Goodbye My Lover

Last updated

"Goodbye My Lover"
Goodbye my lover.jpg
Single by James Blunt
from the album Back to Bedlam
ReleasedNovember 2005 (2005-11)
Length4:18
Label
Songwriter(s) James Blunt, Sacha Skarbek
Producer(s) Tom Rothrock
James Blunt singles chronology
"High"
(2005)		"Goodbye My Lover"
(2005)		"Wisemen"
(2006)
Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Goodbye My Lover"
James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover" from Back to Bedlam
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"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.

Contents

"Goodbye My Lover" was released as the fourth single in November 2005 and reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, where it became Blunt's second top ten single. It also reached the top ten in Sweden, Belgium, Australia and France. In the United States, "Goodbye My Lover" reached number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 due to digital downloads, even though the single was not yet released in the US. The song was formally released in the United States on 7 November 2006.

Recording

While in Los Angeles, Blunt lodged with Carrie Fisher, whom he had met through the family of a former girlfriend. Fisher was very supportive of Blunt's aspirations, and provided the use of a bathroom in her home that featured a piano for him to record "Goodbye My Lover". [1] Blunt later said, "Everyone sings in the shower and everyone in Los Angeles seems to have a piano in the bathroom." [1]

Release

The single was released on three physical formats. CD1 includes an exclusive non-album recording, "Close Your Eyes", which was first written during Blunt's army days. CD2 includes a further non-album recording, "Where Is My Mind" performed live in Manchester, plus the video for "Goodbye My Lover" and behind-the-scenes "Making-Of" footage. The 7-inch vinyl includes the live version of "Where Is My Mind". [2]

Music video

"Goodbye My Lover" featured a music video that was directed by Sam Brown and was filmed on 28 October 2005 in Los Angeles. In the video Blunt is featured sitting in a darkened room by himself, reflecting on a past relationship. In what appears to be the same room, but in daylight, a young man and woman, the former lovers, share an intimate moment. The video was shot in the former home of Randolph Scott. [3] The young woman in the video was played by Mischa Barton. The young man in the video was played by Matt Dallas.

Chart performance

In December 2005, "Goodbye My Lover" was released in the United Kingdom. The song became Blunt's second top ten single when it peaked at number nine on the singles chart, and spent a total of 14 weeks in the top 75. Outside of the UK, the song was also successful. It reached number one in Sweden and became Blunt's second number one on the singles chart.

"Goodbye My Lover" was released in Australia in December 2005 and debuted at number eight before ascending the chart to number three, remaining inside the top ten for 16 weeks, a feat rarely reached in recent years.

Due to the favourable reception of Blunt's previous single "You're Beautiful", "Goodbye My Lover" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at number 100, even though it had not been released as a single in the U.S. The single appeared on the chart backed solely on the strength of digital sales after a re-run of an episode of Saturday Night Live that featured Blunt performing the song. It later re-entered the Billboard Hot 100, again due to digital downloads, as a result of Blunt's performance of the song on The Oprah Winfrey Show .

Track listings

CD1

  1. "Goodbye My Lover" – 4:18
  2. "Close Your Eyes" – 3:06

CD2

  1. "Goodbye My Lover" – 4:18
  2. "Where Is My Mind" (live in Manchester) – 4:55
  3. "Goodbye My Lover" (the making of the video) – 3:00
  4. "Goodbye My Lover" (video) – 4:19

7-inch vinyl

  1. "Goodbye My Lover" – 4:18
  2. "Where Is My Mind" (live in Manchester) – 4:55

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [38] Platinum70,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [39] Platinum8,000^
Italy (FIMI) [40] Gold15,000‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [41] Gold20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [42] Platinum600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [43] Gold500,000^

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

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
WorldwideNovember 2005—[ citation needed ]
Australia12 December 2005CD [44]
United Kingdom19 December 2005
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [45]
United States21 August 2006 Hot adult contemporary radio [46]
20 November 2006 Contemporary hit radio [47]

Related Research Articles

<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.

<i>Back to Bedlam</i> 2004 studio album by James Blunt

Back to Bedlam is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter James Blunt, released on 11 October 2004 by Custard and Atlantic Records. It is named after the famous psychiatric institution of Bethlem Royal Hospital, which is commonly known as Bedlam.

<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">Far Away (Nickelback song)</span> 2006 single by Nickelback

"Far Away" is a song by Canadian band Nickelback. First released on January 23, 2006, in Australia, it was the second international single, fourth US single, and third single overall from the band's fifth album, All the Right Reasons (2005). "Far Away" peaked at number eight in the United States, making All the Right Reasons the only Nickelback album to date to have more than one top-10 hit. The band's lead singer and guitarist Chad Kroeger described this song on the Tour when in Australia as the "only real love song" that Nickelback has. He described many others as "being about love" but not solely about "being in love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maneater (Nelly Furtado song)</span> 2006 single by Nelly Furtado

"Maneater" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her third studio album, Loose (2006). The song was written by Furtado, Jim Beanz, and its producers Timbaland, and Danja. It was released to mainstream radio in the United States in July 2006. The song's musical style and production were inspired by the Hall & Oates song of the same name and other music from the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Me & U (Cassie song)</span> 2006 single by Cassie

"Me & U" is the debut single by American singer Cassie. It was released on April 25, 2006, as the lead single from her self-titled debut album (2006). Written and produced by Ryan Leslie, the song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained in the chart's top 40 for nearly five months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me</span> 2006 single by Sean Paul

"(When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me" is a song written by Jamaican rapper Sean Paul for his third album, The Trinity (2005). The single meant to be released after "Temperature" was "Breakout" but was switched to "Give It Up to Me" to promote the film Step Up (2006). It was the fourth US single to be taken from the album and the fifth UK single. The version released as a single is a collaboration with Keyshia Cole and is from the Step Up film soundtrack. Despite The Trinity being re-released just before the single release, the version with Keyshia Cole does not appear on the album despite a "radio version" being added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Feel Like Dancin'</span> 2006 single by Scissor Sisters

"I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" is a song by American pop band Scissor Sisters. It was released in August 2006 as the first single from their second album, Ta-Dah (2006). The song was written by Jason Sellards, Scott Hoffman and Elton John, the last of whom provides piano for the song, and was the band's first top-10 single in many countries, peaking at number one in nine of them.

<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">1973 (song)</span> 2007 single by James Blunt

"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).

<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">Sex on Fire</span> 2008 single by Kings of Leon

"Sex on Fire" is the first single released from American rock band Kings of Leon's fourth studio album, Only by the Night. The song gave Kings of Leon their first number-one single in Australia, Finland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, charting at the top spot on digital downloads alone in the latter country, before its physical release. In September 2009, it was Britain's second most-downloaded digital single ever. The song has sold 1.2 million copies in the United Kingdom as of November 2012. It has also gained significant popularity in the United States, reaching number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's second highest-charting song there on the latter chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impossible (Shontelle song)</span> 2010 single by Shontelle

"Impossible" is a song by Barbadian singer Shontelle. It is the lead single from her second studio album, No Gravity (2010). The song was written by Arnthor Birgisson and Ina Wroldsen, and produced by Birgisson. It was released digitally on February 9, 2010. "Impossible" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, number 33 in Canada, number nine in the United Kingdom and number five in Denmark.

<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">Promiscuous (song)</span> 2006 single by Nelly Furtado

"Promiscuous" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her third studio album, Loose (2006). The song was written by Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley, Furtado and Nate "Danja" Hills. The song's lyrics feature a conversation between a man and woman who call each other promiscuous. The song was released as the second single from the album on April 25, 2006.

<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">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">Without Me (Eminem song)</span> 2002 single by Eminem

"Without Me" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fourth studio album The Eminem Show (2002). "Without Me" was released on May 13, 2002, as the lead single from the album, and re-released on his greatest hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits (2005). "Without Me" is one of Eminem's most successful singles, reaching number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and number one in fifteen countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Do I Say Goodbye</span> 2022 single by Dean Lewis

"How Do I Say Goodbye" is a song by Australian singer and songwriter Dean Lewis. The song was released on 2 September 2022 as the third single from Lewis's second studio album, The Hardest Love.

References

  1. 1 2 Greenwood, Carl (21 October 2013). "James Blunt stayed with Princess Leia to record album in bathroom". The Mirror. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  2. ↑ Images for James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover
  3. ↑ Making of James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover" Music Video, Goodbye My Lover [Single] Enhanced CD, 2005.
  4. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200640 into search. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  11. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover". Tracklisten. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "Hits of the World: Eurocharts". Music & Media . Vol. 118, no. 3. 21 January 2006. p. 71.
  13. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  15. ↑ "IFPI archive". Archived from the original on 4 April 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2006.
  16. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Goodbye My Lover". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  17. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 5, 2006" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  18. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  19. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  20. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover". VG-lista. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  21. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  22. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  23. ↑ "James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  24. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  26. ↑ "James Blunt Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  27. ↑ "Pop 100". Billboard . Vol. 118, no. 12. 25 March 2006. p. 72.
  28. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  29. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2006" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  30. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2006" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  31. ↑ "European Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  32. ↑ "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 2006" (in French). SNEP . Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  33. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2006". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  34. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2006" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  35. ↑ "Årslista Singlar, År 2006" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  36. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2006". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  37. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2006". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  38. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  39. ↑ "Guld Og Platin November/December/Januar". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
  40. ↑ "Italian single certifications – James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 12 January 2015. Select "2015" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Goodbye My Lover" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  41. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Goodbye My Lover')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  42. ↑ "British single certifications – James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  43. ↑ "American single certifications – James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  44. ↑ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 12th December 2005" (PDF). ARIA. 12 December 2005. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  45. ↑ "The Schedule: Singles". Music Week . 17 December 2005. p. 17.
  46. ↑ "ACQB: Available for Airplay". FMQB . Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  47. ↑ "FMQB: CHR". FMQB. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 27 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.