I'm Coming Home (album)

Last updated
I'm Coming Home
Mathis-Coming.jpg
Studio album by
Johnny Mathis
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1973 [1]
RecordedMay 23–25, 1973 [1]
Studio Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia
Genre
Length41:06
Label Columbia
Producer Thom Bell [3]
Johnny Mathis chronology
Killing Me Softly with Her Song
(1973)		I'm Coming Home
(1973)		 Johnny Mathis Sings the Great Songs
(1974)
Singles from I'm Coming Home
  1. "I'm Coming Home"
    Released: July 27, 1973
  2. "Life Is a Song Worth Singing"
    Released: November 21, 1973
  3. "Sweet Child"
    Released: April 29, 1974
  4. "I'm Stone in Love with You"
    Released: April 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Billboard positive [4]

I'm Coming Home is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 21, 1973, [1] by Columbia Records and was mainly composed of material written by the songwriting team of its producer, Thom Bell, and Linda Creed. Unlike several of the Mathis albums before it, I'm Coming Home relied primarily on new songs and included only two covers of established chart hits, both of which were by The Stylistics ("I'm Stone in Love with You" and "Stop Look and Listen to Your Heart").

Contents

The album made its first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated November 17, 1973, and remained there for 22 weeks, peaking at number 115. [5] It also began an 11-week run on the UK album chart on March 8, 1975, during which time it made it to number 18. [6] On July 1, 1975, the British Phonographic Industry awarded the album with Silver certification for sales of 60,000 units. [7]

The title track was released as the first single from the album on July 27, 1973, [1] and entered Billboard's list of the 50 most popular Easy Listening songs in the US the following month in the issue of the magazine dated August 25 to begin an 18-week stay that included a week at number one—Mathis's first week in the top spot on that particular chart. [8] The song entered the Hot 100 in the September 22 issue, reaching number 75 over the course of 10 weeks, [9] and gave him his first Soul chart entry in almost 10 years when it started a five-week run in the October 6 issue that took the song to number 92. [10]

The second single released in the US, "Life Is a Song Worth Singing", made its first appearance on the Easy Listening chart in the issue dated December 22, 1973, and got as high as number eight during its 15 weeks there. [8] The December 29 issue saw its debut on the Hot 100, which resulted in a 12-week stay and a peak position at number 54, [9] and its eight-week Soul chart run began in the January 26 issue and took it to number 65. [10]

A third song from the album, "Sweet Child", began a five-week run on the Easy Listening chart that spring in the June 1 issue and got to number 35. [8]

The only song from the album to make the UK singles chart, "I'm Stone in Love with You", started its 12 weeks there on January 25, 1975, and made it to number 10. [11] It also entered the Easy Listening chart in the US two months later, on March 29, and reached number 16 during its nine weeks there. [8]

The album was released for the first time on compact disc on July 1, 2003. [12] On March 10, 2015, Real Gone Music released Life Is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions, a two-disc set featuring remastered editions of I'm Coming Home and Mathis and Bell's other LP collaboration, Mathis Is... , along with bonus tracks on each disc. [13]

History

Upon the album's CD release in 2003, writer Ellis Widner noted that the original release came at a point at which "Mathis knew it was time to refresh his music and renew his career. It had been four years since his last hit" [1] on the Billboard Hot 100 (1969's number 96 entry, "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet (A Time for Us)"). [9] Bell was fresh off of a series of hits with The Delfonics, The Stylistics, and The Spinners. "Following several smashes on both the pop and R&B charts, Bell was ready to approach what he calls 'the sterling of sterling: Mathis. I kept hearing Mathis in my mind. You work hard reaching that pinnacle to work with him. And that’s what I did. I worked as hard as I could. After I started with the Spinners is when I told my manager, "I’d like to grab Mathis."'" [14]

Before writing the songs for the album, Bell and Creed did extensive interviews with Mathis to get his "'thoughts about different things.'" [14] "'They're like internal musings,'" [14] said Mathis about the material that resulted. Bell recalls how moved the singer was by what they presented for him to record and how he explained, "'That's the reason we sat with you—to see what kind of person you are, to see what makes you tick.'" [14]

Bell also chose to present Mathis's voice in a different way. "'Everyone who recorded him had recorded his voice high,' he says. 'I took him from way in the air and brought him down. He has a much more mature, rich sound singing a little lower. He was so relieved. He couldn't believe I was taking him down.'" [14]

Reception

Billboard recommended the album. "When Mathis is provided with the proper material for his voice, sparks fly, and that's the case here." [4] They enjoyed several of the selections, including "I'm Stone in Love with You", "which he does majestically. His recent single-LP title tune is superb listening, as are 'And I Think That's What I'll Do', 'Life Is a Song Worth Singing' (a production masterpiece), and 'A Baby's Born'. Mathis sings with an inspired feeling, turning 'Stop Look and Listen to Your Heart' into a delightful thought for repeating." [4]

AllMusic's Craig Lytle wrote retrospectively: "Most of these numbers have that Stylistics, Spinners, and even Temptations aura, and are good listening songs." [2]

Track listing

All songs written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed except as noted:

Side one

  1. "I'm Coming Home" – 3:24
  2. "I'd Rather Be Here with You" – 3:47
  3. "Foolish" (T. Bell, Creed, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson) – 4:38
  4. "I'm Stone in Love with You" (Anthony Bell, T. Bell, Creed) – 3:30
  5. "And I Think That's What I'll Do" – 3:41

Side two

  1. "Life Is a Song Worth Singing" – 6:06
  2. "A Baby's Born" – 4:28
  3. "Sweet Child" – 4:02
  4. "Stop Look and Listen to Your Heart" – 4:18
  5. "I Just Wanted to Be Me" (Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson) – 3:12

Real Gone Music CD Bonus Tracks

Disc one (I'm Coming Home) bonus tracks
  1. "I'm Coming Home" (Stereo Single Version) – 3:24
  2. "I'm Stone in Love with You" (Unreleased Instrumental Version) – 3:30
  3. "And I Think That's What I'll Do" (Unreleased Instrumental Version) – 4:36
  4. "Life Is a Song Worth Singing" (Mono Single Edit - Short Version) – 3:20
Disc two (Mathis Is...) bonus tracks
  1. "Betcha by Golly, Wow" – 2:49
  2. "Break Up to Make Up" (T. Bell, Creed, Kenneth Gamble) – 3:50
  3. "You're As Right As Rain" – 3:02
  4. "You Brought Me Love" performed with Patti Austin (Andy Goldmark) – 4:07
  5. "You Make Me Feel Brand New" performed with Yolanda Adams – 5:12
  6. "Loving You-Losing You" (Mono Single Version) (LeRoy Bell, T. Bell) – 3:46
    • rec. in 1977 for his album Mathis Is...

Recording dates

From the liner notes for The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection : [15]

Personnel

Original album [3]

Real Gone Music reissue [16]

Related Research Articles

Thomas Randolph Bell was an American record producer, arranger and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. He found success as a producer and songwriter for the Delfonics, Stylistics, and Spinners. In June 2006, Bell was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2016, Bell was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

Linda Diane Creed, also known by her married name Linda Epstein, was an American songwriter and lyricist who teamed up with Thom Bell to produce some of the most successful Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Are Everything</span>

"You Are Everything" is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed and originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics.

<i>Life Is a Song Worth Singing</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Teddy Pendergrass

Life Is a Song Worth Singing is the second studio album by American recording artist Teddy Pendergrass, released on June 2, 1978 by Philadelphia International Records and Sony Music Entertainment.

"I'm Coming Home" is the title track from the 1973 album by Johnny Mathis. The song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed.

<i>Ill Search My Heart and Other Great Hits</i> 1964 greatest hits album by Johnny Mathis

I'll Search My Heart and Other Great Hits is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released by Columbia Records in April 1964 and gathered up five A-sides that reached the Billboard Hot 100, a corresponding B-side, and six songs that had previously been unreleased.

<i>The Great Years</i> 1964 greatest hits album by Johnny Mathis

The Great Years is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released by Columbia Records in July 1964. Billboard magazine described the two-LP set, which included chart hits and album tracks, as "the best of Mathis".

<i>The Shadow of Your Smile</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1966 studio album by Johnny Mathis

The Shadow of Your Smile is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released by Mercury Records in March 1966, and included covers of the same two Beatles songs that would be in stores one month later on an Andy Williams album of the same name. Mathis also tackled recent easy listening fare on this album in addition to show tunes from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and West Side Story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Stone in Love with You</span> 1972 single by The Stylistics

"I'm Stone in Love with You" is a 1972 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. The song is noted for lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr.'s distinctive falsetto singing, which he employs through most of the record. The song was written by Thom Bell, Linda Creed, and Anthony Bell.

<i>The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1972 studio album by Johnny Mathis

The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face) is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis released on May 10, 1972, by Columbia Records and continues in the tradition set by his recent studio releases of covering mostly current chart hits. A trio of selections on side one ("Love Theme from 'The Godfather' (Speak Softly Love)", "Theme from 'Summer of 42' (The Summer Knows)", and "Brian's Song (The Hands of Time)") originated as film scores and had lyrics added later.

<i>Me and Mrs. Jones</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Me and Mrs. Jones is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in January 1973 by Columbia Records. While it does cover several big chart hits of the day like his last album, Song Sung Blue, did, it also includes songs that didn't make the US Top 40 or had never charted.

<i>Killing Me Softly with Her Song</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Killing Me Softly with Her Song is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on May 25, 1973 by Columbia Records and leaned heavily on covers of the latest radio favorites.

<i>When Will I See You Again</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1975 studio album by Johnny Mathis

When Will I See You Again is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in March 1975 by Columbia Records and was again predominantly composed of covers of recent hit songs by other artists.

<i>I Only Have Eyes for You</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1976 studio album by Johnny Mathis

I Only Have Eyes for You is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on May 10, 1976, by Columbia Records and included two new songs, "Yellow Roses on Her Gown" and "Ooh What We Do", which was written specifically for him, as well as a contemporary arrangement of the 1934 title track that foreshadowed his recordings of standards that incorporated a disco beat a few years later.

<i>Mathis Is...</i> 1977 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Mathis Is... is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on February 21, 1977, by Columbia Records and reunites the singer with producer Thom Bell for the first time since their collaboration on I'm Coming Home in 1973. As with that project, Mathis Is... focuses primarily on new songs, the one exception being a cover of "Sweet Love of Mine" from the 1975 Pick of the Litter album by The Spinners.

<i>Tears and Laughter</i> 1980 compilation album by Johnny Mathis

Tears and Laughter is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in the UK in 1980 on the CBS Records label. The title summarizes how the album is thematically organized, with the back cover labeling side one as "Tears" and side two as "Laughter".

<i>The First 25 Years – The Silver Anniversary Album</i> 1981 compilation album by Johnny Mathis

The First 25 Years – The Silver Anniversary Album is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in 1981 by Columbia Records. The back cover of the album notes that there are four new tracks. A cover of the Commodores hit "Three Times a Lady" had been released on the UK version of his 1980 album Different Kinda Different, which was retitled All for You, but the Mathis rendition of the song makes its US debut here.

<i>Celebration – The Anniversary Album</i> 1981 compilation album by Johnny Mathis

Celebration – The Anniversary Album is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in the UK in 1981 by the CBS Records division of Columbia. Two of the covers on this release had not previously been included on any Mathis album: Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic" and a new version of Mathis's 1976 song "When a Child Is Born" that was recorded with Gladys Knight & the Pips and reached number 74 on the UK singles chart during a two-week run that began on December 26, 1981.

<i>The Mathis Collection</i> 1977 compilation album by Johnny Mathis

The Mathis Collection is a compilation album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in the UK in 1977 by CBS Records. The subtitle on the cover reads, "40 of my favorite songs", and a statement from Mathis in the liner notes says, "Songs are very personal things. On this double album I have attempted to put together a collection of those which are most meaningful for me. I hope they mean as much to you." The compilation includes six of the 12 songs that had reached the UK singles chart by the time of its release but focuses mainly on album tracks.

"Life Is a Song Worth Singing" is a song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. It was notably recorded by American Johnny Mathis on his 1973 album, I'm Coming Home, released by Columbia Records. The song was released as the second single from the album, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 (2003) I'm Coming Home by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records CK 85810.
  2. 1 2 3 "I'm Coming Home - Johnny Mathis". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 (1973) I'm Coming Home by Johnny Mathis [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records KC 32435.
  4. 1 2 3 "Top Album Picks". Billboard . 1973-11-03. p. 56.
  5. ↑ Whitburn 2010 , p. 504.
  6. ↑ "Johnny Mathis - Albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "BPI Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2017. Type Johnny Mathis in the Keywords box and select Artist in the Search by box and click Search.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Whitburn 2007 , p. 179.
  9. 1 2 3 Whitburn 2009 , p. 628.
  10. 1 2 Whitburn 2004 , p. 383.
  11. ↑ "Johnny Mathis - Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  12. ↑ "I'm Coming Home – Johnny Mathis – Release Info". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  13. ↑ "Life Is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Wikane, Christian John. "Coming Back to 'Coming Home': An Interview with Johnny Mathis and Thom Bell". popmatters.com. Popmatters Media, Inc. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  15. ↑ (2017) The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment 88985 36892 2.
  16. ↑ (2015) Life Is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment RGM 0342.

Bibliography

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.