1973 (song)

Last updated

"1973"
James Blunt 1973 CD Single.png
Single by James Blunt
from the album All the Lost Souls
Released23 July 2007 (2007-07-23)
Genre Pop rock
Length4:42
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s) James Blunt, Mark Batson
Producer(s) Tom Rothrock
James Blunt singles chronology
"Wisemen"
(2006)		"1973"
(2007)		"Carry You Home"
(2007)

"1973" is a song by English recording artist James Blunt. It was released as the lead single from his second studio album, All the Lost Souls (2007).

Contents

First performed by James Blunt during his autumn 2006 North American tour, "1973" was released for radio play on 23 July 2007, to selected radio stations around the world. It was made available for download exclusively from the Verizon Wireless network in the United States on the same date. [1] Starting on 7 August 2007, the song was made widely available for digital download, with physical releases being made available from 3 September 2007. The single peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

"1973" was written by James Blunt and Mark Batson. "He was trying to write an English singer-songwriter song, and I was trying the Dr. Dre end of the scale", says Blunt. [2] The song was inspired by the club scene in Ibiza, where Blunt maintains a residence and enjoys the social scene. [3] The song has been remixed by Pete Tong and Dave Spoon as part of their Ibiza 2007 Remix Project, and Tong started playing the remix in July 2007 when acting as DJ at Pacha, the Ibiza club that inspired the song and opened in 1973.

The lyrics include references to a few American popular songs: "As Time Goes By", written in 1931 by Herman Hupfeld and popularised by Dooley Wilson playing the character of 'Sam' in the 1942 film Casablanca ; "It's the Same Old Song", written by the legendary songwriting team Holland–Dozier–Holland and recorded in 1965 on the Motown label by the Four Tops; "Here We Go Again", popularised in 1967 by Ray Charles and re-popularized as a duet with Norah Jones upon the 2005 posthumous release of Charles' masterwork album, Genius Loves Company , and; "I Can See Clearly Now", written and recorded by Johnny Nash, a song which spent November at the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.

Release

The single was released on three physical formats. CD1 features a brand new track, "Dear Katie", which was written by Blunt's long-time keyboardist Paul Beard. Beard also provides backing vocals for the song. CD2 includes a live version of "Annie", the video for "1973", plus a further new track, "So Happy", which was written by Felix Howard and Blunt. The 7" vinyl also includes "So Happy". [4]

Music video

The video (directed by Paul R Brown), in which a modern-day Blunt strolls among '70s street scenes, reflects the song's nostalgic tone. "The '70s sound like they were a time of excess and great flamboyance", he says, "but a sense of fun as well." [2] The video was shot in the Universal Studios Lot in Los Angeles.

Track listings

CD 1

  1. "1973" – 4:44
  2. "Dear Katie" – 2:20

CD 2

  1. "1973" – 4:44
  2. "Annie" (Live from The Garden Shed) – 3:26
  3. "So Happy" – 3:36
  4. "1973" (video) – 3:58

7" vinyl

  1. "1973" – 4:44
  2. "So Happy" – 3:36

Reception

Billboard reviewer Chuck Taylor said that the song's "[m]idtempo pacing" resembles 10,000 Maniacs's "Trouble Me", [5] a song from the band's 1989 album Blind Man's Zoo .

Chart performance

The song debuted at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, then peaked at number four, making it Blunt's third top 10 single and his fifth-released single debuting in the UK Singles Chart. In Switzerland, the song debuted at number one, making it his second top 10 hit, and also reached number one in Venezuela, Austria, the Wallonia region of Belgium, Slovakia, and Turkey.

In the United States, the song first appeared on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, where it peaked at number two. After the song's parent album All the Lost Souls was released on 14 September 2007, the song debuted and peaked at number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of 6 October 2007, [6] spending just three consecutive weeks on the chart before exiting at number 100. The song peaked at number 60 on the Pop 100. From number 86, the song made a jump to number two on Billboard's Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, then peaked at number one on 29 September and 6 October 2007.

Certifications and sales

Sales certifications for "1973"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria) [57] Gold15,000*
Belgium (BEA) [58] Gold25,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [59] Gold7,500^
Germany (BVMI) [60] Gold150,000^
Italy—19,464 [61]
Italy (FIMI) [62]
sales since 2009 		Gold25,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [63] Platinum60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [64] Platinum600,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High (James Blunt song)</span> 2004 single by James Blunt

"High" is the debut single of British singer James Blunt and Ricky Ross for Blunt's debut album, Back to Bedlam. The song was produced by Tom Rothrock and Jimmy Hogarth. It was released in October 2004 and failed to make an impact on the UK Singles Chart, peaking outside the top 75. Following the success of Blunt's second single, "You're Beautiful", "High" was re-released in late 2005 and became a top-20 hit worldwide, charting at number three in Italy and at number 16 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisemen</span> 2005 single by James Blunt

"Wisemen" is a song written by British singer James Blunt, Jimmy Hogarth and Sacha Skarbek for Blunt's debut album, Back to Bedlam. The song was produced by Tom Rothrock and Jimmy Hogarth. The song was released as the third single in March 2005 and reached the top 50 in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 44. Following the success of "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", "Wisemen" was re-released in March 2006, reaching number 21 in New Zealand and number 23 in the UK. The song was met with positive reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're Beautiful</span> 2005 single by James Blunt

"You're Beautiful" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Blunt. It was written by Blunt, Sacha Skarbek and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album, Back to Bedlam (2004). It was released as the third single of the album in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodbye My Lover</span> 2005 song by James Blunt

"Goodbye My Lover" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Blunt, written by Blunt and British songwriter Sacha Skarbek, for Blunt's debut album, Back to Bedlam (2004). The song was produced by Tom Rothrock and Jimmy Hogarth and recorded in the home of actress Carrie Fisher. The single received a positive reception from music critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Blunt discography</span>

The discography of James Blunt, a British pop rock singer, contains seven studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, eleven extended plays and thirty-four singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic Monkeys discography</span>

English rock band Arctic Monkeys have released seven studio albums, five extended plays, two video albums, 24 music videos and 23 singles. Formed in 2002 by guitarist and vocalist Alex Turner, guitarist and backing vocalist Jamie Cook, bass guitarist and backing vocalist Andy Nicholson and drummer and backing vocalist Matt Helders, Arctic Monkeys released their first EP, Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys, in May 2005, and signed with London-based Domino Recording Company in June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beggin'</span> 1967 single by the Four Seasons

"Beggin'" is a song composed by Bob Gaudio and Peggy Farina and first released as a single by American band the Four Seasons in 1967. Initially charting at number 16 in the US Billboard Chart, the song became popular in the Northern soul scene in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. It has been covered multiple times, with versions by Norwegian hip-hop duo Madcon and Italian rock band Måneskin topping music charts in Europe and beyond. The Four Seasons' version was remixed in 2007 by French DJ Pilooski and re-released as a single, reaching number 32 in the UK Singles Chart, commercially outperforming the band's original release in the UK.

<i>All the Lost Souls</i> 2007 studio album by James Blunt

All the Lost Souls is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter James Blunt, released on 17 September 2007. It is the follow-up to his 2004 debut album, Back to Bedlam. The first single released from the album was "1973", which started radio play on 23 July 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Song (Sara Bareilles song)</span> 2007 single by Sara Bareilles

"Love Song" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, released in June 2007 via Epic Records from her major-label debut album, Little Voice (2007). It was nominated for 2009 Grammy Awards in the categories Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time</span> 1999 single by R. Kelly

"If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" is a song by American singer R. Kelly, released as the fifth single from his third album, R. (1998). The song is a ballad about a man wishing he could go back in time and repair his relationship with his girlfriend. The song peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a top-10 hit across Europe, peaking at number one in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apologize (OneRepublic song)</span> 2007 single by OneRepublic

"Apologize" is a song written by Ryan Tedder, which first appeared on Timbaland's second studio album Shock Value (2007). It was then released as the third single from that album, along with the original recording by OneRepublic. It accordingly also served as the debut single for OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud (2007), produced by Greg Wells. Timbaland's version omits the guitar solo after the second verse in the original, and includes an extra line of percussion, new backing vocals, and added sound samples, in addition to sound mixing and a few other minor changes. The song was the biggest radio airplay hit in the history of the Mainstream Top 40 chart in the United States, with 10,394 plays in one week, until its record was broken by Leona Lewis's "Bleeding Love", which was also co-written by Tedder. The song was a major hit internationally, reaching number one in 16 countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Turkey, and the Netherlands, as well as staying at number one for eight consecutive weeks on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, staying in the top-10 for 25 weeks, and spent 13 weeks at number one in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Summer Long (Kid Rock song)</span> 2008 single by Kid Rock

"All Summer Long" is a song by American recording artist Kid Rock. It was released in March 2008 as the third single from his seventh studio album, Rock n Roll Jesus (2007). It samples Bob Seger's song "Night Moves", "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay the Night (James Blunt song)</span> 2010 single by James Blunt

"Stay the Night" is the lead single from English singer-songwriter James Blunt's third studio album, Some Kind of Trouble. The single was released on 25 October 2010. The single received an exclusive advance-release in Austria on 10 September 2010. The song was successful on the ARIA Charts, scoring his first top ten hit in Australia since 2005's "Goodbye My Lover".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beneath Your Beautiful</span> 2012 single by Labrinth

"Beneath Your Beautiful" is a song by British musicians Labrinth and Emeli Sandé. Written by Labrinth, Mike Posner and Sandé, it was promoted as the sixth single from Labrinth's debut album, Electronic Earth (2012), and is included as a bonus track on the US Deluxe Edition of Sandé's debut studio album Our Version of Events. Impacting from 18 October 2012, and following a well-received performance on the ninth series of The X Factor, the single would go on to sell 108,000 copies in the UK during its first week and top the UK Singles Chart. It became Labrinth's first number one single as a lead artist and additionally became his first top 40 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 34. The song was nominated for 'Best British Single' at the 2013 Brit Awards and was ranked the twelfth best-selling single of 2012 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Know You Like It</span> 2012 single by AlunaGeorge

"You Know You Like It" is a song by English electronic music duo AlunaGeorge from their debut studio album, Body Music (2013). The track was released in the United Kingdom on 20 April 2012 as the album's lead single. The song peaked at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart in April 2013 after being used in a Tesco advert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonfire Heart</span> 2013 single by James Blunt

"Bonfire Heart" is the lead single from British singer-songwriter James Blunt's fourth studio album, Moon Landing (2013). The song was written by Blunt and OneRepublic's lead singer Ryan Tedder, with whom Blunt had previously written the single "Stay the Night".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Brother</span> 2013 song by Avicii

"Hey Brother" is a dance song by Swedish DJ and record producer Avicii from his debut studio album, True (2013). American bluegrass singer Dan Tyminski provides vocals for the track. It was written by Avicii, Ash Pournouri, Salem Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare and Veronica Maggio. "Hey Brother" sees Avicii giving his brother advice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let It Go (James Bay song)</span> 2014 single by James Bay

"Let It Go" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Bay. It was released in Europe on 15 September 2014 through Republic Records as the first single from Bay's second extended play of the same name. It was included on Bay's debut studio album Chaos and the Calm (2014). The song was written by Bay with Paul Barry and produced by Jacquire King. The Let It Go EP was released prior on 3 May 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goosebumps (Travis Scott song)</span> 2016 single by Travis Scott featuring Kendrick Lamar

"Goosebumps" is a song by American rapper Travis Scott featuring fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was sent to rhythmic radio on December 13, 2016, by Grand Hustle Records and Epic Records as the third single from Scott's second studio album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OK (Robin Schulz song)</span> 2017 single by Robin Schulz featuring James Blunt

"OK" is a song by German DJ and record producer Robin Schulz. The song was released on 19 May 2017 as the second single from his third studio album, Uncovered (2017). It features vocals by English singer-songwriter James Blunt.

References

  1. ↑ Poletta, Michael (21 July 2007). "Beautiful and the Beat". Billboard . Billboard.
  2. 1 2 Halperin, Shirley (16 July 2007). "James Blunt's "1973" video shoot | James Blunt | First Look". Ew.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "I4U News – Story is Expired". I4u.com. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973 (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 3 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  5. ↑ Taylor, Chuck (11 August 2007). "James Blunt: '1973' (3:59)". Billboard. p. 36.
  6. ↑ "The Hot 100". Billboard . 2 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  13. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  14. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 40. týden 2007 in the date selector. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  16. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973". Tracklisten. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  17. ↑ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 119, no. 40. 6 October 2007. p. 63. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  18. ↑ "James Blunt: 1973" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  19. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  20. ↑ "Nielsen Music Control Airplay - Germany Top 5". Nielsen Music Control on behalf of BVMI. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  21. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  22. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – 1973". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  23. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  24. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 37, 2007" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  26. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  27. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973". VG-lista. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  28. ↑ "Nielsen Music Control". Archived from the original on 6 November 2007.
  29. ↑ "Romanian Top 100 – Issue nr: 42/2007 (29 Octombrie - 04 Noiembrie 2007)" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  30. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  31. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200744 into search. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  32. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  33. ↑ "James Blunt – 1973". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  34. ↑ Turkey Top 20 Chart Archived 30 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  35. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  36. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  37. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  38. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  39. ↑ "Pop 100". Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 40. 6 October 2007. p. 54. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  40. ↑ "Pop Rock". Recordreport.com.ve. Archived from the original on 27 August 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2007.
  41. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  42. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2007". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  43. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2007" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  44. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2007" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  45. ↑ "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2007". Crowley Broadcast Analysis. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  46. ↑ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  47. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2007" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  48. ↑ "Top of the Music – Mix e singoli" (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  49. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2007". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  50. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2007" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  51. ↑ "Årslista Singlar, År 2007" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  52. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2007". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  53. ↑ "Top 100 2007 – UK Music Charts". UK-Charts.Top-Source. 10 August 2018. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  54. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2008". Ultratop. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  55. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2008" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  56. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2008". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  57. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – James Blunt – 1973" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  58. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  59. ↑ "Danish single certifications". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  60. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (James Blunt; '1973')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  61. ↑ "Classifiche, Rapporto 2008" (PDF). Musica e dischi . February 2009. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  62. ↑ "Italian single certifications – James Blunt – 1973" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 23 September 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "1973" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  63. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – James Blunt – 1973". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  64. ↑ "British single certifications – James Blunt – 1973". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 19 March 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.