B-side "Special Kind of Love" Format 7" single Length 3:46 | Released 1980 Genre Funk Label Echo | |
"The Only Way Is Up" is a song written by George Jackson and Johnny Henderson and originally released in 1980 as a single by soul singer Otis Clay. In 1988, it became a chart-topping single for Yazz and the Plastic Population. The song is the official theme tune for award-winning ITV2 series The Only Way Is Essex. The song was a favourite of M People's, who would frequently play it on their live tours. The band's lead singer, Heather Small, has described it as her favourite song, and once explained that, should she ever be anywhere, this is the song that she would sing.
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Otis Clay version
The song was first recorded by Otis Clay and released as a single on the Echo label in 1980. Though not a hit at the time, the song became the title track of Clay's 1982 LP, The Only Way Is Up.
Yazz version
The Yazz version was produced by Jonathan More and Matt Black (better known as dance duo Coldcut, who had worked with Yazz on their hit single "Doctorin' the House"). Released as a single in July 1988, "The Only Way Is Up" became an instant smash, spending five weeks at #1 in the UK, and ultimately became the second biggest selling single of the year. In the United States, however, it fared less well, peaking at #96 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it did reach #2 on the Billboard dance chart.
The song's opening horn blast is a sample from Sharon Redd's 1982 dance classic "Beat the Street". The opening lyrics of the song tell of the degradation of being at the bottom of the social class ladder. They are soon followed by a reference to the threat of eviction. The song is in B major and has quite an up-beat rhythm.
A 2009 remix was released in the UK on 7 September 2009.
Formats and track listings
- "The Only Way Is Up" — 4:02
- "Bad House Music" — 4:28
- "The Only Way Is Up" — 6:44
- "Bad House Music" — 7:07
- "The Only Way Is Up" (UK extended club mix) — 6:45
- "The Only Way Is Up" (the up up up mix) — 7:01
- "The Only Way Is Up" (acid dub) — 5:50
- "The Only Way Is Up" (7" edit) — 4:02
- "The Only Way Is Up" (12" version) — 6:48
- "The Only Way Is Up" (speng) — 6:01
- "Bad House Music" — 3:00
- "The Only Way Is Up" (the Bam Bam remix) — 7:24
- "The Only Way Is Up" (the up up up mix) — 7:24
- "Bad House Music" — 4:28