Perfect (Fairground Attraction song)
"Perfect" is the debut single by the English folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction, written by Mark E. Nevin. Released on 21 March 1988 by RCA, the single reached number one in the United Kingdom on 14 May 1988, where it stayed for one week. It also reached number one in Australia, Ireland, and South Africa. In the United States, the song peaked at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] "Perfect" won the award for British Single of the Year at the Brit Awards 1989.
Release[edit]
In the UK, "Perfect" was released as a 7-inch single, 12-inch single, and CD single. The song was included on the band's debut studio album, The First of a Million Kisses, released later the same year. A version of the song with a different vocalist was used in television advertising for the British supermarket chain Asda in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was re-released as a single in 1993 after it had reappeared on the compilation album Celtic Heart.
Critical reception[edit]
Tony Reed from Melody Maker wrote, "Acoustic folky rockabilly, and a brilliant, brilliant woman singing it. A minor triumph, to be sure, but for what it is — perfect."[3] Neil Taylor from NME said, "Pop seems to be the order of the day in this pile and this single is one of the best. Eddi Reader's confident, strident vocal sounds like a mish-mash of country and high glitz, but a strong backbeat pulls the record into the safety zone of rock."[4]