Perfect Moment

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"Perfect Moment"
Song by Edyta Górniak
from the album Edyta Górniak
Released7 November 1997
LabelEMI Music
Songwriter(s)
  • Jim Marr
  • Wendy Page
Producer(s)Christopher Neil

"Perfect Moment" is a song originally by Polish singer Edyta Górniak from her first international album, Edyta Górniak (1997). It was written by Jim Marr and Wendy Page and produced by Christopher Neil. A cover by British singer and actress Martine McCutcheon reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1999.

Martine McCutcheon version[edit]

"Perfect Moment"
Single by Martine McCutcheon
from the album You Me & Us
Released5 April 1999 (1999-04-05)
GenrePop
Length3:49
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)
  • Jim Marr
  • Wendy Page
Producer(s)Tony Moran
Martine McCutcheon singles chronology
"Perfect Moment"
(1999) 		"I've Got You"
(1999)

English actress Martine McCutcheon covered "Perfect Moment" and released it as her debut single on 5 April 1999.[1] Her version reached number one on the UK Singles Chart that same month,[2] launching her music career after her leaving BBC soap EastEnders,[3] in which she played the character Tiffany Mitchell from 1995 to 1999. Over 12 million viewers tuned in to watch the final scenes of her tragic death after being hit by a car.[3] The song also reached number three in Ireland and peaked at number 10 on the Eurochart Hot 100.[4][5] It was included on her debut album, You Me & Us (1999). The music video for the song was filmed in New York City.[6]

Critical reception[edit]

AllMusic editor John Lucas placed McCutcheon alongside her idols Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion. He stated that "her voice soars on the chart-topping power ballad".[7] Nigel Williamson from Billboard noted it as a "sweeping ballad in the style of Celine Dion".[8] Can't Stop the Pop described it as an "orchestral, sweeping ballad" and a "real showcase for her flexibility as a pop vocalist. The first verse and chorus are strikingly ethereal; there’s a calm serenity as the song shimmers and throbs alongside the gentle, warm vocals. If there was any part of Tiffany Mitchell in the song, then this is where she wakes up at the pearly gates of heaven."[9] Tom Ewing from Freaky Trigger noted that the song "starts with a gentle, gauzy arrangement that suggests some kind of celestial waiting room." He added it as "unashamedly, open-heartedly sentimental".[10]

Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian called it "a titanic belter of a ballad", noting the "diva's vibrato".[6] Liverpool Echo said "Perfect Moment" is "one of those soaring, Streisand-like ballads that no one admits to liking but mysteriously sells hundreds of thousands of copies."[11] A reviewer from NME described it as "total rapture".[12] Sunday Mirror commented, "Bound to be a huge hit. Sounds a bit like a breathy Kylie. Which is no bad thing."[13] Sunday Mercury noted, "It's surprising that Martine McCutcheon should release a ballad as her first single, rather than a catchy pop hit. But what's even more surprising is how good it is." They added, "It's a soulful number, sung with feeling by someone blessed with a superb voice. It's a slow burner, but it wasn't long before I was humming it to myself." They also concluded, "Goodbye Albert Square, hello Top of the Pops and a number one hit."[14]

Music video[edit]

The music video for "Perfect Moment" begins with McCutcheon standing in front of a microphone, in a room overlooking a New York City street. Sometimes she also sits against the wall or lies on a sofa while she sings. Occasionally there are black-and-white clips of McCutcheon at different sites in the city. More than halfway through the video, the singer is seen standing on a roof, singing to the microphone, overlooking the city. As the video nears its end, McCutcheon lies on the couch again, singing the last lines of the song.[15]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Platinum 638,000[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 5 April, 1999: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 3 April 1999. p. 23. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Ex-EastEnders star's perfect moment". BBC News. 11 April 1999. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Perfect Moment". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 17. 24 April 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  6. ^ a b Sullivan, Caroline (26 March 1999). "Albert Square dancing". p. 14. The Guardian.
  7. ^ John, Lucas. "Martine McCutcheon – You, Me & Us". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  8. ^ Williamson, Nigel (17 April 1999). "Global Music Pulse". Billboard. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Martine McCutcheon – Perfect Moment". Can't Stop the Pop. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  10. ^ "MARTINE McCUTCHEON – "Perfect Moment"". Freaky Trigger. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  11. ^ Liverpool Echo. 10 September 1999. p.29. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  12. ^ "You Me & Us". NME. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  13. ^ Sunday Mirror. 4 April 1999. p.44. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Martine McCutcheon Releases First Single". Sunday Mercury. 4 April 1999. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  15. ^ "Martine McCutcheon Perfect Moment". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2020 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ "Martine McCutcheon – Perfect Moment" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  18. ^ "Yearly Best Selling Singles" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  19. ^ White, Jack (15 April 2021). "Official Charts Flashback 1999: Martine McCutcheon – Perfect Moment". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  20. ^ "British single certifications – Martine McCutcheon – Perfect Moment". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
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