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"That Was Then but This Is Now" is a song by English band ABC. It was released in October 1983 as the lead single from their second studio album, Beauty Stab. It was the band's third entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 89.

This article is about the ABC song. For other uses with similar names, see That Was Then This Is Now (disambiguation).

"That Was Then but This Is Now"
Single by ABC
from the album Beauty Stab
B-side"Vertigo"
ReleasedOctober 1983
Recorded1983
GenrePop rock
Length3:33
Label
  • Mercury
  • Neutron
  • Phonogram
  • Vertigo
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
ABC singles chronology
"All of My Heart"
(1982)		 "That Was Then but This Is Now"
(1983)		 "S.O.S."
(1984)
Music video
"That Was Then but This Is Now" on YouTube

Music video


The music video shows them playing on a stage behind a huge Risk-style world map gameboard; scenes of the band playing, accompanied by various flags, are interspersed with scenes of a helicopter taking off and then exploding.


Criticism


The song features the heavily criticised lyric, "Can't complain, mustn't grumble, help yourself to another piece of apple crumble." Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera censured the line, feeling that it embodied all that was wrong with 1980s pop music. It has frequently appeared in "worst lyrics" poll results, and was voted the worst line ever in a 2007 BBC 6 Music survey. Critic and Saint Etienne co-founder Bob Stanley allowed, "It had perhaps been meant as a joke - it was followed by a cheesy sax break."[1]


Track listing


  1. "That Was Then but This Is Now" – 3:33
  2. "Vertigo" – 1:53

Chart performance


Chart Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 63
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 26
Ireland (IRMA)[3] 13
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[4] 38
UK Singles Chart[5] 18
US Billboard Hot 100 89

References


  1. Stanley, Bob (7 March 2008). "How to lose 3 million fans in one easy step". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 10. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – That Was Then but This Is Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  4. "Nederlandse Top 40 – ABC - That Was Then but This Is Now" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 11. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.


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