The Way of Love

Last updated

"The Way of Love" is a song written by Jacques ("Jack") Dieval, with English lyrics by Al Stillman. It was originally a 1960 French song titled "J'ai le mal de toi", and it was first recorded in English by Kathy Kirby in 1965. The best-known English version was by Cher whose recording reached No. 7 in the US. Other variations of the song include "Parlez-moi de lui" and "It's Impossible".

Contents

First versions

"Parlez-moi de lui"
Single by Dalida
Released1966 (1966)
Genre chanson, pop
Label Barclay
Songwriter(s) Jack Diéval, Michel Rivgauche
"Parlez-moi de lui"
Song by Françoise Hardy
from the album Françoise Hardy
Released1968 (1968)
Genre chanson, pop
Producer(s) Arthur Greenslade

Originally written by Jack Diéval with French lyrics by Michel Rivgauche the song was introduced as 'J'ai le mal de toi'. It was written for the singer Frédérica in 1960, who took part that year in the national elimination rounds of France for the Eurovision Song Contest. This song was not selected and was evidently not recorded by Frédérica. [1] Subsequently, the song was performed on Belgium's BRT radio station by vocalist Lily Castel, singing it in the "Musik Ohne Grenzen" competition; Castel was backed by Fernand Terby's orchestra with Jacques Dieval providing piano accompaniment. The first evident recording of "J'ai le mal de toi" was made in 1964 by Colette Deréal. [2]

In June 1965 the English rendering entitled "The Way of Love" was issued in the UK as a single by Kathy Kirby; lyricist Al Stillman had previously provided the lyrics for Kirby's English language hit version of "Malagueña" entitled "You're the One". Recorded by Kirby with her regular collaborators: musical director Ivor Raymonde and producer Peter Sullivan, "The Way of Love" failed to reach the UK Top 50 but became a regional hit in the United States reaching No. 88 nationally.

In 1966 a new French version, also by lyricist Michel Rivgauche, was recorded by Dalida as "Parlez-moi de lui" ("Tell me about him"). This rendition slightly alters the original melody. This adaptation was covered by Françoise Hardy on her 1968 album Françoise Hardy (commonly known as Comment te dire adieu). [3]

Track listings

Colette Deréal version

7-inch EP Ma chance c'est toi / Le Tyrolien / J'ai le mal de toi / Toi et ton sourire (1965, Polydor 27 190)

A1. "Ma chance c'est toi"
A2. "Le Tyrolien"
B1. "J'ai le mal de toi"
B2. "Toi et ton sourire" [4]

Dalida version

7-inch EP Je t'appelle encore / Modesty / Parlez-moi de lui / Baisse un peu la radio (1966, Barclay 70 997)

A1. "Je t'appelle encore" (2:48)
A2. "Modesty" (2:19)
B1. "Parlez-moi de lui" (2:48)
B2. "Baisse un peu la radio" (2:40) [5]

7-inch jukebox promo single (1966, Barclay 60718)

A. "Parlez-moi de lui" (2:48)
B. "Modesty" (2:19) [6]

Chart performance

"Parlez-moi de lui" / "Baisse un peu la radio" by Dalida [7] [8]

Chart (1966)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [7] 45

Cher version

"The Way Of Love"
Cher1970Stills-9.jpg
Single by Cher
from the album Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves
B-side "Don't Put It on Me"
ReleasedJanuary 29, 1972
Recorded1971
Genre Pop
Length2:29
Label MCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Snuff Garrett
Cher singles chronology
"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves"
(1971)
"The Way Of Love"
(1972)
"Living in a House Divided"
(1972)

Produced by Snuff Garrett and released on January 29, 1972 as the second single from Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves , perhaps the most well-known version of "The Way of Love" was recorded by Cher. Her version spent three weeks within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching a peak of number 7 and ultimately selling almost one million copies. Billboard ranked it as the No. 62 song for 1972.

Allmusic wrote a favorable retrospective review: "some great moments, among them a career highlight in the two-and-a-half-minute opening track, "The Way of Love." The Stillman/Dieval tune was originally a British hit for Kathy Kirby, and both Cher and Kirby drove the song right by the censors. The song is either about a woman expressing her love for another woman, or a woman saying au revoir to a gay male she loved—in either case this is not a mother to daughter heart-to-heart: "What will you do/When he sets you free/Just the way that you/Said good-bye to me." and also added this to the end of review "her solo material could soar to heights not possible in a partnership -- "The Way of Love" being one example." [9] Rhapsody highlighted the song and called it "sexually ambiguous." [10]

Live performances

Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:

Charts and sales

Other versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalida</span> French singer and actress (1933–1987)

Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, professionally known as Dalida, was a French singer and actress, born in Egypt to Italian parents. Leading an international career, Dalida sold several million records around the world. Her best known songs are "Bambino", "Gondolier", "Les enfants du Pirée", "Le temps des fleurs", "Darla dirladada", "J'attendrai", "Le jour où la pluie viendra", "Gigi l'amoroso", "Salama ya salama", and "Paroles, paroles" featuring spoken word by Alain Delon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilles Vigneault</span> Canadian poet and singer-songwriter (born 1928)

Gilles Vigneault is a Canadian poet, publisher, singer-songwriter, and Quebec nationalist and sovereigntist. Two of his songs are considered by many to be Quebec's unofficial anthems: "Mon pays" and "Gens du pays", and his line Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver became a proverb in Quebec. Vigneault is a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec, Knight of the Legion of Honour, and Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monday Tuesday... Laissez moi danser</span>

"Monday Tuesday... Laissez moi danser" is a 1979-released disco single by French recording artist Dalida. It was a number one hit and the biggest success of the disco period in France.

<i>Tendrement</i> 2002 studio album by Lorie

Tendrement is the second album by French pop singer Lorie. It originally came out on 16 September 2002 in a regular jewel case version and a limited edition cardboard box containing the CD in a digipak and eight postcards featuring the famous blond singer. On 2 December 2002, a limited Christmas edition of the album was released, in digipak form, with extra tracks and a DVD... but no more postcards. Finally, on 2 June 2003, the regular jewel case was re-released to include the hit single "Sur un air latino". As of 20 September 2004, this version can be bought jointly with the singer's debut album, Près de Toi.

<i>Olympia 67</i> 1967 studio album by Dalida

Olympia 67 is the first album released by Dalida after her suicide attempt and her 1967 comeback performance at the Olympia. Among the tracks on the album are "À qui?", "Je reviens te chercher", "La banda", "Mama", "Ciao amore, ciao", "Les grilles de ma maison" and "Petit homme".

Jeane Manson is an American model, singer, and actor, born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her first name was changed from "Jean" to "Jeane" because, as all of her career was in France after 1974, the French would have otherwise thought that she was a man, "Jean" being the French for "John".

"Parlez-moi d'amour" is a song written by Jean Lenoir in 1930. An English translation was written by Bruce Sievier and is known as "Speak to Me of Love" or "Tell Me About Love". Lucienne Boyer was the first singer to record the song, and she made it very popular in France, America, and the rest of the world.

"Fascination" is a popular waltz song with music (1904) by Fermo Dante Marchetti and lyrics (1905) by Maurice de Féraudy.

"Why" is a hit song recorded by Frankie Avalon in 1959. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart published on the week of December 28, 1959. It was Avalon's second and final No. 1 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parlez-vous français ?</span> Song for the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest

"Parlez-vous français ?" is a song recorded by Spanish disco duo Baccara, written by Rolf Soja, Frank Dostal and Peter Zentner. It is best known as the Luxembourgian entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, held in Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond Berthiaume</span> Musical artist

Raymond Berthiaume was a Canadian jazz singer, musician, producer and composer from Quebec, Canada.

Nicole Croisille is a French singer and actress. She has appeared in 24 films between 1961 and 2005, and recorded several albums since 1961.

<i>Comment te dire adieu</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Françoise Hardy

Comment te dire adieu is the ninth studio album by French singer-songwriter Françoise Hardy, released in 1968 on Disques Vogue. Like many of her previous records, it was originally released without a title and came to be referred to, later on, by the name of its most popular song. The cover artwork was a drawing by Jean-Paul Goude.

Hollywood Girls : Une nouvelle vie en Californie, or simply Hollywood Girls, is a French soap opera created by Alexandre dos Santos, Jérémy Michalak, and Thibaut Vales for NRJ12. The series features an ensemble cast and follows a groups of French peoples who decided to start a new life in California, but their life is quickly disrupted by the diabolical Geny G and her husband, the Dr. David Moretti.

Georges Poubennec, better known under the name Georges Aber, was a French singer-songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Dona</span> French singer and songwriter

Alice Donadel, stagename Alice Dona is a French singer and songwriter. Born to an Italian father from Veneto and a French mother, both musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non illuderti mai</span> 1968 single by Orietta Berti

"Non illuderti mai" is a song by Italian singer Orietta Berti, released as a single in April 1968 for the summer festival Un disco per l'estate. The song came in second place at the festival behind "Luglio" by Riccardo Del Turco. It has notably been covered in English as "My Little Lady" by the Tremeloes and in French as "Ma bonne étoile" by Joe Dassin.

<i>Love in Portofino</i> (album) 1959 studio album by Dalida

Love in Portofino is the sixth and last studio album of 1950s by French singer Dalida. It was released in December 1959 through Barclay Records.

References

  1. "Elvis Presley: Original Version Recordings of Songs He Sang". Davidneale.eu. 2016-09-03. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  2. "Colette Deréal - J'ai le mal de toi". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  3. "ultratop.be - Françoise Hardy - Parlez-moi de lui". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  4. "ultratop.be - Colette Deréal - Ma chance c'est toi". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  5. "Dalida - Je T'Appelle Encore at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1966. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  6. "Dalida - Parlez-Moi De Lui (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1966. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  7. 1 2 "Dalida – Parlez-moi de lui" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  8. "Dalida - Baisse un peu la radio". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  9. Joe Viglione. "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves - Cher | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  10. "Music: Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves by Cher - Rhapsody Online". Archived from the original on 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  11. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 61. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  12. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  13. "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (in French). BAnQ. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  14. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  15. "Billboard Hot 100 3/25/72". Billboard.com. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  16. "Adult Contemporary Top 100 2/26/72". Billboard.com. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  17. "Cash Box Top 100 3/25/72". Archive.today. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  18. "Best of 1972 songs and music, on MusicAndYears.com!". Archived from the original on September 16, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  19. "Billboard Top 100 - 1972". Longboredsurfer.com. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  20. "Billboard Year-End Charts 1972" (PDF). Americanradiohistory.com.
  21. "Cher: Still Riding the Hit Train" (PDF). Record World. 1974-06-07.
  22. "The Originals © by Arnold Rypens". Originals.be. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 2016-09-29.