"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" | ||||
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Single by Chicago | ||||
from the album Chicago 16 | ||||
B-side | "Sonny Think Twice" | |||
Released | 17 May 1982 | |||
Genre | Soft rock [1] [2] | |||
Length |
| |||
Label | Full Moon, Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | Peter Cetera, David Foster | |||
Producer(s) | David Foster | |||
Chicago singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" on YouTube |
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is a 1982 power ballad by American rock band Chicago. It was written by bassist Peter Cetera, who also sang the lead vocals on the track, and producer David Foster. [3] It was released on May 17, 1982, as the lead single from the album Chicago 16 . On September 11 of that year, it reached No. 1 for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. [4] [5] It was the group's second No. 1 single. [6] It was their first top 50 hit since "No Tell Lover" in 1978 and it spent twelve weeks in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. [7] [8] The single was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, [9] and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in September of the same year. [10] Songwriter Cetera, a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), won an ASCAP Pop Music Award for the song in the category, Most Performed Songs. [11]
The song, as well as the album on which it is featured, was a marked departure from Chicago's traditional soft rock, horn-driven sound, taking on a polished and modern feel. With minimal horns, the track instead featured more layered synthesizers and heavier distorted guitar in a 1980s power ballad styling. A second movement of the song, "Get Away", prominently does feature the Chicago horns, and it was co-written by Robert Lamm. [12]
Deviating from Chicago's practice of having mostly band members playing on their albums, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" featured several session musicians. The song featured producer David Foster on the piano, Michael Landau and Chris Pinnick on guitars as well as two members of the American rock band Toto, including David Paich and Steve Porcaro both contributing synthesizers. The song's vocals were performed by Peter Cetera, who also plays acoustic guitar. The only other member of Chicago besides Cetera that played on the track was drummer Danny Seraphine.[ citation needed ]
Billboard called it a "stately pop ballad" with "even more of an orchestral sweep than usual." [13]
The song was also featured as the ending theme in the movie and soundtrack for Summer Lovers , [14] a 1982 film written and directed by Randal Kleiser, starring Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah and Valerie Quennessen, and filmed on location on the island of Santorini, Greece. [15]
Chicago made a music video for the song. According to Cetera, the videos for "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Love Me Tomorrow" were shot on the same day. [16] The band appears in a black colored room with diamonds on the wall.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [37] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [38] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ) [39] | Gold | 100,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [40] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [41] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [42] | Silver | 250,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [43] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" | ||||
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Single by Az Yet featuring Peter Cetera | ||||
from the album Az Yet | ||||
Released | February 3, 1997 | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 3:17 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Peter Cetera, David Foster | |||
Producer(s) | Babyface | |||
Az Yet singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" on YouTube |
American R&B group Az Yet included a cover version of "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" on their 1996 self-titled debut album, which was produced by Babyface. [44] A remix version by David Foster [45] was released as a single on February 3, 1997 and features vocals from Peter Cetera. [45] [46] Foster won a BMI Pop Award for this version. [47] The song peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. [48] It reached platinum status [49] and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Performance by an R&B Group or Duo with Vocal. [50] [51] Aside from the David Foster remix, the single includes the album version (without Cetera), an a cappella version, and an extended remix.
CD-single
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [76] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [77] | Platinum | 10,000* |
United States (RIAA) [78] | Platinum | 1,100,000 [79] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | January 7, 1997 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | [80] | |
February 3, 1997 |
| [ citation needed ] | ||
United Kingdom | June 9, 1997 | [81] |
Peter Paul Cetera Jr. is a retired American musician best known for being a frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band Chicago from 1967 until his departure in 1985. His career as a recording artist encompasses 17 studio albums with Chicago and eight solo studio albums.
Chicago 16 is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Chicago, released on June 7, 1982. It is considered their "comeback" album because it was their first album to go platinum since 1978's Hot Streets. It made it into the Billboard 200 top ten, and produced their second number one single in the United States, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry". The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August, 1982, two months after its release, and platinum in December, 1982. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Greatest Hits 1982–1989 is the third greatest hits album by the American band Chicago, released by Full Moon/Reprise Records on November 21, 1989. It became one of Chicago's biggest selling albums, having been certified five times platinum in the United States.
The Heart of Chicago 1967–1997 is the fifth greatest hits album, and twenty-third album overall, by the American band Chicago, released in 1997. It was compiled to commemorate the group's 30th anniversary of their formation.
You're the Inspiration: A Collection is the sixth solo album by Peter Cetera released in 1997. It was the second album released by Cetera for River North Records. The album is a collection of previously recorded duets, a few new songs and a few re-recordings of old Chicago hits.
Marc Nelson is an American singer and songwriter.
Az Yet is an American R&B group from Philadelphia, best known for their songs "Last Night" and the cover "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" originally performed by Chicago.
"After All" is a song performed as a duet by American singers Cher and Peter Cetera, released on March 3, 1989 by Geffen Records. It was used as the love theme for the film Chances Are and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 62nd Academy Awards. The song was also the first North American single release from Cher's nineteenth album Heart of Stone. The song appears on Peter Cetera's 1997 album You're The Inspiration – A Collection and his 2017 album, The Very Best of Peter Cetera.
"Look Away" is a 1988 power ballad by American rock band Chicago. Written by Diane Warren, produced by Ron Nevison, and with Bill Champlin on lead vocals, it is the second single from the band's album Chicago 19. "Look Away" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in December 1988, becoming the group's third and final number one hit, following "If You Leave Me Now" (1976) and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (1982). "Look Away" is Chicago's seventh song to have peaked at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and it was also the No. 1 song on the 1989 year-end Billboard Hot 100 chart, even though it never held the No. 1 spot at all in 1989. This is because Billboard's year-end chart covers the charts as far back as late November of the previous year.
"25 or 6 to 4" is a song written by American musician Robert Lamm, one of the founding members of the band Chicago. It was recorded in August 1969 for their second album, Chicago, with Peter Cetera on lead vocals, and released as a single in June 1970.
"Glory of Love" is a 1986 song performed by Peter Cetera, which he wrote and composed with his then-wife Diane Nini and David Foster. The song was recorded by Cetera shortly after he left the band Chicago to pursue a solo career. Featured in the film The Karate Kid Part II (1986), it was Cetera's first hit single after he left the band, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was included on his album Solitude/Solitaire (1986), which Michael Omartian produced.
"The Next Time I Fall" is a song written by Bobby Caldwell and Paul Gordon and recorded by a duet of Peter Cetera and Amy Grant for Cetera's 1986 album Solitude/Solitaire. It reached number one on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In February 2020, it was listed on a Billboard pop music list of top 25 love song duets.
"Baby, What a Big Surprise" is a ballad written by Chicago's then bassist/singer Peter Cetera, which appeared on their album Chicago XI (1977), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The first single released from the album reached number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"No Tell Lover" is a song written by Lee Loughnane, Danny Seraphine, and Peter Cetera for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Hot Streets (1978), with Cetera and Donnie Dacus singing lead vocals. The second single released from that album, it reached No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 5 on the adult contemporary chart.
"Hard Habit to Break" is a song written by Steve Kipner and John Lewis Parker, produced and arranged by David Foster and recorded by the group Chicago for their 1984 album Chicago 17, with Bill Champlin and Peter Cetera sharing lead vocals. Released as the second single from the album, it reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was prevented from charting higher by "Caribbean Queen" by Billy Ocean and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder. "Hard Habit to Break" also peaked at No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The lyrics of the song appear to describe a man having a hard time getting over a significant other getting away after he took her for granted and she left him for someone else. Overseas it peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Love Me Tomorrow" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago 16 (1982), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The second single released from the album, it reached No. 22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 8 on the adult contemporary chart. Songwriter Cetera, a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), won an ASCAP Pop Music Award for the song in the category, Most Performed Songs.
"Stay the Night" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago 17 (1984), with Cetera singing the lead vocals. The song features noted session Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro taking the place of Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine.
"You're the Inspiration" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their fourteenth studio album Chicago 17 (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The third single released from that album, it reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1985 and also climbed to the top position on the Adult Contemporary chart at the same time. The song won honors for Foster and Cetera from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), in 1986 in the most-performed songs category.
"Along Comes a Woman" is a song written by Peter Cetera and Mark Goldenberg for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago 17 (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The fourth single released from that album, it is the last Chicago single released with original singer/bassist Cetera, who left the band in the summer of 1985.
Az Yet is the eponymous debut album by American R&B recording group Az Yet, released in 1996. The album spawned two charting singles including the lead single "Last Night" and the cover of the Chicago song, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry". As of April 2002, the album has sold over a million, being certified Platinum.
This album was first issued as Full Moon/Warner Bros. #23689 (5/26/82)