Daylight (Bobby Womack song)

"Daylight" is a R&B song recorded by American recording artist Bobby Womack for his 1975 album Safety Zone. Written by Womack with lyricist Harold Payne, it was issued as a single and reached #5 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart in the spring of 1976.

"Daylight"
Single by Bobby Womack
from the album Safety Zone
B-sideTrust Me (7")
ReleasedJanuary 1976 (7")
Recorded1975
StudioWally Heider Recording Studios
Genre
Length
  • 3:15 (7")
  • 3:29 (12")
LabelUnited Artists
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)David Rubinson
Bobby Womack singles chronology
"It's All Over Now"
(1975)		 "Daylight"
(1976)		 "Where There's a Will, There's a Way"
(1976)

Background

Harold Payne would recall that his brother Larry Payne met up with Womack when the latter was in San Francisco to record the Safety Zone album: Larry Payne ran the pop culture magazine Where It's At which had recently profiled Womack who was resultantly receptive when Larry Payne recommended the singer meet with Larry Payne's aspiring songwriter brother Harold Payne. After receiving a call from Larry Payne, Harold Payne flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco and met with Womack at the Wally Heider Recording Studios where after hashing over musical ideas with Harold Payne, Womack devised a rhythm track: Harold Payne then completed the lyric for "Daylight" at his home in Los Angeles which he describes as "a notorious party house" - "the lyric took on the story of what went on at the house and it meshed well with what Bobby had in mind."[1] Produced by David Rubinson - with Wah Wah Watson as associate producer - "Daylight" featured background vocals by the Pointer Sisters. "Daylight" inaugurated a long songwriting collaboration between Bobby Womack and Harold Payne which extended to Womack's final album: The Bravest Man in the Universe (2012).

Charts
Chart (1976) Peak
position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[2] 5

Kelly Rowland version
"Daylight"
Single by Kelly Rowland featuring Travis McCoy
from the album Ms. Kelly (Deluxe Edition) and Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe
ReleasedMarch 4, 2008
RecordedOctober 2007
StudioLondon, England;
Fresh Kills
(New York City, New York)
Genre
Length3:33
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)S*A*M & Sluggo
Kelly Rowland singles chronology
"Work"
(2008)		 "Daylight"
(2008)		 "No Future in the Past"
(2008)
Travis McCoy singles chronology
"Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)"
(2006)		 "Daylight"
(2008)		 "Coconut Juice"
(2008)

Recording

In 2007, the song was re-recorded by American recording artist Kelly Rowland along with a rap by Travis McCoy, front man of the indie hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes, for the soundtrack of French comedy film Asterix at the Olympic Games. Produced by S*A*M & Sluggo, it was released as the lead single from Rowland's re-release album Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe, with a release date of March 2008 for the United States, May 2008 for the United Kingdom and August 1 for German-speaking Europe.[3] It reached the top-twenty of the UK Singles Chart.

Rowland recorded "Daylight" circa October 2007 in London, while she was in the United Kingdom promoting the release of Ms. Kelly. Although she "had a great time recording it,"[4] Rowland has stated that she felt actually nervous about meeting with Travis McCoy in the studio: "When we got into the studio it was just magic together and I'm happy that it was because you always wonder how a collaboration is going to come out," she said,[5] noting the song her favorite addition to Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe. Stating her reasons for choosing to work with Travis, she told noted British R&B songwriter Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul: "I love the fact that Gym Class Heroes' music and sound is something different and eclectic. I figured me and Travis together would be an unusual type a duo. And I'm really happy I trusted my instincts. Because it turned out to be a really cool, different type of collaboration. To me Travis is like a rapper-slash-poet-slash-rocker, and our combination really worked!"[6] Actually recorded for the soundtrack for Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008), Rowland was so satisfied with the track, she wanted to include on the Diva Deluxe re-release and release it as a single as well: "I love doing collaborations – it's always good to do something that's out the box."[7]

Music video

The video for "Daylight" was filmed in November 2007, and was directed by Jeremy Rall and produced by Gina Leonard for Siblings Inc. It was shot in New York City, New York, just ten blocks from the Empire State Building.

The video shows Rowland among a bunch of people in a party inside an apartment building alongside Travis McCoy. The video begins at 5:00 AM while the party is still in full swing; when the sun begins to rise and shines through the windows, the party-goers move up to the roof of the building to continue the party. About shooting, Rowland said: "Shooting the music video for the song was hilarious, with Travis especially. He looked so funny and cute when he was riding a weird modified-bicycle in the middle of the bustling city."[4] The other members of Gym Class Heroes make cameos in the video.

A seven-second snippet of the video premiered on NBC's Clash of the Choirs. The full video finally premiered on Vivement Dimanche in France on January 6, 2008 including clips from the Asterix film. Stateside, the video premiered on MySpace on January 17, excluding the Asterix clips; the same day it also premiered on BET's 106 & Park as the 'New Joint' of the day. In the United Kingdom, the "Daylight" video premiered on music channel Bubble Hits on March 19, 2008.

Commercial performance

"Daylight" charted at number thirty-six in the United Kingdom-based on download sales. Upon its physical release of "Daylight" on May 5, 2008, the song climbed over twenty-two places to number fourteen, the largest climber within the UK Singles Chart top-forty that week. "Daylight" became Rowland's eighth consecutive top-twenty hit there, although it was not as successful as the first two singles from Ms. Kelly, "Like This" and "Work", both of which peaked inside the top-five.

Formats and track listings
US digital single
  1. "Daylight" (Album Version) – 3:34
US digital remix EP
  1. "Daylight" (Hex Hector remix) – 8:30
  2. "Daylight" (Maurice Joshua Nu Soul remix) – 5:27
  3. "Daylight" (Karmatronic remix) – 6:58
  4. "Daylight" (Loze Daze remix) – 6:11
  5. "Daylight" (Dan McKie Nightlight dub mix) – 5:41
UK CD single
  1. "Daylight" (Album Version) – 3:33
  2. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Radio Edit – with Rap) – 3:29
UK Promo CD
  1. "Daylight" (Album Version) – 3:33
  2. "Daylight" (No Rap Version) – 3:30
UK Remix Promo CD
  1. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Club Mix)
  2. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Radio Edit – with Rap) – 3:29
  3. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Radio Edit)
  4. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Rodox Dub)
  5. "Daylight" (Joey Negro Urban Mix)
  6. "Daylight" (Karmatronic Club Mix) – 6:59
  7. "Daylight" (Original Version) – 3:33

Charts
Chart (2008) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 43
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[9] 44
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 43
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[11] 41
Scotland (OCC)[12] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 14
UK R&B (OCC)[14] 5
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[15] 4

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States March 4, 2008
[16]
United Kingdom May 5, 2008
Sony BMG [3]
Austria August 1, 2008 [17]
Germany
Switzerland

Other versions

"Daylight" was recorded by Vicki Sue Robinson for her self-titled 1976 album release from which it was issued as lead single reaching #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 (#91 R&B). The song has also been recorded by Leon Russell and Mary Russell (album Wedding Album - the track was produced by Bobby Womack), and also by Black Slate (album Midnight/ 2013). Candy Dulfer performs the song with Chance Howard (vocals) during her concerts when the two are together. In 2018 the Fun Lovin' Criminals released their own version, which differs very much from the original, such as new lyrics.

References
  1. "Harold Payne - The Story behind "Daylight"". YouTube. 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  2. "Bobby Womack Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  3. "New Single Daylight feat. Travis from Gym Class Heroes- out 5th May". KellyRowland.Bebo.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
  4. "Interview: "Kelly Rowland's All About Action"". TeenMusic. Archived from the original on 2008-03-25. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  5. "Interview: "Interview: Kelly Rowland Goes Deluxe"". TeenMusic. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  6. "Kelly Rolland: Fulfilling Her Destiny". Bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
  7. "Interview". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
  8. "Australian-charts.com – Kelly Rowland feat. Travis McCoy – Daylight". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  9. "European Hot 100 Singles (2008-05-24)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  10. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Kelly Rowland". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  11. "Kelly Rowland Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  12. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  13. "Kelly Rowland feat. Travis McCoy: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  14. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  15. "Kelly Rowland Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  16. "Grammy Winning R&B/Pop Superstar Kelly Rowland Kicks It New School with the Release of Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe". EarthTimes.org. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  17. "Release.beat.preview". Musicbeat.de. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
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