Song of the Day 8/28: Al Green, “Perfect Day”

Soul legend Al Green hasn’t released an LP since 2008 or a single since 2018, so he got a lot of attention last week when he dropped a cover of the Lou Reed classic “Perfect Day.” At 77, he’s still got a fine instrument, even if he reaches for fewer high notes than you might wish for.

“Perfect Day” appeared on Reed’s 1972 breakthrough album, “Transformer.” Producer David Bowie played keyboards while Mick Ronson provided piano and the string arrangement. It got some attention as the B-side to “Walk on the Wild Side,” and a rumor developed that the lyrics were actually about Lou’s relationship with heroin and not his then-fiancee Bettye Kronstad. That led to its use in the acclaimed 1996 film “Trainspotting” and a long afterlife in commercials and soundtracks.

As for the rumor, in a 2000 radio interview Reed said, “”No. You’re talking to the writer, the person who wrote it. No that’s not true. I don’t object to that, particularly…whatever you think is perfect. But this guy’s vision of a perfect day was the girl, sangria in the park, and then you go home; a perfect day, real simple. I meant just what I said.”

In 1997 the BBC decided to use “Perfect Day” in a self-promotion campaign, recruiting musicians from various genres to share the vocals and orchestral accompaniment. Public demand prompted its release as a single, and it promptly reached No. 1, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for the BBC’s charity Children in Need. It’s never been released in digital form, so don’t look for it on Spotify. This version helpfully identifies the artists.