworld Dancing Toys, released through Virgin Records in 1985 as the lead single from their debut studio album Painted Years.[2][3] It reached No. 3 in the Official New Zealand Music Chart,[4][5] won Single of the Year at the New Zealand Music Awards,[1] and has since become regarded as a "Kiwi classic."[2][5][6]
| "For Today" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Netherworld Dancing Toys | ||||
| from the album Painted Years | ||||
| B-side | "Old Friends" | |||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Studio | Marmalade (Wellington) | |||
| Genre | Pop[1] | |||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Nigel Stone | |||
| Netherworld Dancing Toys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and development
editThe majority of "For Today" was written by band member Nick Sampson while he was living with his grandmother in Waitara in late 1984 and early 1985, working an annual summer job at a freezing works.[1][2] Fellow band member Malcolm Black rewrote a verse after Sampson presented his composition to the rest of the Netherworld Dancing Toys.[1] As with the rest of Painted Years, the song was produced by Nigel Stone and recorded at Marmalade Studios in Wellington.[3]
The guest vocals of Annie Crummer became a particularly well-known part of the track and made the then 19-year-old a New Zealand household name.[7] The singer has since commented on the unexpected power of her vocal performance, saying "something just erupted in [her]" and that she "just opened [her] mouth and this demon came out."[2][7] Brass duo The Newton Hoons (consisting of saxophonist Chris Green and trumpeter Mike Russell) and backing vocalist Kim Willoughby (who would later perform with Crummer in When the Cat's Away) also feature on the track.[2][3] Willoughby and Crummer are furthermore present in the song's music video, set in a recording studio and on a Cook Strait ferry, alongside the Netherworld Dancing Toys.[2][7]
Track listing
edit7-inch single
- "For Today" (edit) – 4:00
- "Old Friends" – 4:10
12-inch single
- "For Today" – 5:12
- "Old Friends" – 4:10
- "For Today" (edit) – 4:00
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[4] | 3 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1985) | Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] | 32 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Winder, Virginia (9 January 2004). "Netherworld Dancing Toys: Remembering the Best Years". Te Rangi Aoao Nunui. Puke Ariki. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "For Today". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Brown, Russell (1 July 1985). "Getting It Right: Netherworld Dancing Toys". Rip It Up. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Netherworld Dancing Toys – For Today". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b Winder, Virginia (9 January 2004). "Nick Sampson: Songs and The Toys". Te Rangi Aoao Nunui. Puke Ariki. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Meakin, Victoria (7 October 2024). "R.E.S.P.E.C.T - Annie Crummer channels the divas". The Press. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "Twelve Questions: Annie Crummer". NZ Herald. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Annual Top 50 Singles (1985)". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 8 November 2024.