Songoftheday 7/29/15 - Everything is wonderful being here is heavenly, every single day she sends everything is free...

"Mary's Prayer" - Danny Wilson
from the album Meet Danny Wilson (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #23 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 8

Today's SOTD comes from the Scottish "sophisti-pop" trio Danny Wilson, who came together in the northeast city of Dundee in the mid-80s as Spencer Tracy, before being forced to change to the titular character in a Frank Sinatra movie when their debut album, Meet Danny Wilson, was released in 1987. With brothers Gary and Kit Clark along with childhood friend and bassist Ged Grimes, their first offering was "Mary's Prayer", a smooth slice of pop that somehow tanked in Britain on its first go, not even making the top-40 on a second run before American pop radio found a home for the song....

"Mary's Prayer" became Danny Wilson's sole American pop hit, reaching the top-40 in September of 1987. It naturally did even better on "easy listening" radio, climbing to #6 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. After its American success, the single was re-promoted in the UK, where it finally got the attention it deserved, peaking at #3 on the British chart in 1988. While other bands of the genre continued to gain favor at radio, the trio found less, with only "The Second Summer Of Love" from their sophomore album Bebop Moptop reaching the UK top 40 at #23 in 1989. After a few disagreements, the trio amicably split by the 90s, though they reunited periodically to appear on each others' musical projects. Gary Clark has since become a successful solo songwriter in his own right, collaborating with international acts like Natalie Imbruglia and Lawson. And ten years later, "Mary's Prayer" was given a new lease on life as it appeared prominently in the movie There's Something About Mary.

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here's the trio performing the song on TV in 1987...

English "boyband" trio BBMak covered "Mary's Prayer" for a B-side of a hit single in 2000...

As did Stock-Aitken-Waterman production find actor-turned-singer Jason Donovan in 2012...

Finally, here's the trio reunited in 2014...

Up tomorrow: British hard-rock vets resurrect a five-year-old song to the top of the charts with a little Tawny help.