Halcyon Evolution of It's A Fine Day

Back in the hey day and Golden Age of trance and house music in the late 1990's and early 2000's, tracks came out that often bridged both genres (or at least seemed to). ATB's 1999 remix of the original Miss Jane's "It's A Fine Day" is one such gem from that era (below).


As is often the case with musical genius and instant classics, such works immediately and/or eventually become synthesized into other formats and genres or otherwise altered and revised by other artists smitten with the potential of such musical gems to be given a creative new twist. Such is the case with "It's A Fine Day" for which Opus III came out with an earlier version several years before in 1992. Below is the Opus III version performed by the inimitable Kirsty Hawkshaw who is still big in the electronic dance music business lending her haunting vocals which have actually improved as she has aged.


However, our little story does not end there as the evolution of this particular piece took an interesting turn as not only did a good many other artists remix or otherwise come out with their own versions or interpretations of "It's A Fine Day" but Orbital took elements of the Opus III version and created the aural gem "Halcyon" whose video below is an ode to the mother of one of the band members whom suffered from addiction to the drug of the same name to which this song refers. Kirsty Hawkshaw does the vocals for this version and the Orbital re-remix further below and while playing the drug-addled mother in the video below.


The story doesn't end there as in a subsequent album, Orbital remixed the track and entitled it "Halcyon + On + On" which appears in the soundtrack of the 1995 movie Mortal Kombat and can be sampled below set to sumptuous scenes of nature. Note: I like this version better than the original as much as I like that, too.


But wait, there's more! There is the matter of that original 1983 Miss Jane (Jane Lancaster) a capella rendering of "It's A Fine Day" written by her boyfriend, English poet, artist, and musician Edward Barton which is found below.


By now you're thinking, "How can there be any more elements to this musical story?" Wrong-o! Since I originally posted this in January, 2013, few months later in May, Kirsty Hawkshaw got the inspiration to do an updated treatment of her version of the Opus III rendering of "It's A Fine Day" which can be viewed below.


Comprehensively updated 3/24/2017.