Good Tradition

{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}} {{Infobox song | name = Good Tradition | cover = Tanita Tikaram - Good Tradition.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Tanita Tikaram | album = Ancient Heart | A-side = Good Tradition | B-side = Valentine Heart (Demo Version), Poor Cow, Cathedral Song | released = 27 June 1988<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Tanita+Tikaram&titel=Good+Tradition&cat=s|title=Good Tradition single}}</ref> | format = | recorded = 1988 | studio = Red House Studios (Silsoe, England)<ref>{{cite web|last1=Promis|first1=Jose F.|title=Tanita Tikaram: Ancient Heart|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/ancient-heart-mw0000198256|website=AllMusic|accessdate=16 August 2016}}</ref> | venue = | genre = Folk rock | length = 2:52 | label = WEA | writer = Tanita Tikaram | producer = Peter Van Hooke, Rod Argent | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Twist in My Sobriety | next_year = 1988 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|UbXsbGSoIWk|"Good Tradition"}} | type = single | header = Music videos }} }}

"'''Good Tradition'''" is a song, written and originally recorded by British pop/folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram, released as the first single from her debut album, ''Ancient Heart'' (1988). When it was released in June 1988, it went largely unnoticed and attracted little media attention. The song therefore did not get much airplay, but weeks after its release, the single started climbing up the charts and finally reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart on 21 August 1988.<ref name=uk/> ==Background== To celebrate, WEA records released a limited edition design by Tikaram in which she tells the brief story of the song, the song's success on the charts, and thanks everyone that supported the song. In the design Tikaram notes each Sunday week ending date from the first week of single release, alongside its position on the UK Singles Chart for that week in question. The positions noted by Tikaram are 149-163-80-67-36-23-15-10, all up to the point the single made the top 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.c2i.net/sunface/storygt.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607002252/http://home.c2i.net/sunface/storygt.htm|title=The Story of Good Tradition (as told by Tanita Tikaram)|publisher=c2i.net|accessdate=19 September 2017|archivedate=7 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

At the time of compiling the charts, Gallup only had around 3,000 record stores connected to their EPOS (electronic point of sale) system and estimated the rest of the country's shops on an average basis compared to sales in those registered. Tikaram did indeed enter the UK Top 40 singles chart at #36 as broadcast on 6 August 1988 by Bruno Brookes on BBC Radio 1's Live Chart Countdown and on BBC1's live broadcast of ''Top of The Pops'' on 4 August 1988.

In recent years, the Official Charts Company have revised historical charts due to more precise data and record sales being available. "Good Tradition" now shows as entering at #39. The rest of its chart run has been unaffected.

==Critical reception== Pan-European magazine ''Music & Media'' wrote, "An up-tempo country-tinged number by this 'exciting new-comer. Her voice is strong, full of personality and has the same sort of deadpan quality as Chrissie Hynde."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=|last=|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1988/M&M-1988-07-23.pdf|title=Previews: Singles|magazine=Music & Media|date=23 July 1988|page=11|accessdate=19 July 2022}}</ref>

==Music video== The accompanying music video for "Good Tradition" features Tikaram playing in front of judges (one played by Anthony Head) at an audition, following on from an unsuccessful auditionee. At first shy, Tikaram strikes a couple of notes and the song begins and, as it develops, the judges and the crew from the theatre start dancing to the tune. At the end Tikaram is shown smiling.

==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" !align="left" width="220"|Chart (1988–1989) !align="center"|Peak<br>position |- |align="left"|Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/Usv0Gt0.jpg|title=Response from ARIA re: Tanita Tikaram ARIA singles chart history, received 19 September 2017|publisher=Imgur.com|accessdate=19 September 2017}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the single's peak on the national chart.</ref> |align="center"|142 |- |align="left"|Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/search.asp?search=tanita%20tikaram&cat=s|title=Ultratop Vlaanderen > Zoeken naar: Tanita Tikaram (songs)|language=Dutch|publisher=Hung Medien|accessdate=19 September 2017}}</ref> |align="center"|39 |- |align="left"|Ireland (IRMA)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/IvqeB9n.jpg|title=The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for Tanita Tikaram (from irishcharts.ie)|publisher=Imgur.com (original source published by Fireball Media)|accessdate=19 September 2017}}</ref> |align="center"|9 |- |align="left"|Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Chart=F&ChDay=&ChMonth=&ChYear=&ChBand=tanita&ChSong= |title=Radio Luxembourg Singles |publisher=umdmusic.com|access-date=January 1, 2026}}</ref> |align="center"|6 |- |align="left"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Tanita+Tikaram|title=dutchcharts.nl > Tanita Tikaram in Dutch Charts|language=Dutch|publisher=Hung Medien|accessdate=19 September 2017}}</ref> |align="center"|46 |- |align="left"|Netherlands (Tipparade)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/tanita-tikaram/tanita-tikaram-good-tradition-14881 |title=Tanita Tikaram - Good Tradition |publisher=Dutch Top 40 |language=nl |access-date=20 December 2024}}</ref> |align="center"|3 |- |align="left"|Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Tanita+Tikaram|title=swedishcharts.com > Tanita Tikaram in Swedish Charts|publisher=Hung Medien|accessdate=19 September 2017}}</ref> |align="center"|4 |- |align="left"|UK Singles (OCC)<ref name=uk>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25028/tanita-tikaram/|title=Official Charts > Tanita Tikaram|publisher=The Official UK Charts Company|accessdate=19 September 2017}}</ref> |align="center"|10 |- |align="left"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=5|issue=36|page=15|date=4 February 1989}}</ref> |align="center"|29 |- |align="left"|Quebec (ADISQ)<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129063315/http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|url=http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|title=Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec|publisher=BAnQ|access-date=21 June 2025|archive-date=29 November 2015|language=fr|url-status=dead}}</ref> |align="center"|17 |}

==Cover versions== With lyrics in Swedish by Keith Almgren, the song was covered by Kikki Danielsson & Roosarna on the 1990 album ''På lugnare vatten'' as ''I god tradition'' ("In good tradition").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/id/001480592|title=På lugnare vatten|publisher=Swedish mediadatabse|language=Swedish|date=1988|accessdate=25 August 2010}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:1988 songs Category:1988 debut singles Category:Tanita Tikaram songs Category:Songs written by Tanita Tikaram Category:Warner Music Group singles Category:Song recordings produced by Rod Argent