Wonderful Life ( Black song ) - wikipedia Wonderful Life ( Black song ) `` Wonderful Life '' Single by Black from the album Wonderful Life B - side `` Life Calls '' Released 1986 ( 1st release ) 1987 ( 2nd release ) Format 7 '' single 12 '' single cassette single Recorded Powerplant Studios, London, December 1985 Genre Pop Length 4 : 49 Label Ugly Man ( 1986 ) A&M ( 1987 ) Songwriter ( s ) Colin Vearncombe Producer ( s ) Dave Dix Black singles chronology `` More Than the Sun '' ( 1984 ) `` Wonderful Life '' ( 1986 ) `` Everything 's Coming Up Roses '' ( 1986 ) `` More Than the Sun '' ( 1984 ) `` Wonderful Life '' ( first release ) ( 1986 ) `` Everything 's Coming Up Roses '' ( 1986 ) `` Sweetest Smile '' ( 1987 ) Sweetest Smile1987 `` Wonderful Life '' ( second release ) ( 1987 ) Wonderful Life1987 `` I 'm Not Afraid '' ( 1987 ) I 'm Not Afraid1987 Not to be confused with Wonderful Life ( Hurts song ). `` Wonderful Life '' is a song by the English singer Black from his 1986 album of the same name. It was released twice as a single and was successful the second time, becoming a top ten hit in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy. Black, who wrote the song while broke, commented : `` I was really being ironic... Most people took it at face value. '' Contents 1 Single release 2 Reception 3 Music video 4 Formats and track listings 5 Charts and certifications 5.1 Weekly charts 5.2 Year - end charts 5.3 Certifications 5.4 Chart successions 6 Mathilde Santing version 6.1 Chart performance 7 Tina Cousins version 7.1 Chart performance 8 Other cover versions 9 Use in the media 10 References 11 External links Single release First released in 1986 by Ugly Man Records, it initially peaked at no. 72 on the UK Singles Chart. The band then decided to re-release the song with a new record company, A&M Records after the success of `` Sweetest Smile ''. The single then reached a higher peak of no. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1987. Reception The song was described by AllMusic as a `` seductive, bittersweet ballad ''. The Daily Telegraph said, `` Its oddly uplifting lyrics... combined with Black 's melancholy croon created, as one critic observed, ' luxuriantly melodic pop that sounds something like a male version of Sade '. '' Music video The music video was shot in black and white around the English seaside resort of Southport, Merseyside, as well as Wallasey near Black 's hometown of Liverpool, and features New Brighton Lighthouse and promenade. The video includes the Looping Star rollercoaster, a ride at Pleasureland at the time, as well as The Galleon fairground ride, the shrimping boat, local shops and residents. It was directed by Gerard De Thame, husband of television presenter Rachel De Thame, and won an award at the New York Film Festival in 1988. Formats and track listings 7 '' single `` Wonderful Life '' -- 4 : 49 `` Life Calls '' -- 3 : 51 12 '' maxi single `` Wonderful Life '' -- 4 : 49 `` Life Calls '' -- 3 : 51 `` Had Enough '' -- 4 : 58 `` All We Need Is the Money '' -- 4 : 23 Charts and certifications Weekly charts Chart ( 1986 ) Peak position UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 72 Chart ( 1987 -- 88 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 7 Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 6 Belgium ( VRT Top 30 Flanders ) 5 France ( SNEP ) Germany ( Official German Charts ) Ireland ( IRMA ) 7 Italy ( FIMI ) 9 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 7 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 10 Poland ( LP3 ) Spain ( AFYVE ) 7 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 8 Chart ( 1994 ) Peak position Ireland ( IRMA ) 30 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 42 Year - end charts Chart ( 1987 ) Position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 36 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 93 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 96 Chart ( 1988 ) Position Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 8 France ( SNEP ) 11 Italy ( FIMI ) 23 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales France ( SNEP ) Gold 502,000 Germany ( BVMI ) Gold 250,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Chart successions Preceded by `` Küss ' die Hand, schöne Frau '' by Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung Austrian number - one single 1 February 1988 ( 2 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Pop Goes the World '' by Men Without Hats Mathilde Santing version `` Wonderful Life '' Single by Mathilde Santing from the album To Others to One Released 5 March 1999 Format CD single Recorded 1998 Label Epic Songwriter ( s ) Colin Vearncombe Producer ( s ) John Tilly Mathilde Santing singles chronology `` Inspiratie '' ( 1997 ) `` Wonderful Life '' ( 1999 ) `` Come to Me '' ( 2005 ) `` Inspiratie '' ( 1997 ) `` Wonderful Life '' ( 1999 ) `` Come to Me '' ( 2005 ) Dutch singer Mathilde Santing recorded her own cover version of `` Wonderful Life '' on her 1999 album To Others to One. It was released as a maxi single and was used in a television advertisement for Interpolis, a Dutch insurance company. In addition to the album To Others to One, it is also on the albums 20 jaar hits 1981 -- 2001 ( Muziek 20 Daagse 2001 ) and 100 Love Songs ( 2008 ). Chart performance Chart ( 1999 ) Peak position Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 6 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 5 Tina Cousins version `` Wonderful Life '' Single by Tina Cousins from the album Mastermind Released 26 July 2005 Format CD single digital download Recorded 2005 Label Big Songwriter ( s ) Colin Vearncombe Producer ( s ) Louie Nicastro Tina Cousins singles chronology `` Hymn '' ( 2005 ) `` Wonderful Life '' ( 2005 ) `` Come to Me '' ( 2005 ) `` Hymn '' ( 2005 ) `` Wonderful Life '' ( 2005 ) `` Come to Me '' ( 2005 ) British singer Tina Cousins recorded a cover version of the song for her second studio album Mastermind. This version had moderate success, peaking at number 17 on the Australian Singles Chart and at number 58 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2005, a dance and a ballad of this cover version were used in the Australian miniseries `` The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant '' on Channel 10. Since 2007, both the dance and ballad versions of Tina Cousins ' cover of the song have been used at the Hoyts cinemas in Australia directly prior to the start of a movie. Now only the ballad version is used. In 2008, this song featured in an UN TV spot ad raising awareness of Human Trafficking. Chart performance Chart ( 2005 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA ) 17 Finland ( Suomen virallinen lista ) 17 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 58 Other cover versions Macedonian alternative rock band Arhangel recorded a version of the song for their 1993 album Arhangel 2. Serbian punk rock band KBO ! recorded a version of the song on their 2001 cover album ( Ne ) Menjajte Stanicu ( ( Do Not ) Change the Station ). Spanish singer Rosa López recorded a Spanish cover of the song entitled `` Bella Vida '' on her 2008 album Promesas. It was also released as the second single from the album. In 2009, German techno group Scooter sampled the song on their single `` The Sound Above My Hair ''. In 2011, Kim Wilde covered the song in the album Snapshots. The same year, the song featured on the Christmas album Funny Looking Angels by Smith & Burrows, a collaboration between Tom Smith ( Editors ) and Andy Burrows ( We Are Scientists and ex-Razorlight ). Slow Moving Millie covered the song on her album Renditions. Various other cover versions have been produced, by artists including Seeed, TJ Davis, Tony Hadley, Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters, Ace of Base, Lara Fabian ( 2004 A Wonderful Life album ), Myslovitz, Zucchero, Csézy, The Hoosiers, Julio Iglesias, Jr., Perturbazione, Rob de Nijs, Kirka, Saule, Perry Rose, Kate Ryan, and Stefan Gruenwald, Lokee & Pearl Andersson in 2016, after Colin 's death. A version by Katie Melua was originally included on the BBC Radio 2 's Sounds of the 80s compilation album, and was subsequently released as a single in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Children 's Hospital Charity. Use in the Media The song was also used in TV advertisements for Fleury Michon meat products in France in the 2000s, but was not sung by Black. In 2009 it was used by Emirates Airlines to promote air travel to Dubai. In 2015 it was covered by Katie Melua for Premier Inn 's £ 25 million TV advertising campaign. References Jump up ^ Leigh, Spencer ( 28 January 2016 ). `` Colin Vearncombe : Singer known as Black whose 1987 song Wonderful Life was a hit around the world ''. The Independent. Retrieved 22 June 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Black : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2013. Jump up ^ Ankeny, Jason. `` Black -- Artist Biography ''. AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 26 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Colin Vearncombe, singer - songwriter -- obituary ''. The Daily Telegraph. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016. Jump up ^ Brown, Andrew ( 10 July 2015 ). `` How many Southport landmarks can you see in 1987 hit Wonderful Life by Black ? ''. Southport Visiter. Retrieved 30 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Gerard de Thame Films ''. Gerarddethame.com. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 Australian Singles Chart -- Week ending 5th June, 1988 ''. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- Black -- Wonderful Life '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Black -- Wonderful Life '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Radio 2 Top 30 : 21 november 1988 '' ( in Dutch ). Top 30. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Black -- Wonderful Life '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Offiziellecharts.de -- Black -- Wonderful Life ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Wonderful Life ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 June 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` I singoli più venduti del 1988 '' ( in Italian ). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 5 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- Black - Wonderful Life search results '' ( in Dutch ) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Black -- Wonderful Life '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` WONDERFUL LIFE -- Black '' ( in Polish ). LP3. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ Salaverri, Fernando ( September 2005 ). Sólo éxitos : año a año, 1959 -- 2002 ( in Spanish ) ( 1st ed. ). Spain : Fundación Autor - SGAE. ISBN 84 - 8048 - 639 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Black -- Wonderful Life ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jaaroverzichten 1987 '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 - Jaaroverzicht van 1987 '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jaaroverzichten -- Single 1987 '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jahreshitparade 1988 '' ( in German ). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` TOP -- 1988 '' ( in French ). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` French single certifications -- Black -- Wonderful Life '' ( in French ). InfoDisc. Select BLACK and click OK Jump up ^ `` Les Singles en Or '' ( in French ). InfoDisc. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Gold - / Platin - Datenbank ( Black ; ' Wonderful Life ' ) '' ( in German ). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Jump up ^ `` Mathilde Santing Officiële Gambling ''. Mathildesanting.info. Retrieved 7 October 2008. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- Matilde Santing And The Oversoul 13 - Wonderful Life search results '' ( in Dutch ) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Matilde Santing & The Oversoul 13 -- Wonderful Life '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Australian-charts.com -- Tina Cousins -- Wonderful Life ''. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Tina Cousins : Wonderful Life '' ( in Finnish ). Musiikkituottajat -- IFPI Finland. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Tina Cousins : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Smith & Burrows ''. Archived from the original on 3 December 2011... Smithandburrows.co.uk. Jump up ^ nero ( 3 September 2015 ). `` Katie Melua -- Wonderful Life Single ''. Colinvearncombe.com. Retrieved 30 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Fleury Michon + Black '' ( in French ). Musiquedepub.tv. Retrieved 6 June 2014. Jump up ^ Emirates Wonderful Life Dubai on YouTube Jump up ^ Swift, James ( 1 September 2015 ). `` Katie Melua covers ' Wonderful Life ' for Premier Inn campaign ''. Campaign. Retrieved 14 April 2017. 1980s portal External links `` Wonderful Life '' -- lyrics Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics `` Wonderful Life '' page, with video, at wonderfullife.info Zucchero Fornaciari Studio albums Blue 's ( 1987 ) Oro Incenso & Birra ( 1989 ) Miserere ( 1992 ) Spirito DiVino ( 1995 ) Shake ( 2001 ) Fly ( 2006 ) Chocabeck ( 2010 ) Black Cat ( 2016 ) Compilation albums Zu & Co. ( 2004 ) All the Best ( 2007 ) Songs `` Baila morena '' `` Everybody 's Got to Learn Sometime '' `` Il Mare Calmo della Sera '' `` Senza una donna '' `` Wonderful Life '' Related articles Zu & Co live at the Royal Albert Hall - 6 May 2004 ( 2004 ) Related Discography Adelmo ei suoi Sorapis Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wonderful_Life_(Black_song)&oldid=801286130 '' Categories : 1980s ballads 1986 songs 1986 singles 1994 singles 1999 singles 2005 singles A&M Records singles Black ( singer ) songs Black - and - white music videos Number - one singles in Austria Number - one singles in Poland Pop ballads Zucchero Fornaciari songs Hidden categories : CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) CS1 Polish - language sources ( pl ) CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) EngvarB from April 2016 Use dmy dates from April 2016 Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for UKchartarchive Singlechart called without song Singlechart making named ref Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart called without artist Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UK Certification Table Entry usages for France Certification Table Entry usages for Germany All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012 Singlechart usages for Australia Singlechart usages for Finland Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Հայերեն Italiano Lietuvių Polski Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 18 September 2017, at 20 : 02. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sang it's a wonderful life song
Answer: Black