Goodbye Mr A
"Goodbye Mr A" is the second single by English pop rock band the Hoosiers, from their debut album, The Trick to Life (2007). The song is written in the key of B major and was created in memory of frontman Irwin Sparkes' secondary school English teacher, Jonathan "Mr A" Anderton, after Sparkes heard of Anderton's death in 2006. It has been noted for its similarities to Electric Light Orchestra's single "Mr. Blue Sky".[1] Released on 8 October 2007, the song gave the band their second UK top-five single, entering the UK Singles Chart at No. 5 on 14 October 2007 and climbing to its peak of No. 4 the following week.
"Goodbye Mr A" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by the Hoosiers | ||||
from the album The Trick to Life | ||||
Released | 8 October 2007 | |||
Genre | Pop rock, indie pop | |||
Length | 4:27 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Producer(s) | Toby Smith | |||
The Hoosiers singles chronology | ||||
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Music video
The music video to "Goodbye Mr A" is reminiscent of superhero comics and popular culture, such as the 1960s Batman television series. In the video, the Hoosiers kidnap Mr A, a comic-book character and the world's greatest superhero. They then take his place fighting crime as incompetent anti-heroes. Despite being fired into space at the end, Mr A. survives and opens his eyes; this is a reference to the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
"Goodbye Mr A" is included in the soundtrack for the football video game FIFA 08, and the game can also be seen in the "Goodbye Mr A" music video. Lead singer Irwin Sparkes, who is from Reading, Berkshire, is playing as Reading F.C. against Manchester United. The song also appears in a trailer for the American film Juno.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Goodbye Mr A" (radio edit) | The Hoosiers | Toby Smith | 3:48 |
2. | "Worried About Ray" (live on Virgin Radio) | Alan Gordon, Garry Bonner, Irwin Sparkes, Alan Sharland, Martin Skarendahl | Smith | 4:29 |
Charts
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Gold | 400,000 |
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Use in other media
On 28 September 2007, the Hoosiers performed "Goodbye Mr A" on GMTV's Entertainment Today segment. The song is part of the soundtrack for the video game FIFA 08.[10] It was also used in the 18 March 2009 episode of Waterloo Road. This song was featured in the Halfords "Easter Getaway" advertisement. The instrumental for this song has also been used in the second teaser trailer for Toy Story 3, which was released on 11 October 2009. It also appeared in the film Juno. In 2010, it was used as the opening theme for the CBBC show, Hounded.
References
- The Hoosiers: 'Goodbye Mr A'
- Goodbye Mr A (UK CD single liner notes). The Hoosiers. RCA Records. 2007. 88697156892.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Hits of the World – Euorocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 119 no. 44. 3 November 2007. p. 69. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Goodbye Mr A". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- "The Official UK Singles Chart 2008" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- "British single certifications – Hoosiers – Goodbye Mr A". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- Barker, Anthony (18 November 2007). "EA Announce FIFA 08 Track List". Console Monster. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2007.