Can't Smile Without You

Last updated
"Can't Smile Without You"
David martin can't smile without you.jpg
Single by David Martin
B-side "Magic Roundabout"
Released25 July 1975
Genre Pop, soft rock
Length3:35
Label DJM
Songwriter(s) Christian Arnold, Geoff Morrow, David Martin
Producer(s) Chris Arnold, Geoff Morrow
David Martin singles chronology
"There's Still Time"
(1970)
"Can't Smile Without You"
(1975)
"I'm Just Mad About You Jean"
(1975)

"Can't Smile Without You" is a song written by Christian Arnold, David Martin and Geoff Morrow, and recorded by various artists including Barry Manilow and the Carpenters. It was first recorded and released by David Martin as a solo single in 1975. The version recorded by Manilow in 1977 and released in 1978 is the most well-known. [1]

Contents

Origin

The song was inspired by and written by Martin about a woman named Debbie, who appears on the cover alongside Martin. [2]

Carpenters version

"Can't Smile Without You"
Carpenters can't smile without you.jpg
Single by Carpenters
from the album A Kind of Hush
A-side "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft"
Released9 September 1977
Recorded1976
Genre Pop
Length3:25
Label A&M
Songwriter(s) Christian Arnold, Geoff Morrow, David Martin
Producer(s) Karen and Richard Carpenter
Carpenters singles chronology
"All You Get from Love Is a Love Song"
(1977)
"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" / "Can't Smile Without You"
(1977)
"The Christmas Song"
(1977)

The song was recorded in 1976 by the Carpenters and released on their May 1976 album, A Kind of Hush . It was also the B-side track for their 1977 single, "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", released in support of their 1977 album, Passage .

Barry Manilow version

"Can't Smile Without You"
Can't Smile Without You - Barry Manilow.jpg
Single by Barry Manilow
from the album Even Now
B-side "Sunrise"
ReleasedJanuary 1978
Recorded1977
Genre Pop, soft rock
Length3:13
Label Arista
Songwriter(s) Christian Arnold, Geoff Morrow, David Martin
Producer(s) Barry Manilow, Ron Dante
Barry Manilow singles chronology
"Daybreak"
(1977)
"Can't Smile Without You"
(1978)
"Even Now"
(1978)
Audio
"Can't Smile Without You" on YouTube

"Can't Smile Without You" was recorded by Manilow in 1977 and released on his 1978 album, Even Now . Manilow also issued the song as a single in 1978 where it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [3]

Manilow's version has slightly different lyrics from the Carpenters' version such as the Carpenters's line "I can't laugh and I can't walk/I'm finding it hard even to talk" which was changed in Manilow's version to "I can't laugh and I can't sing/I'm finding it hard to do anything". The Carpenters remixed the song with additional orchestration for the B-side of the 1977 "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" single, revising the lyrics to read "I can't laugh and I can't sleep/I don't even talk to people I meet".

Billboard said that Manilow's version starts "sweetly with a soft whistle" and builds in intensity over the course of the song, similar to other of Manilow's popular songs. [4] Record World said that it "moves at a moderate, catchy tempo with a lost-love lyric of the sort that has swelled the artist's audience." [5]

A version on Manilow's greatest hits box set, The Complete Collection and Then Some... , contains a slightly different version to the previously released version.

During live performances, Barry Manilow will pull a girl out of the audience to sing the song as a duet with him.

The Barry Manilow version is closely associated with the English Premier League Football club Tottenham Hotspur. The song first became associated with the club in the late 1970s, having reportedly been played on the team coach on away trips during that era. The song is played before home matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and at the club's previous home White Hart Lane. [6]

Chart performance

George Michael lawsuit

On behalf of the songwriters, publishing company Dick James Music sued George Michael for plagiarism in the mid-1980s claiming that the 1984 Wham! single, "Last Christmas", lifted its melody from "Can't Smile Without You". The case was reportedly dismissed when a musicologist presented 60-odd songs from the past century that had a comparable chord sequence and melody. [18]

In the film Unconditional Love (2002), the "Crossbow Killer" whistles the opening of "Can't Smile Without You," which is followed by Kathy Bates, Rupert Everett, Meredith Eaton, and Jonathan Pryce singing the song. Later in the film, Manilow joins Bates and other cast members in singing a reprise of the song. [19] The Manilow version of "Can't Smile Without You" also appears in Starsky & Hutch (2004) and Hellboy: The Golden Army (2008). [20] [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film Unchained (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers in 1965. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages.

"Without You" is a song written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of British rock group Badfinger, and first released on their 1970 album No Dice. The power ballad has been recorded by over 180 artists, and versions released as singles by Harry Nilsson (1971) and Mariah Carey (1994) became international number one hits. The Nilsson version was included in 2021's Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Paul McCartney once described it as "the killer song of all time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Help Falling in Love</span> 1961 single by Elvis Presley

"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a song written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss and published by Gladys Music, Inc. The melody is based on "Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini. The song was initially written from the perspective of a woman as "Can't Help Falling in Love with Him", which explains the first and third line ending on "in" and "sin" rather than words rhyming with "you".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home for the Holidays (song)</span> 1954 single by Perry Como with Mitchell Ayres and His Orchestra

"(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays" is a 1954 song commonly associated with the Christmas and holiday season. The lyrics detail the joys of being in your home community during the holidays and give examples of how some people will travel long distances to be with their loved ones. The music was composed by Robert Allen, with the lyrics written by Al Stillman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Write the Songs</span> 1975 song by Bruce Johnston

"I Write the Songs" is a popular song written by Bruce Johnston. Barry Manilow's version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1976 after spending two weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart in December 1975. It won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and was nominated for Record of the Year in 1977. Billboard ranked it as the No. 13 song of 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandy (Scott English song)</span> 1972 single by Scott English also covered by Barry Manilow

"Brandy", later called "Mandy", is a song written by Scott English and Richard Kerr. It was originally recorded by English in 1971 and reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Could It Be Magic</span> 1971 single by Barry Manilow

"Could It Be Magic" is a song written by Adrienne Anderson and composed by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weekend in New England</span> 1976 single by Barry Manilow

"Weekend in New England" is a song recorded by Barry Manilow for his fourth studio album, This One's for You (1976). Written by Randy Edelman, it was released as the second single from the album, and became a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping the Adult Contemporary chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Give Up on Us (song)</span> 1976 single by David Soul

"Don't Give Up on Us" is a hit song recorded by American-British singer David Soul, and written by Tony Macaulay.

"Superstar" is a 1969 song written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell, that has been a hit for many artists in different genres in the years since. The best-known versions are by the Carpenters in 1971, Luther Vandross in 1983, and Sonic Youth in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Won't Last a Day Without You</span> 1972/1974 single by The Carpenters

"I Won't Last a Day Without You" is a song by The Carpenters with lyrics written by Paul Williams and music composed by Roger Nichols. The writing duo had previously contributed "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays" to the Carpenters.

<i>Passage</i> (The Carpenters album) 1977 studio album by the Carpenters

Passage is the eighth studio album by the American music duo the Carpenters. Released in 1977, it produced the hit singles "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song", "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" and "Sweet, Sweet Smile". The Carpenters' "Sweet, Sweet Smile" was picked up by Country radio and put the duo in the top ten of Billboard's Country chart in the spring of 1978.

<i>The Singles: 1974–1978</i> 1978 compilation album by Carpenters

The Singles: 1974–1978 is a compilation album by American pop duo the Carpenters featuring their singles released in the mentioned years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Need to Be in Love</span> 1976 single by Carpenters

"I Need to Be in Love" is a song written by Richard Carpenter, Albert Hammond and John Bettis. It was released as a single on May 21, 1976. It was featured on the A Kind of Hush album, which was released on June 11 of the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again</span> Song written by David Pomeranz

"Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" is a song written by David Pomeranz that became a top 10 hit for Barry Manilow in 1976. It was first recorded by the Carpenters in 1975, but their version was not released until 1994 on their 25th anniversary CD, Interpretations: A 25th Anniversary Celebration. Pomeranz also recorded the song for his 1975 album It's in Every One of Us.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Believe You</span> 1978 single by The Carpenters

"I Believe You" is a love ballad composed by Don and Dick Addrisi which was a 1977 single for Dorothy Moore; taken from her self-titled Dorothy Moore album. "I Believe You" reached #5 R&B and crossed over to the US Pop Top 30 at number 27. The track also reached number 20 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'd Really Love to See You Tonight</span> 1976 single by England Dan & John Ford Coley

"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" is a song written by Parker McGee and recorded by England Dan & John Ford Coley from their 1976 album Nights Are Forever. It eventually peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks, behind Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" and No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 21 song for 1976. It also reached No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Even Now (Barry Manilow song)</span> 1978 single by Barry Manilow

"Even Now" is a 1978 song by American adult contemporary and pop music singer Barry Manilow. It is the title track from his 1978 album, and Manilow wrote the music and co-produced the track with Ron Dante. The words were written by Marty Panzer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Need Your Help Barry Manilow</span> 1979 single by Ray Stevens

"I Need Your Help Barry Manilow" is a 1979 song by Dale Gonyea, sung by Ray Stevens. It was the first track on Stevens' album, The Feeling's Not Right Again. The single's release in March preceded the release of the album in June.

Butterscotch were an English soft rock band which consisted of Chris Arnold, David Martin and Geoff Morrow, who are also known collectively as the songwriting and record production trio Arnold, Martin and Morrow. They are best known for their top 20 UK and Ireland hit, "Don't You Know ".

References

  1. Davis, Clive (December 17, 2009). "The Great American Seasonal Songbook; arts first night Cabaret". The Times. London. pp. 16–17.
  2. David Martin - Can't Smile Without You, 1975, retrieved 2023-06-25
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 155.
  4. "Hot Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. February 4, 1978. p. 88. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  5. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. February 4, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  6. "Tottenham Hotspur | Can't Smile Without You - Lower Block". 19 January 2023.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5501a." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  8. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 5532." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  9. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1978-05-28. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
  10. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  12. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  13. "Top 100 1978-04-22". Cashbox Magazine . Archived from the original on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  14. "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report . Retrieved 8 January 2022 via Imgur.com.
  15. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  16. "Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  17. "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1978". Cashbox Magazine . Archived from the original on 2012-10-27. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  18. Aroesti, Rachel (2017-12-14). "Still saving us from tears: the inside story of Wham!'s Last Christmas". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  19. Unconditional Love (2002) - Soundtracks - IMDb . Retrieved 2024-11-04 via www.imdb.com.
  20. Starsky & Hutch (2004) - Soundtracks - IMDb . Retrieved 2024-11-04 via www.imdb.com.
  21. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) - Soundtracks - IMDb . Retrieved 2024-11-04 via www.imdb.com.