"Easy" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Commodores | ||||
from the album Commodores | ||||
B-side | "Can't Let You Tease Me" | |||
Released | March 1977 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | Motown | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lionel Richie | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Commodores singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Official video | ||||
"Easy" on YouTube |
"Easy" is a song by American band Commodores from their fifth studio album, Commodores (1977), released on the Motown label. Group member Lionel Richie wrote "Easy" with the intention of it becoming another crossover hit for the group given the success of a previous single, "Just to Be Close to You", which spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart (now known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart) and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. [5]
Released in March 1977, "Easy" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart (for a single week, on July 16) and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of "Easy" paved the way for similar Richie-composed hit ballads such as "Three Times a Lady" and "Still", and also for Richie's later solo hits.
American rock band Faith No More covered the song in 1992 and released it as a single in December of that year. This version became a worldwide hit, reaching number one in Australia and becoming a top-ten hit in eight other countries. On the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number 58.
Written by Commodores lead singer Lionel Richie, the song is a slow ballad expressing a man's relief as a relationship ends. Rather than being depressed about the break-up, he states that he is instead "easy like Sunday morning"—something that Richie described as evocative of "small Southern towns that die at 11:30pm" on a Saturday night, such as his hometown Tuskegee, Alabama. [6] The song is written in the key of A♭ major [7] and modulates up a semitone to A major.
In the bridge section, following the opening line: "I wanna be high, so high", there is a distinctive electric guitar glide. An electric guitar solo is heard in the instrumental section of the song.
Richie re-recorded a version of the song for his 2012 studio album Tuskegee which features country singer Willie Nelson. [8]
Cash Box called it "a bluesy ballad that verifies the Commodores' versatility and professionalism as all-around musicians." [9] Record World said that "the Commodores become the latest r&b outfit to shift gears and offer a ballad – it's one of their best melodies." [10]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [24] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [25] sales since 2009 | Gold | 25,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [26] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Easy" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Faith No More | ||||
from the album Angel Dust | ||||
A-side | "Be Aggressive" (UK and Ireland) | |||
B-side | "Das Schutzenfest" | |||
Released | December 29, 1992 | |||
Length | 3:08 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Lionel Richie | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Faith No More singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Easy" on YouTube |
American rock band Faith No More recorded a cover of "Easy" (renamed "I'm Easy" in Europe) during the studio sessions for Angel Dust , [27] following its repeated performance during live shows. It was released as the final single to the album in late 1992. Faith No More's version of "Easy" closely follows the original version, but omits the second verse of the Commodores recording and features a slightly more aggressive drum sound and guitar solo. Faith No More initially played "Easy" to replace their cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" that was a fixture of their concerts during this era. Faith No More wanted to break from the typical rock band mold and also aimed to spite the heavy metal fans who attended Faith No More's concerts expecting "War Pigs". Bassist Billy Gould said the version was a straightforward cover because "we like ["Easy"] in a painful kind of way. It gives us memories of our childhood". [28] [29] When asked about the cover, Lionel Richie himself replied that "I was actually quite flattered about the song. Yes, I loved it!" [30]
"Easy" was originally issued on December 29, 1992, as a double A-side single with "Be Aggressive". The double A-side peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's highest-charting UK hit, and number five on the Irish Singles Chart. "Easy" also reached number one in Australia for two weeks in May 1993 and peaked within the top five on the charts of Belgium, Finland, Iceland, Ireland and Norway. In the United States, the song was Faith No More's last single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 58 in April 1993. It was later included on the European version of their album Angel Dust .
The song was released under three titles: "I'm Easy", "I'm Easy (Cooler Version)", and "Easy". The title varies depending upon the region of release or whether it was the single or part of the album Angel Dust. As a single, in most countries apart from the United States, Australia and Japan, releases had the title "I'm Easy". In the aforementioned countries, the title was simply "Easy" with the German special edition using "I'm Easy (Cooler Version)". There are at least two different mixes in circulation, all of which originate from the same studio recording of the song.
The first mix has a voice-over by Mike Patton during the first few seconds of the song: "Turn the lights out, baby. This one's for the ladies in the house". It also has fewer guitar overdubs, a slightly different bass line before the guitar solo, and more reverb on the entire track. The second version, sometimes listed as the "Cooler Version" as titled on the German special edition of the single, lacks this voice-over but features a background string-synth arrangement throughout the song as well as the "missing" guitar parts not found in the other mix. This latter version is the one used in the music video for the song.
The first version was included on all London Records releases of the single and Angel Dust apart from the German special edition, while the second version was included on the Slash and Slash/Liberation releases of the single, on Angel Dust and on retrospective compilations release by Slash, London Records, Rhino and Liberation.
The Songs to Make Love To release, which was titled "Easy" on some pressings, was the American and Canadian release of the single. Its track list, which was almost identical to the German "I'm Easy" – special edition version which replaces track three with the re-recording of "As the Worm Turns" and is similar to the standard edition versions of "I'm Easy" which had the Revolution 23 Full Moon mix of "A Small Victory" as its third and last track, is as follows: [31]
The double A-side release, "I'm Easy" / "Be Aggressive", features "Easy" and "Be Aggressive" as its first two tracks in addition to two live tracks, with the exception of one fully live version which is identical to the Free Concert in the Park bonus disc and a two-track French version. The standard track list is as follows: [31]
The Japanese version was released separately as a seven-track EP under the name of "Easy" with the "I'm Easy" / "Be Aggressive" cover image along with six live tracks that also featured on other versions of the single; its track list was as follows: [31]
† Live in Munich, Germany, on November 9, 1992
‡ Live in Dekalb, Illinois, September 20, 1992
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [53] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Europe | December 29, 1992 |
| [63] | |
United States | March 4, 1993 |
| ||
Japan | April 16, 1993 | CD |
|
American singer and songwriter Sky Ferreira released a rendition of the song for the soundtrack of the 2017 film Baby Driver , in which she plays Baby's mother. It was produced by Nigel Godrich. To promote the track, a music video directed by the film's director, Edgar Wright, was released on September 4, 2017. [64] On September 7, 2017, the video was uploaded to the 30th Records's official VEVO account. [65]
Yoo Young-jin covered the song on his 1995 album Blue Rhythm - The 2nd Album.
Boyz II Men covered the song on their 2007 album Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA .
Westlife covered the song on their 2006 album The Love Album (Westlife album) .
Charles Givings covered the song on his 2003 album Songs for Sunset Lovers.
Barbara Mason covered the song on the compilation Another Man.
"Easy" was sampled by the Houston-based rap group Geto Boys for the song "Six Feet Deep" from their 1993 album Till Death Do Us Part . It was also used as a sample in Cam'ron's song "Hey Ma".[ citation needed ]
Commodores, often billed as The Commodores, is an American funk and soul group. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer.
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recording the hit singles "Easy", "Sail On", "Three Times a Lady" and "Still" with the group before his departure. In 1980, he wrote and produced the US Billboard Hot 100 number one single "Lady" for Kenny Rogers.
Commodores is the fifth studio album by the Commodores, released in 1977. The album spent eight weeks at the top of the R&B/soul albums chart, the second of their albums to do so, and was their first Top 5 pop album. There is also a previously released extended version.
Can't Slow Down is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Lionel Richie. It was released on October 14, 1983, by Motown Records.
"All Night Long (All Night)" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down (1983). The song combined Richie's Commodores style with Caribbean influences. The single reached number one on three Billboard charts (pop, R&B and adult contemporary). In the UK, it peaked at number two on the singles chart.
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and singer/actress Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with R&B-pop singer Mariah Carey, and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Richie's friend Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time.
"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group Commodores for their album Natural High, written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and Commodores.
"Nightshift" is a 1985 song by the Commodores and the title track from their album of the same name. The song was written by lead singer Walter Orange in collaboration with Dennis Lambert and Franne Golde as a tribute to soul/R&B singers Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, both of whom died in 1984. The song was released as the album's first single in January 1985 by Motown Records. "Nightshift" was recorded in 1984 and became the Commodores' first hit after Lionel Richie's departure from the group. Bruce Springsteen covered the song in his 2022 studio album, Only the Strong Survive.
"Hello" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down (1983), the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart, the R&B chart, and the Adult Contemporary chart. The song also went to number one on the UK Singles Chart for six weeks.
Lionel Richie is an American R&B and pop singer, who has released 11 studio albums, three live albums, and seven compilation albums. Formerly the lead vocalist of The Commodores, Richie began a solo career in the early 1980s and has released over 40 singles, five of which became number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Brick House" is a song from the Commodores' 1977 self-titled album. The single peaked at number 5 in the U.S. and number 32 in the UK Singles Chart.
"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on July 26, 1993 by Mercury and Jambco, as the fourth single from their fifth studio album, Keep the Faith (1992). The song was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child. "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 97 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and No. 29 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks charts. The grave of the Doors' lead singer Jim Morrison was featured in the song's music video.
"Truly" is the debut solo single by American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. Resuming where he left off with D-flat major tunes "Sail On" and particularly "Still" when he was lead for the Commodores, Richie wrote the song and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael.
"Lady" is a song written by Lionel Richie and first recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in September 1980 on the album Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits.
The discography of Faith No More, an American rock group, consists of seven studio albums, nineteen singles, one live album, five compilations, four video albums.
"You Are" is a song released as a single in 1983 by American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. It was written by Richie and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey Richie. It appears on his self-titled debut solo album, which came out in 1982. It resumes where he left off with D-flat major tunes with Commodores' "Sail On" and "Still", and his solo effort "Truly".
Endless Love: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name. The album was released worldwide by Mercury Records and PolyGram in 1981.
"My Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. It was released in 1983 as the third and final single from his self-titled debut solo album. The song features harmony backing vocals by country music singer Kenny Rogers. It reached the top 10 on three notable Billboard magazine charts in the spring of 1983: on the Billboard Hot 100 the song peaked at No. 5; on the Adult Contemporary chart, the song spent four weeks at No. 1; and on the R&B chart, the song topped out at No. 6. "My Love" was not among Richie's more successful singles in the United Kingdom, where it only managed to reach No. 70 on the UK Singles Chart. In Canada, it peaked at No. 28 on the RPM Top 100 Singles chart.
"Stuck on You" is a song written and originally recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie. It was the fourth single released from his second studio album, Can't Slow Down, released in June 1984, by Motown, and achieved chart success, particularly in the US and the UK, where it peaked at number three and number 12, respectively. "Stuck on You" reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart, Richie's seventh chart topper.
"Sail On" is a Commodores song written by Lionel Richie from their 1979 album Midnight Magic. Released as the first of three singles from the album, it was produced by both Commodores and James Anthony Carmichael. The song reached the top ten on both the US and UK music charts that same year. Richie later recorded the song with Tim McGraw for 2012's Tuskegee.
'Sweet Love,' 'Just To Be Close To You,' and 'Easy' are all recognizably soul songs.