Nobody's Diary

"Nobody's Diary"
Single by Yazoo
from the album You and Me Both
B-side "State Farm"
Released 9 May 1983
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1983
Genre Synthpop
Length 4:31
Label Mute (UK)
Sire (U.S.)
Writer(s) Alison Moyet
Producer(s) Daniel Miller
Yazoo
Yazoo singles chronology
"The Other Side of Love"
(1982)
"Nobody's Diary"
(1983)
"Situation 1990"
(1990)
U.S. 12" vinyl cover

"Nobody's Diary" is a song recorded by British synthpop band Yazoo. It was released in May 1983 as the first and only single from their second and last album, You and Me Both. The song was written by Yazoo vocalist Alison Moyet and produced by the band and Eric Radcliffe.

The 12-inch single was released with different B-sides in the UK and U.S. Mute Records released the song in the UK with "Situation" on the flip side. "Situation" appears on the U.S. version of the band's previous album Upstairs at Eric's (although it was added to the UK track list in later pressings). The single peaked at number three in the UK Singles Chart.

Sire Records released "Nobody's Diary" in the United States with You and Me Both album track "State Farm" as a double A-side. "State Farm" was not included on the UK version of You and Me Both. The double A-side hit number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart in July 1983.[1]

Production

The song was written by Alison Moyet, and produced by Daniel Miller and the group at Eric Radcliffe's Blackwing Studios.[2] The song was mastered at Townhouse Studios.[2]

The song has a tempo of 129 beats per minute.[3]

Cover art

The single's cover—designed by Steven Appleby with the sleeve produced by Acrobat Design—depicts a "rather hip young man in a bathtub [who] seems to have forgotten to turn off the water, so intent is he on his private thoughts."[4]

Reception

In 1985, the 12" single version was described by The Absolute Sound as "[typifying] all the neat features of 12 inch 45 rpm. The sound is glorious. [The song] is quite wonderful. The musical textures are fascinating. The sound is open, and the soundstage is huge. The bass is tight."[4] In CMJ's 1999 New Music Report (coinciding with the release of the group's greatest hits compilation), "Nobody's Diary" was described as "[a] poignant offering, rife with emotional fervor that remains fresh and undated despite the limiting musical technology of the time."[5]

Track listing

UK 7-inch vinyl (Mute YAZ 003)
  1. "Nobody's Diary" (3:58)
  2. "State Farm" (3:34)
UK 12-inch vinyl (Mute 12 YAZ 003)
  1. "Nobody's Diary" (6:07)
  2. "State Farm" (6:37)
UK 12-inch vinyl limited edition (Mute L12 YAZ 003)
  1. "Nobody's Diary" (4:30)
  2. "Situation" (Re-Recorded Remix) (7:30)
U.S. 12-inch vinyl (Sire 0-20121)
  1. "Nobody's Diary" (6:07)
  2. "State Farm" (6:37)

Nobody's Diary EP

Nobody's Diary
EP by Yazoo
Released 12 May 2008
Recorded 1983
Genre Synthpop
Label Mute
Producer Eric Radcliffe
Yazoo
Yazoo chronology
Situation (remix)
(1999)
Nobody's Diary
(2008)
Reconnected EP
(2008)

"Nobody's Diary" was remastered as part of the 2008 In Your Room Yazoo box set and released as a separate EP to promote it.[6] The 2008 release featured a slew of new remixes, including one by Vince Clarke's current Erasure partner Andy Bell.[7]

"Nobody's Diary" was reissued by Mute Records in the UK on 12 May 2008. It is available in 12" vinyl and digital download formats. An exclusive remix of the song is available online directly through Mute's online shop.

Track listing

UK 12-inch vinyl EP (Mute 12YAZ7)
  1. "Nobody's Diary" (Andy Bell & JC Remix)
  2. "Nobody's Diary" (Original Remaster)
  3. "Nobody's Diary" (Koishii & Hush Remix)
UK digital download
  1. "Nobody's Diary" (Original Remaster)
  2. "Nobody's Diary" (Andy Bell & JC Remix)
  3. "Nobody's Diary" (Koishii & Hush Remix)
  4. "Nobody's Diary" (GRN's 12" Remix)
  5. "Nobody's Diary" (Soil in the Synth Remix)

Chart performance

Chart (1983) Peak
position
scope="row" Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 20
scope="row" Germany (Official German Charts)[9] 18
scope="row" New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 14
Spain (AFYVE)[11] 10
scope="row" Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[12] 9
scope="row" UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13] 3
scope="row" US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[14] 1
Chart (2008) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[15] 100

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] Silver 250,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 285.
  2. 1 2 "Yazoo – Nobody's Diary". Discogs. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  3. Brusca, Donald (2005). The Bpm List: A Music Reference Guide For Mobile Djs. Lulu. p. 674. ISBN 1411642112.
  4. 1 2 Absolute Sound (1985). The Absolute Sound. 9 (35-36): 149 https://books.google.com/books?id=3yU9AQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 14 September 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. CMJ (8 February 1999). New Music Report: 27 https://books.google.com/books?id=9uYwm-dwInwC. Retrieved 14 September 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. Yazoo official site
  7. Mute Bank / Official Mute website
  8. "Ultratop.be – Yazoo – Nobody's Diary" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  9. "Musicline.de – Yazoo Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  10. "Charts.org.nz – Yazoo – Nobody's Diary". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  11. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  12. "Swedishcharts.com – Yazoo – Nobody's Diary". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  13. "Archive Chart: 1983-06-11" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  14. "Yaz – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Yaz. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  15. Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: Rachael Yamagata – Malik Yusef". zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  16. "British single certifications – Yazoo – Nobody's Diary". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 August 2014. Enter Nobody's Diary in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
Preceded by
"I.O.U." by Freeez
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
(with "State Farm")

30 July 1983
Succeeded by
"Do It Again Medley with Billie Jean" by Slingshot
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