One Goodbye in Ten

"One Goodbye in Ten"
Single by Shara Nelson
from the album What Silence Knows
Released6 September 1993
Length4:09
LabelCooltempo
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Michael Peden
Shara Nelson singles chronology
"Down That Road"
(1993) 		"One Goodbye in Ten"
(1993) 		"Inside Out"
(1993)
Audio sample

"One Goodbye in Ten" is a song by British singer-songwriter Shara Nelson, released in September 1993 by Cooltempo Records as the second single from the singer's first solo album, What Silence Knows (1993). Written by her with British band Saint Etienne and produced by Michael Peden, the song received critical acclaim and peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. Additionally, it was a top-30 hit in Austria and a top-50 hit in the Netherlands.

Background

In an interview with Melody Maker, Nelson told about making the song, "I heard what they [Saint Etienne] did to "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and thought 'Oooh, that's interesting'. I liked the mood they created. I told them I wanted something on a Motown verge and they agreed and did some backing tracks. We got together in a room and that was it. The song came very quickly. The words suddenly popped into my head."[1]

Critical reception

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "Shara Nelson follows up July's No.19 hit 'Down That Road' with a song which is a vast improvement on its predecessor. 'One Goodbye in Ten' shows off her voice to dramatic effect, a ballad in the classic Motown sense, strings and all. If there was any justice this would be a massive hit. Sadly I fear most record buyers will be too insular to appreciate the brilliance of this track."[2] Everett True from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week, saying, "She sings like singing is the purest joy of all. 'One Goodbye in Ten' has one simple, wonderful trick. It sounds like two dozen other Sixties soul stormers, and that is an art not to be sneered at. It brings happiness to my table."[3]

John Harris from NME named it "Big Relief Single of the Week", stating that it "is full of unrequited love, secret glances, and tears on lonely pillows". He added that the song is "every bit as full of quality, profundity and wonder. This, in a rather cutting nutshell, is the best thing Stanley and Wiggs have ever been involved with."[4] Adam Higginbotham from Select praised it as "gorgeous" and "a dream-ticket Saint Etienne-style pastiche of top-form Bacharach & David '60s soul".[5] Gavin Reeve from Smash Hits gave it four out of five, writing, "Once again Shara takes us down that road to a time when singers could actually sing and musical instruments didn't go bleep. A real jeans commercial of a record that holds your hand and whispers "come on, you know you want to". Mellow with a capital mmm..."[6] Jonathan Bernstein from Spin remarked that Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs from Saint Etienne contribute on the single, describing it as "almost perky" with its "early-60s Doris Troy pop-soul stylings."[7]

Track listings

  • European CD single (7243 8 80913 2 9)
  1. One Goodbye in Ten (album mix) – 4:09
  2. One Goodbye in Ten (Simon Law mix) – 5:17
  3. One Goodbye in Ten (Funky Ginger club mix) – 6:54
  4. One Goodbye in Ten (Underdog mix) – 5:13
  • UK CD single (7243 8 80884 2 8)
  1. One Goodbye in Ten (album mix) – 4:09
  2. One Goodbye in Ten (Simon Law mix) – 5:17
  3. One Goodbye in Ten (Funky Ginger club mix) – 6:54
  4. One Goodbye in Ten (Original demo) – 5:13
  5. One Goodbye in Ten (Underdog mix) – 4:21

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 200
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 63
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 30
Germany (GfK)[11] 71
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[12] 14
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 49
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 21
UK Airplay (Music Week)[15] 20
UK Dance (Music Week)[16] 8
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[17] 25

References

  1. ^ "Nelson's Solemn". Melody Maker. 25 September 1993. p. 45. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  2. ^ Masterton, James (12 September 1993). "Week Ending September 18th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  3. ^ True, Everett (11 September 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 29. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  4. ^ Harris, John (11 September 1993). "Singles". NME. p. 23. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  5. ^ Higginbotham, Adam (October 1993). "New Albums". Select. p. 91. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  6. ^ Reeve, Gavin (1 September 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 53. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  7. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (July 1994). "Spins". Spin. p. 70. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 17 February 2016". Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via Imgur.
  9. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 41. 9 October 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Shara Nelson – One Goodbye in Ten" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  11. ^ "Shara Nelson – One Goodbye in Ten" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Shara Nelson – One Goodbye in Ten" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Shara Nelson – One Goodbye in Ten" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Shara Nelson: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  15. ^ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 9 October 1993. p. 34. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 18 September 1993. p. 26. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  17. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 11 September 1993. p. 4. Retrieved 10 May 2023.