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"Delta Dawn" | ||||
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Promotional single by Alex Harvey | ||||
from the album Alex Harvey | ||||
B-side | "Same song" | |||
Released | 1971 | |||
Genre | Country, folk rock | |||
Length | 4:02 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Michael Sunday | |||
Alex Harvey singles chronology | ||||
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"Delta Dawn" | |
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Single by Bette Midler | |
from the album The Divine Miss M | |
A-side | "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" |
Released | May 1973 |
Recorded | 1972 |
Studio | Atlantic Recording Studios (New York, New York) |
Genre | Pop rock |
Length | 5:18 |
Label | Atlantic |
Songwriter(s) |
"Delta Dawn" | ||||
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Single by Tanya Tucker | ||||
from the album Delta Dawn | ||||
B-side | "I Love the Way He Loves Me" | |||
Released | April 10, 1972 | |||
Recorded | March 17, 1972 | |||
Studio | Columbia (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:59 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Billy Sherrill | |||
Tanya Tucker singles chronology | ||||
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"Delta Dawn" is a song written by musician Larry Collins and country songwriter Alex Harvey. [lower-alpha 1] The first notable recording of the song was in 1971 by American singer and actress Bette Midler for her debut album The Divine Miss M . However it is best known as a 1972 top ten country hit for Tanya Tucker [1] and a 1973 US number one hit for Helen Reddy.
Though the song is credited exclusively to Collins and Harvey, the melody of the chorus is virtually identical to the Christian hymn "Amazing Grace."
The title character is a faded former Southern belle from Brownsville, Tennessee, who, at 41, is obsessed to unreason with the long-ago memory of a suitor who jilted her. The lyrics describe how the woman regularly "walks downtown with a suitcase in her hand / looking for a mysterious dark haired man" who she says will be taking her "to his mansion in the sky."
Reddy's recording in particular includes choir-like inspirational overtones.
Alex Harvey said he wrote the song about his mother:
My mother had come from the Mississippi Delta and she always lived her life as if she had a suitcase in her hand but nowhere to put it down.
Ten years before Harvey wrote the song, he was performing on TV and told his mother not to come, lest she get drunk and embarrass him. That night she died in a car crash, and Harvey believed it was suicide caused by his rejection. [2]
For years Harvey suffered from guilt over the incident, until a cathartic incident the night he wrote the song. He was at fellow songwriter Larry Collins' house, who was asleep while Harvey noodled around on his guitar. He believed his mother then came to him in a vision:
I looked up and I felt as if my mother was in the room. I saw her very clearly. She was in a rocking chair and she was laughing...I really believe that my mother didn't come into the room that night to scare me, but to tell me, 'It's okay,' and that she had made her choices in life and it had nothing to do with me. I always felt like that song was a gift to my mother and an apology to her. It was also a way to say 'thank you' to my mother for all she did. [3]
After writing the first few lines of the song, Harvey woke Collins and they finished it together.
The first recording of "Delta Dawn" was made by Harvey for his eponymous album released in November 1971. Harvey had performed as the opening act for Helen Reddy at the Troubadour, in January 1972, but at that time Reddy (who also was signed with the Capitol Records label) made no connection with any of Harvey's compositions. [4]
Dianne Davidson sang backup for Harvey's recording. She was the first singer after Harvey to record the song and chart in 1971–1972.[ citation needed ]
Tracy Nelson also sang backup on Harvey's recording, and performed "Delta Dawn" in her live act.[ citation needed ]
After hearing Tracy Nelson sing "Delta Dawn" at the Bottom Line in New York City, Bette Midler added the song to her repertoire.[ citation needed ]
During the time Tanya Tucker’s and Helen Reddy’s recordings of the song were being produced (see below), Bette Midler recorded "Delta Dawn" for her The Divine Miss M debut album, for which her bluesy version was planned as the lead single. Reddy's single was released June 1973, two days after Midler's. The preemption required a marketing change for Midler, so the original B-side "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" was shopped to radio, itself becoming a top ten hit.
The song was also included on Midler's 1977 live album Live at Last (Bette Midler album) which was recorded at the Cleveland Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio.
Before Bette Midler's recording, Nashville-based producer Billy Sherrill heard her sing "Delta Dawn" on The Tonight Show and wanted to sign Midler to Epic Records and have her record it. Upon finding that Midler already signed with Atlantic Records, Sherrill cut the song with Tanya Tucker, who was newly signed to Epic, [5] at the Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Tucker's version was released in April 1972; it reached number six Country that spring. [6]
While Harvey's original version started with the first verse, Sherrill suggested starting with the chorus instead, done a cappella – a term unknown to 13-year-old Tucker. [3] This distinction became a signature of her version.
"Delta Dawn" | ||||
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Single by Helen Reddy | ||||
from the album Long Hard Climb | ||||
B-side | "If We Could Still Be Friends" | |||
Released | June 1973 [7] | |||
Recorded | 1972 | |||
Genre | Pop [8] | |||
Length | 3:11 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | Larry Collins, Alex Harvey | |||
Producer(s) | Tom Catalano | |||
Helen Reddy singles chronology | ||||
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Record producer Tom Catalano created an instrumental track of "Delta Dawn." Catalano first offered the vocal track to Barbra Streisand, but she refused; after this he gave the vocal to Reddy. [9]
Reddy's version, which added upward modulation to Tucker's cold intro and nonstop vocals throughout, entered the top ten on 18 August 1973, on its way to its lone week at number one on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart, on 15 September 1973. It remained in the top 10 for eight weeks, [10] and was ranked as the No. 14 song for 1973 according to Billboard. "Delta Dawn" was also the first of Reddy's six consecutive — and eight overall — number one hits on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. [11] The song also topped the Cash Box chart on 8 September 1973, remaining at number one for two weeks. [12]
Reddy had reached number two with both "I Don't Know How to Love Him" and I Am Woman in her native Australia; "Delta Dawn" became her first number one hit there, spending five weeks at the top of the Kent Music Report in August and September 1973. [13] "Delta Dawn" also marked Reddy's only chart appearance in South Africa, reaching number 13 in the autumn of 1973. [14]
"Toi le garçon" | ||||
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Single by Sylvie Vartan | ||||
Language | French | |||
English title | You're the boy | |||
B-side | "L'amour au diapason" | |||
Released | October 1973 | |||
Recorded | Summer–fall 1973 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:24 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Sylvie Vartan singles chronology | ||||
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In 1973, the song was adapted into French by Michel Mallory as "Toi le garçon" (meaning "You're the boy") and was recorded by French pop singer Sylvie Vartan and was released as a non-album single in October 1973. [15] Vartan's version peaked at Number 22 on the French Belgian charts on March 9, 1974. [16]
Chart (1972) | Peak position |
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US Billboard Hot 100 [18] | 72 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [19] | 6 |
Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| Year-end charts
|
Chart (1974) | Peak position |
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Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [30] | 22 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [31] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [32] | Gold | 10,000* |
United States (RIAA) [33] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Tanya Denise Tucker is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. During her career Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood without losing her audience; she had a streak of top-10 and top-40 hits. She has had several successful albums, several Country Music Association award nominations, and hit songs including 1973's "What's Your Mama's Name?" and "Blood Red and Goin' Down", 1975's "Lizzie and the Rainman", 1988's "Strong Enough to Bend", and 1992's "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane". Tucker's 2019 album While I'm Livin' won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, and "Bring My Flowers Now" from that same album won Tucker a shared songwriting Grammy for Best Country Song.
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" is a World War II jump blues song written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince which was introduced by The Andrews Sisters in the Abbott and Costello comedy film, Buck Privates (1941). The Andrews Sisters' Decca recording reached number six on the U.S. pop singles chart in the spring of 1941 when the film was in release. The song is ranked No. 6 on Songs of the Century. Bette Midler's 1972 recording of the song also reached the top ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Delta Dawn is the debut studio album by American country music singer Tanya Tucker. It was released on September 11, 1972, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Billy Sherrill and includes two top ten singles, "Delta Dawn" and "Love's the Answer"/"The Jamestown Ferry".
"Do You Want to Dance" is a song written by American singer Bobby Freeman and recorded by him in 1958. It reached number No. 5 on the United States Billboard Top 100 Sides pop chart, No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart, and No. 1 in Canada. Cliff Richard and the Shadows' version of the song reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom in 1962, despite being a B-side. The Beach Boys notably covered the song in 1965 for their album The Beach Boys Today!; retitled "Do You Wanna Dance?", their version reached No. 12 in the United States. A 1972 cover by Bette Midler with the original title restored reached No. 17.
The Divine Miss M is the debut studio album by American singer and actress Bette Midler, released in 1972 on the Atlantic Records label. The title of the album refers to Midler's famous stage persona. The album was co-produced by Barry Manilow, and includes several songs that since have become repertoire standards, such as "Do You Want to Dance?", "Chapel of Love", "Hello In There", "Friends" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". The album art was designed by Richard Amsel. It was released on CD for the first time in 1990. A remastered version of the album was released by Atlantic Records/Warner Music in 1995. A remastered deluxe edition was released in October 2016.
"I Can't Hear You No More" is a composition written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was originally recorded as "I Can't Hear You" in 1964 by Betty Everett. The most successful version was the 1976 top 40 single by Helen Reddy.
"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" is an uptempo, strophic story song written by American folk rock singer Jim Croce. Released as part of his 1973 album Life and Times, the song was a No. 1 hit for him, spending two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1973. Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1973.
"The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" is a country and pop music song written, composed, and recorded by Donna Fargo. It is written in the voice of a newlywed girl, sung to her new husband. It has since become her signature song.
“Soul Song” is a song written by George Richey, Billy Sherrill and Norro Wilson and first recorded by Tanya Tucker as a track for her 1972 debut album Delta Dawn.
"The Game of Love" is a 1964 song by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, first released as a single from the band's titular album in January 1965 in the United Kingdom, followed by the United States one month later as "Game of Love". The song reached Number 2 on the UK Singles chart and Number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 that year. The song also spawned multiple successful cover versions, including a version by Ian "Tex Pistol" Morris that was a Number 1 hit in New Zealand in 1987. The song was also adapted into French by Frank Gérald as "Quand tu es là" and was recorded by French pop singer Sylvie Vartan, first in July 1965 as the second single off of her 1966 studio album "Il y a deux filles en moi" that was a hit in French-speaking Belgium, followed by a re-recording in 1990, released as a non-album single, that was a minor hit in France.
The Best of Bette is a compilation album by American singer Bette Midler, released on the K-tel label in Australia and New Zealand in 1981. The album was the second compilation to use the title The Best of Bette, the previous version with different cover art and an entirely different track list having been released on the Atlantic Records label in both the UK, Continental Europe, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand in 1978.
"Leave Me Alone " is a 1973 song written and first recorded by American singer-songwriter Linda Laurie. It was famously covered by Australian-American singer Helen Reddy several months later; Reddy's cover was a million-selling, Gold-certified hit single.
"Peaceful" is a song written by Kenny Rankin, and recorded by several artists. It is best known as hit singles for Georgie Fame (1969) and Helen Reddy (1973).
Australian-American singer Helen Reddy (1941–2020), often referred to as the "Queen of 70s Pop", recorded 18 studio albums, seven of which have achieved sales of 500,000 units in the US for which they were awarded Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. One of those seven, I Am Woman, eventually went Platinum by reaching sales of one million copies, and her first compilation album, Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits, was awarded Double Platinum status in 1992 for hitting the two million sales mark. The respective US and Canadian album charts in Billboard and RPM magazine each had appearances by 10 of these LPs during the 1970s.
The singles discography of American country artist, Tanya Tucker, contains 89 lead singles, six featured singles, two promotional singles, one additional charting song, 18 lead music videos and three featured music videos. Tucker's career was launched in 1972 when she was 13 years old. That year, her debut single "Delta Dawn" was released. It went to number six on the America's Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number 72 on the Hot 100. It was followed by three consecutive number one Billboard singles in 1973: "What's Your Mama's Name", "Blood Red and Goin' Down" and "Would You Lay with Me ".
I Am Woman is the third studio album by Australian–American pop singer Helen Reddy, released on 13 November 1972, by Capitol Records. The album included her second recording of the song that gave the album its name, which was also the version that spent a week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Long Hard Climb is the fourth studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy, released on July 23, 1973, by Capitol Records and, aside from its primary focus on Top 40-friendly material, had her trying out New Orleans jazz and the English-language version of a recent Charles Aznavour standard. It debuted on Billboard's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated August 11, 1973, and reached number eight during its 43 weeks there, and in Canada's RPM magazine it peaked at number 14. On September 19 of that year, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded the album with Gold certification for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States. On July 22, 2003, it was released for the first time on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD, the other album being her 1972 release I Am Woman.
No Way to Treat a Lady is the seventh studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in the summer of 1975 by Capitol Records and found Reddy tackling country pop, bossa nova and blues. The album debuted on Billboard's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated July 12, 1975, and peaked at number 11 over the course of 34 weeks, and on the album chart in Canada's RPM magazine it got as high as number 13. On January 19, 1976, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded the album with Gold certification for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States, and on August 23, 2005, it was released for the first time on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD, the other album being her 1976 release, Music, Music.
Thomas Alexander Harvey was an American singer, songwriter, author, actor, and radio host.
"The Jamestown Ferry" is a song composed by Bobby Borchers and Mack Vickery. It was originally recorded and released as a single by American country artist, Tanya Tucker. The track was issued as a double A-side single in conjunction with "Love's the Answer" in October 1972. The singles both reached the top five of the American country chart and the top of the Canadian country chart. It was also included on Tucker's debut album called Delta Dawn.