Blue Morning, Blue Day

"Blue Morning, Blue Day"
"Blue Morning, Blue Day"
Single by Foreigner
from the album Double Vision
B-side	"I Have Waited So Long"
Released	December 1978 (US); February 16, 1979 (UK)
Recorded	1978
Genre	Hard rock
Length	3:08
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Lou Gramm, Mick Jones
Producer(s)	Keith Olsen, Mick Jones, Ian McDonald
Foreigner singles chronology
Blue vinyl issue
	Limited edition release
Music video
	"Blue Morning, Blue Day" on YouTube

"Blue Morning, Blue Day" is a song written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones that was first released as the third single on Foreigner's second album, Double Vision, reaching #15 on the Hot 100, the band's sixth top 40 single in two years, and #45 in the U.K.^[2]^[3] The song was backed with the Mick Jones song "I Have Waited So Long". "Blue Morning, Blue Day" is also available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series and was released on clear blue vinyl.

Background

Gramm said about the song, "It talks about a young musician that's burning the candle at both ends. He has a lot on his mind, and walks the street at night."^[4] Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome described the theme as a "tale of a musician who’s caught in a mental trap of his own making, and is desperate to break out of his misery."^[5] Blue is used as a metaphor for misery. The color was later in a different context on Gramm's 1987 solo hit "Midnight Blue". Gramm also stated that the song "came about a little later in the sessions. It was a dark horse track and the mood of it was dark, but the story of the song was so cool that it ended up being the third single from the album. We still play it to this day, both my band and Mick and his band."^[6]

St. Joseph News-Press critic Conrad Bibens described the lyrics as being "straight-forward reflections on love," as with many of the songs on Double Vision and in this case expressing "amazement that [things are] going awry."^[7] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw describes the song as being about a "tangled relationship" reaching its breaking point and culminating with the singer telling his lover "Well, honey don't telephone / 'Cause I won't be alone / I need someone to make me feel better."^[8] Jones has rated it one of his 11 favorite Foreigner songs, stating that it "signified the slightly dark and tense atmosphere that [Jones] felt was a very important part of our directions."^[9] The Record critic Rick Atkinson claims that "Blue Morning, Blue Day" repeats the guitar and keyboard sound that made earlier Foreigner single "Cold as Ice" successful.^[10] Rolling Stone critic Ken Tucker praised Gramm's vocal performance as a "charming" "McCartney-like coo."^[11]

Reception

Billboard praised the "tasty guitar work," "punchy arrangement" and "strong vocals" on the song.^[12] Cash Box said that it has "majestic guitar lines, piano insistence and slapping drum beat," as well as "a rising guitar solo and solid lead and backing vocals" and maracas.^[13] Record World said that "Lou Gramm's vocals are penetrating."^[14] Pittsburgh Press critic Pete Bishop cited "Blue Morning, Blue Day" as representing what's good about Foreigner by "[blending] hearty rock, strong melody and arty touches."^[15]

Wardlaw rated "Blue Morning, Blue Day" as Foreigner's 9th greatest song.^[8] Dome rated it as Foreigner's 5th most underrated song, praising the "claustrophobic atmosphere, the "slowly swelling rhythms," and Jones' lead guitar playing.^[5] Stereo Review critic Joel Vance found it similar to the 1967 Lovin' Spoonful song "Six O'Clock.^[16]

Personnel

Lou Gramm – lead vocals
Mick Jones – lead guitar, backing vocals, acoustic piano
Ian McDonald – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Al Greenwood – keyboards
Ed Gagliardi – bass guitar, backing vocals
Dennis Elliott – drums

Additional musicians

Ian Lloyd – backing vocals

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1978–79)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Singles	21
UK^[3]	45
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[2]	15
U.S. Cashbox Top 100	19

Year-end charts

Chart (1979)	Rank
Canada^[17]	138
U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)^[18]	113

References

^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 74.
^ ^a ^b "Foreigner Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
^ ^a ^b "Foreigner singles". The Official Chart Company. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
^ "Lou Gramm : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.com. 2015-08-18. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
^ ^a ^b Dome, Malcolm. "The Top 10 Most Underrated Foreigner Songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
^ Woods, James (July 16, 2018). "Interview: Lou Gramm discusses Foreigner reunion at Sturgis to celebrate 40th anniversary of 'Double Vision'". AXS. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
^ Bibens, Conrad (July 8, 1978). "Foreigner's second not quite as good". St. Joseph News-Press. p. 12. Retrieved 2020-06-26 – via newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b Wardlaw, Matt. "Top 10 Foreigner Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
^ "Mick Jones' 11 Favourite Foreigner Songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. April 26, 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
^ Atkinson, Rick (July 23, 1978). "Cashing in on a musical formula". The Record. p. E-14. Retrieved 2020-06-26 – via newspapers.com.
^ Tucker, Ken (September 7, 1978). "Double Vision". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. December 16, 1978. p. 80. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 9, 1978. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 9, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
^ Bishop, Pete (October 17, 1979). "Foreigner Outstanding, but Audience Sparse". Pittsburgh Press. p. B-8. Retrieved 2022-06-21 – via newspapers.com.
^ Vance, Joel (October 1978). "Double Vision". Stereo Review. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.