70's, 80's 'Feel Good' Music

"Red Red Wine" is a song originally written, performed and recorded by American singer Neil Diamond in 1967 that appears on his second studio album, Just for You. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a person who finds that drinking red wine is the only way to forget his woes.

UB40 recorded a cover version in 1983 for their album Labour of Love that went to No. 1 in the UK and was moderately successful in the United States. It was rereleased in 1988 and went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.





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Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941 is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
He has written and recorded ten singles that reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts: "Cracklin' Rosie", "Song Sung Blue", "Longfellow Serenade", "I've Been This Way Before", "If You Know What I Mean", "Desirée", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (which he co-wrote with Marilyn Bergman and performed with Barbra Streisand), "America", "Yesterday's Songs", and "Heartlight (co-written with Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach). A total of thirty-eight songs by Diamond have reached the top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, including "Sweet Caroline". He has also acted in films, making his screen debut in the 1980 musical drama film The Jazz Singer.

Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, and he received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. In 2011, he was an honoree at the Kennedy Center Honors, and he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Jewish family. All four of his grandparents were immigrants, from Poland on his father's side and Russia on his mother's. He grew up in several homes in Brooklyn, having also spent four years in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where his father was stationed in the army. In Brooklyn, he attended Erasmus Hall High School and was a member of the Freshman Chorus and Choral Club, along with classmate Barbra Streisand.
Diamond recalled they were not close friends at the time: "We were two poor kids in Brooklyn. We hung out in the front of Erasmus High and smoked cigarettes.
Also in their class was chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer. After his family moved to Brighton Beach, he attended Abraham Lincoln High School and was a member of the fencing team. Also on the team was his best friend, future Olympic fencer Herb Cohen.
 
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Weiss wrote and recorded "Rhinestone Cowboy" in 1974, and it appeared on his 20th Century Records album Black and Blue Suite. It did not, however, have much of a commercial impact as a single, although it peaked at number 71 in Australia in August 1974.

Larry Weiss -- Rhinestone Cowboy​

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In late 1974, Campbell heard the song on the radio and, during a tour of Australia, decided to learn it. Soon after his return to the United States, Campbell went to Al Coury's office at Capitol Records, where he was approached about "a great new song" – "Rhinestone Cowboy".
Several music writers noted that Campbell identified with the subject matter of "Rhinestone Cowboy" – survival and making it, particularly when the chips are down – very strongly. As Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic put it, the song is about a veteran artist "who's aware that he's more than paid his dues during his career ... but is still surviving, and someday, he'll shine just like a rhinestone cowboy.

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"Southern Nights" is a song written and performed by American musician Allen Toussaint, from his 1975 album, Southern Nights, and later recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. It was the first single released from Campbell's 1977 album, Southern Nights, and reached No. 1 on three separate US charts.
The lyrics of "Southern Nights" were inspired by childhood memories Allen Toussaint had of visiting relatives in the Louisiana backwoods, which often entailed storytelling under star-filled nighttime skies.
When Campbell heard Toussaint's version, he immediately identified with the lyrics which reminded him of his own youth growing up on an Arkansas farm. In October 1976, Campbell recorded the song with slightly modified lyrics.


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Southern nights
Have you ever felt a Southern night?
Free as a breeze
Not to mention the trees
Whistlin' tunes that you know and love so
Southern nights
Just as good even when you close your eyes
I apologize
To anyone who can truly say
That he has found a better way
Southern skies
Have you ever noticed Southern skies? (In southern skies)
Its precious beauty lies
Just beyond the eye it goes running through your soul
Like the stories told of old
Old man
He and his dog, that walk the old land
Every flower touched his cold hand
As he slowly walked by
Weepin' willows would cry for joy, joy
Feel so good
Feel so good, it's frightening
Wish I could
Stop this world from fighting
Mysteries
Like this and many others in the trees
Blow in the night
In the Southern skies
Southern nights
They feel so good, it's frightening
Wish I could (Southern nights)
Stop this world from fighting
Southern skies
Have you ever noticed?

Glen Campbell - Southern Nights​

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"I Can See Clearly Now" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Johnny Nash. It was the lead single from his twelfth album, I Can See Clearly Now (1972), and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box charts. It also reached number one in Canada and South Africa. The song has been covered by many artists throughout the years, including a hit version by Lee Towers that reached no. 19 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1982, and another recorded by Jimmy Cliff for the motion picture soundtrack of Cool Runnings that peaked at no. 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1993.

Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now​

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Baby, I Love Your Way" is a song written and performed by English singer Peter Frampton, released as a single in September 1975. It first featured on Frampton's 1975 album, Frampton, where it segues from the previous track "Nassau".
Billboard described the live version as an "easy rocker" and said that the portion of the song where Frampton sings the title lyrics made "an effective hook.
Cash Box called it "an excellent tune" explaining that "primarily, this is an acoustic tune, and Frampton sings with sensitivity over the soft backing.
Record World said that although the studio single released the prior year didn't sell well, "this single is...headed for the top.
In 2017, Frampton discussed this song while talking to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. about inequitable revenue payments from streaming music services like iTunes and Spotify. "For 55 million streams of 'Baby I Love Your Way', I got $1,700," said Frampton. "Their jaws dropped and they asked me to repeat that for them.

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The American neo-disco group Will to Power recorded a medley of "Baby, I Love Your Way" and "Free Bird", which reached No. 1 in the US.
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American reggae/pop band Big Mountain released a cover of "Baby, I Love Your Way" in February 1994, which appeared on the soundtrack of the film Reality Bites, starring Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke and Ben Stiller. This version achieved major worldwide success, reaching number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. The single reached the top 10 in many countries across Europe, including topping the charts of Denmark, Spain, and Sweden. It also reached the top five in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in Canada, where it peaked at number two.

BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - BIG MOUNTAIN​

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"Love Is in the Air" is a 1977 disco song by Australian singer John Paul Young. It was written by George Young (no relation) and Harry Vanda, and released as the lead single from Young's fourth studio album, Love Is in the Air (1978). The song became a worldwide hit in 1978, peaking at No. 3 on the Australian charts and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it peaked at No. 7 on the pop chart and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, his only U.S. top 40 hit.
The song plays at 122 beats per minute, a typical 1970s disco rhythm. At the Australian 1978 King of Pop Awards, the song won Most Popular Australian Single.
In 1992, a remix of the song was released and featured on the soundtrack to the Golden Globe-nominated film Strictly Ballroom. A new music video was also produced.
John Paul Young said of the recording, "We actually did 'Love Is in the Air' because we needed something for the German market. 'Standing in the Rain' became a hit in the clubs over there and then on the charts, so we needed a follow-up. I'd been to Germany and heard the music. It was electronic mania, all clicks and electronic buzzes. So George and Harry gave it the treatment.
Young performed the song at the Closing Ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

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"I Live My Life for You" is the seventh single released by the American rock band FireHouse. It is the tenth and last track from its third album, 3. A power ballad, the song reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 20 on the Adult Contemporary charts. It is generally considered to be the last song released by a 1980s style glam metal band still classified as such to make a significant impact on the charts, something notable because it was released in 1995 which was a full three years after the genre was pushed out of the mainstream by the grunge movement. The song was written by guitarist Bill Leverty and vocalist C.J. Snare.
When asked about the song's success in an interview, Snare commented that "we surprised a lot of people because we were the only band of that genre that I can remember that actually had a top 20 hit right in the middle of that whole Seattle scene.

Firehouse - I Live My Life for You​



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"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" is a song recorded by American rock singer Pat Benatar and written by Eddie Schwartz. In 1980, it was released as the second single from her second album Crimes of Passion, which became her biggest-selling album. It hit No. 7 in Cash Box, and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first Top 10 hit in the US. It was particularly popular on album-rock radio stations, peaking at number 1 on the US Tunecaster Rock Tracks chart.
It was also a Top 10 hit in Canada, although the only other country in which it charted was Australia where it reached the Top 40.

"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" sold well over a million copies in the U.S., achieving a gold certification by the RIAA. The song is one of Benatar's most recognizable tracks. Heard at many baseball and soccer games, the song has been featured on many compilation albums, including both multi-artist works as well as those just focusing on Benatar (such as 10 Great Songs and Greatest Hits).

In a 2022 interview, Benatar told USA Today that she would no longer perform the song in protest of mass shootings in the United States. "(The title) is tongue-in-cheek, but you have to draw the line. I can't say those words out loud with a smile on my face, I just can't," she explained. "I'm not going to go on stage and soapbox - I go to my legislators - but that's my small contribution to protesting. I'm not going to sing it.

Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shoot​



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The lyrics tell the story of a man leaving a woman because he cannot bring himself to settle down with her. He expresses that he does not want to hurt her, but there are too many things he wants to do before committing to a relationship.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd's performance of "Freebird" at the Oakland Coliseum Stadium on July 2, 1977, is a well-known live recording. The song, a staple of their live shows, was part of the "Day on the Green" festival. It is a memorable event for fans due to its length and the iconic guitar solo.
Here's a more detailed look:
  • "Freebird" is a classic: The song, known for its extended length and famous guitar solo by Allen Collins, became a live staple for Lynyrd Skynyrd.

  • The Oakland Coliseum performance: The July 2, 1977, show was part of the Day on the Green festival.

  • Why it's memorable: The song's length, often exceeding 14 minutes live, and the improvisation of the guitar solo made it a highlight of their live performances.

  • Impact on fans: The performance was often requested by fans at various Lynyrd Skynyrd shows, highlighting its popularity.

  • The recording: The performance is documented and available for viewing and listening.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird​


If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be traveling on now
'Cause there's too many places I've got to see
But if I stay here with you, girl
Things just couldn't be the same
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now
And this bird you cannot change
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
And the bird you cannot change
And this bird you cannot change
The Lord knows I can't change
Bye-bye, baby, it's been a sweet love, yeah, yeah
Though this feeling I can't change
But please don't take it so badly
'Cause the Lord knows I'm to blame
But if I stay here with you girl
Things just couldn't be the same
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now
And this bird you cannot change
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
And the bird you cannot change
And this bird you cannot change
The Lord knows I can't change
Lord, help me, I can't change
Lord, I can't change
Won't you fly high, free bird, yeah

Following a performance at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 20, 1977, the band boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they were scheduled to appear at LSU the following night. After running out of fuel, the pilots attempted an emergency landing before crashing in a heavily forested area five miles northeast of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Killed on impact were Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot John Gray. Other band members (Collins, Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Pyle, and Hawkins), tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew members suffered serious injuries.
Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the tragedy, reuniting only on one occasion to perform an instrumental version of "Free Bird" at Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jam V in January 1979.
 
"Fox on the Run" is a 1975 song by English glam rock band Sweet. It was the first song written by the band and by the producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. It was taken from their third studio album Desolation Boulevard. It went to number 2 in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, Ireland and Norway, number 5 in the United States, number 3 in New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland and number 1 in Germany, Australia and South Africa.



R-13306454-1551775071-4079 (1).jpg

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"I Know Him So Well" is a duet from the concept album and subsequent musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It was originally sung by Elaine Paige (as Florence) and Barbara Dickson (as Svetlana). In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing their relationships fall apart.

elaine-paige-barbara-dickson-i-know-him-so-well-single.jpg



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Nothing is so good, it lasts eternally
Perfect situations must go wrong
But this has never yet prevented me
Wanting far too much, for far too long
Looking back, I could have played it differently
Won a few more moments
Who can tell?
But it took time to understand the man
Now, at least I know, I know him well
Wasn't it good? (Oh, so good)
Wasn't he fine? (Oh, so fine)
Isn't it madness, he can't be mine?
But in the end, he needs a little bit more than me
More security
He needs his fantasy and freedom
I know him so well
No one in your life is with you constantly
No one is completely on your side
And though I'd move my world to be with him
Still, the gap between us is too wide
Looking back (looking back), I could have played it differently (I could have played it some other way)
Learned about the man before I fell (I was just a little careless)
But I was ever so much younger then (maybe, so much younger then)
Now, at least I know, I know him well
Wasn't it good? (Oh, so good)
Wasn't he fine? (Oh, so fine)
Isn't it madness, he won't be mine?
Didn't I know how it would go?
If I knew from the start, why am I falling apart?
Wasn't it good?
Wasn't he fine?
Isn't it madness, he won't be mine?
But in the end, he needs a little bit more than me
More security
He needs his fantasy and freedom
I know him so well
It took time to understand him
I know him so well

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Tim Rice / Benny Goran Bror Andersson / Bjoern K. Ulvaeus

I Know Him So Well lyrics © 3 Knights Ltd.
 
"I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" is the title of a posthumously released single by the American singer-songwriter Jim Croce. The song was written by Croce and was originally released on his album I Got a Name.
"I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" is noted for the use of backup singers, as well as a string section, that plays a counterpoint melody during the concluding instrumental.
Croce was killed in a small-plane crash in September 1973, the same week that a 45RPM single, the title cut from his studio album I Got a Name was released. After the delayed release of a song from his previous album ("Time in a Bottle") in late 1973, "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" was chosen as the second single released from his final studio album.

Croce wrote the song in early 1973 when he arrived home and got into a disagreement with his wife, Ingrid. Instead of arguing with her, Ingrid has stated that Croce "went downstairs, and he started to play like he always did when he wrote ... the next morning, he came up early in the morning and sang it to me.
Ingrid Croce wrote an autobiographical cookbook, Thyme in a Bottle, in which she includes interesting anecdotes about Jim. She wrote the following about "I'll Have To Say 'I Love You' in a Song":

One weekend, after being on the road for many months, Jim got a chance to come home to relax with his family. We settled in to enjoy our time alone together. Though Jim was expecting company the next day, avoiding confrontation he never told me that we were to be joined by an entire film crew! The next morning, 15 people from Acorn Productions descended upon our house to record a promotional film of Jim Croce at Home on the Farm. I prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for the whole film crew and after the group left, I questioned Jim about our finances. After a year and a half of his working so very hard on the road, we were barely making ends meet, but Jim wouldn't talk about it. He hated questions as much as he hated confrontation, especially about money. He stormed out of our bedroom and went down to the kitchen table to brood. The next morning he woke me gently by singing his new song. "Every time I tried to tell you the words just came out wrong. So I'll have to say 'I love you' in a song."
Click to expand...

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[Verse 1]
Well, I know it's kinda late
I hope I didn't wake you
But what I gotta say can't wait
I know you'd understand

[Chorus]
Every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong
So, I'll have to say "I love you" in a song

[Verse 2]
Yeah, I know it's kinda strange
Every time I'm near you
I just run out of things to say
I know you'd understand

[Chorus]
Every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong
So, I'll have to say "I love you" in a song

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus]
Every time the time was right
All the words just came out wrong
So, I'll have to say "I love you" in a song
 
"It's Raining Men" is a song by the American musical duo the Weather Girls from their third studio album, Success (1983). It was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 1982, through Columbia Records and CBS Records International. Paul Jabara wrote the song in collaboration with Paul Shaffer, and produced the song in collaboration with Bob Esty. "It's Raining Men" incorporates elements of R&B, soul, and 1970s-style electronic dance music. Its lyrics describe an excitement and enjoyment of many different types of men.

"It's Raining Men" was a number-one dance hit in the United States, and reached the top ten in various other countries worldwide. VH1 listed the song as one of the Greatest Songs of the 1980s as well as one of the Greatest Songs of the 2000s decade. At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards (1983), "It's Raining Men" received a nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer wrote the song over the course of one afternoon in 1979, intending it for Donna Summer, who had scored a hit with "Last Dance" (1978).
However, as Shaffer later recalled, Summer had recently become a born-again Christian and rejected the song as "blasphemous". The song was then offered to Diana Ross, Cher, and Barbra Streisand, all of whom declined it.

In 1982, the song was offered to the Weather Girls (then known as the Two Tons and formerly known as Two Tons O' Fun). Martha Wash and Izora Armstead of the Two Tons also dismissed the song. Wash recounted "We thought it was a crazy song — in fact, too crazy to record. I kept saying, 'It's raining men? Really? Are you kidding me?'... I just did not think people would buy it... That's why I kept saying no. The duo eventually recorded the song in ninety minutes after Jabara persistently pleaded with them to record the song. The Waters Sisters (Julia Waters-Tillman and Maxine Waters-Willard), Stephanie Spruill, and Zenobia Conkerite performed background vocals on the chorus of the song.

The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men​

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"Personally" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff which was released as the lead single from her 1982 album Wild Heart of the Young. The song is Bonoff's only top 40 hit single.


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"Personally" was first recorded in 1973 by its composer Paul Kelly, with Gene Page producing: however the track was not released although Kelly would record a new version of his composition for his 1993 album Gonna Stick and Stay.

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"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is a song by the English rock band Procol Harum that was issued as their debut record on 12 May 1967. The single reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June and stayed there for six weeks. Without much promotion, it reached number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100. One of the anthems of the 1967 Summer of Love, it is one of the most commercially successful singles in history, having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. In the years since, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" has become an enduring classic, with more than 1,000 known cover versions by other artists.
In 1977, the song was named joint winner (along with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody") of "The Best British Pop Single 1952–1977" at the Brit Awards.
In 1998, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, the performing rights group Phonographic Performance Limited recognised it as the most-played record by British broadcasting of the past 70 years and Rolling Stone placed it 57th on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2009, it was reported as the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK.


Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale​







A_whiter_shade_of_pale_procol_harum_UK_single.gif
 
"Move Closer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Phyllis Nelson that topped the UK Singles Chart in April 1985. Nelson wrote the ballad in 1984. It was a complete departure from the type of music she had been recording; she had been recording dance and disco records, and decided to write her own record because, in her words, "not much music lets you dance close" The lyrics of "Move Closer" were based on a long-term love affair she had with a much younger man in Philadelphia, who was struggling to start his own computer business.
Although "Move Closer" failed to make an impact on the US Billboard Hot 100, the song was hugely successful in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart, making her the first black woman to top the charts in Britain with her own sole composition. The song was originally released in April 1984 but failed to chart, and was re-released in February 1985 after BBC Radio London started to play it. "Move Closer" also benefited from extensive airplay on the hugely successful offshore pirate station, Laser 558. The song began to climb the charts, taking 12 weeks to reach the top spot. "Move Closer" remained on the UK Singles Chart for just over five months during 1985, becoming Britain's seventh biggest-selling song of the year and the 82nd highest-selling single of the decade.
In 1994, it was reissued and returned to the UK Singles Chart, this time peaking at number 34, on the back of it being featured in an anti-perspirant television commercial.

Phyllis Nelson - Move Closer​

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Covers​

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"First Time" is a song by American singer Robin Beck from her second album, Trouble or Nothin' (1989). The song was released as a single in July 1988 and was originally recorded for a Coca-Cola commercial in 1987. In the United Kingdom, the power ballad climbed to No. 1 and spent three weeks there in November and December 1988, spending 14 weeks on the UK Singles Chart in total. The song additionally reached number one in Austria, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and West Germany. Despite being also released as a single in the US and critically praised by Billboard, it failed to chart due to business political differences between Mercury Records and Coca-Cola wanting to promote either First Time or Save Up All Your Tears, according to Beck's interview with Rock Eyez in 2009.

Robin Beck - First Time​



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"Let Your Love Flow" is the debut single by country music duo the Bellamy Brothers, recorded in late 1975 and released in January 1976. The song was written by Larry E. Williams and produced by Phil Gernhard and Tony Scotti. It became an international hit, reaching number one in several countries including the United States and Germany, while reaching the top ten in at least nine others including the United Kingdom and Australia.

Let your love flow - The Bellamy Brothers​



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