| Life in Detail | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Robert Palmer |
| Album: | Pretty Woman (soundtrack) |
| Released: | 1990 |
| Length: | 4:07 |
| Label: | EMI |
| Producer: | Robert Palmer |
| Prev Title: | "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" (re-issue) |
| Prev Year: | 1989 |
| Next Title: | I'll Be Your Baby Tonight |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
"Life in Detail" is a song by the English vocalist Robert Palmer, which was released in 1990 as a promotional single from the soundtrack of the American romantic comedy film Pretty Woman.[1] The song was written by Palmer and Allen Powell, and produced by Palmer.[2] It reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks,[3] and No. 34 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles Chart.[4]
"Life in Detail" had been written exclusively for the film.[5] Powell had previously been the drummer in Vinegar Joe, which Palmer fronted, in the early 1970s. Following the band's split, Palmer and Powell continued their friendship and would write a number of songs together which Palmer recorded.[6] [7] According to Manchester Evening News, "Life in Detail" allowed him to buy a 40-foot sail boat to live on, which he had moored at Sausalito, California.[8]
Upon release, the Nanaimo Daily News described the song as a "thumping jumper".[5] The Clarion-Ledger noted: "The driving "Life in Detail" is only slightly less irresistible than Palmer's previous chartbusters".[9] Paul Sinclair of Super Deluxe Edition described the song as a "relative obscurity from the soundtrack of the film Pretty Woman".[10]
CD single (promo only)
| Chart (1990) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Top Singles (RPM) | 34 | |
| US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[11] | 14 | |
| US Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 7 |