"That Was Yesterday" is the second single taken from the albumAgent Provocateur by the bandForeigner. This song was available in four versions, as a remixed single, an extended remix, an orchestral version, and the original mix. The song was written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, and the B-side "Two Different Worlds" is also of note for being the first solo-written Lou Gramm song to appear on a single. The single reached #12 on the BillboardHot 100 chart, and also reached #4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and #24 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached the Top 40 in the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. The extended remix added additional lyrics in its intro, and these lyrics can be heard in the live version from the DVD All Access Tonight - 25 - Live In Concert.
Reception
critic Bret Adams later called the song "a terrific hit single," citing its "catchy chorus" and "nifty synthesizer lick." Billboard Magazine described it as a "gothic ballad" and compared it to Foreigner's previous single "I Want to Know What Love Is" by stating that "That Was Yesterday" has "thrumming synths...rather than soaring choristers." Indianapolis Star critic Scott Miley say that it "adeptly reflect despair with tantalizing synthesizers." Ultimate Classic Rock critic Jeff Giles regarded "That Was Yesterday" as one of Foreigner's "better singles." Gramm disagreed with the decision to release "That Was Yesterday" as the second single from Agent Provocateur because that meant that the first two singles were ballads. Gramm stated "I always thought our rock songs upheld a tradition of good rock and roll and here we release two ballads in a row."
Music video
A music video was created for "That Was Yesterday," directed by Jim Yukich. As with "I Want to Know What Love Is," the music video for "That Was Yesterday" is based on a live performance of the song. The video was filmed at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The band had intended the video for "That Was Yesterday" to be "flashier" than that for "I Want to Know What Love Is." Jones has stated that he pleased with the "warmth" of the song in the video.
