"If You Could Read My Mind" | ||||
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Single by Gordon Lightfoot | ||||
from the album Sit Down Young Stranger | ||||
B-side | "Poor Little Allison" | |||
Released | December 1970 | |||
Recorded | November 1969 | |||
Studio | SunWest (Hollywood, California) | |||
Genre | Soft rock, folk rock | |||
Length | 3:48 | |||
Label | Reprise | |||
Songwriter(s) | Gordon Lightfoot | |||
Producer(s) | Lenny Waronker and Joseph Wissert | |||
Gordon Lightfoot singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"If You Could Read My Mind" on YouTube |
"If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot wrote the lyrics while he was reflecting on his own divorce. It reached No. 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart on commercial release in 1970 and charted in several other countries on international release in 1971. [1]
Lightfoot cited his divorce for inspiring the lyrics. [2] They came to him as he was sitting in a vacant Toronto house one summer. [3] The song compares events in his relationship to a ghost movie and a paperback romance novel. The lyrics include "I don't know where we went wrong. But the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back."
At the request of his daughter Ingrid, he performed the lyrics with a slight change: The line "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that you lack" is altered to "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that we lack." Lightfoot said in an interview that the difficulty with writing songs inspired by personal stories is that there is not always the emotional distance and clarity to make lyrical improvements such as the one his daughter suggested. [4]
The song was produced by Lenny Waronker and Joe Wissert at Sunwest Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, [5] with strings arranged by Nick DeCaro. [6]
The song is in A major and uses the subtonic chord. [7] According to Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon, the chorus of their song "Save a Prayer" was based on "If You Could Read My Mind".
This song first appeared on Lightfoot's 1970 album Sit Down Young Stranger , later renamed If You Could Read My Mind following the song's success.[ citation needed ]
On release, the song reached No. 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart and was his first recording to appear in the U.S., reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in February 1971. Later in the year, it reached No. 27 on the Australian singles chart and No. 30 on the United Kingdom's singles chart. The song also reached No. 1 for one week on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, [1] and was the first of four Lightfoot releases to reach No. 1.
In 1987, Lightfoot filed a lawsuit against Michael Masser, the composer of Whitney Houston's hit "The Greatest Love of All", alleging plagiarism of 24 bars of "If You Could Read My Mind"; the transitional section that begins "I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow" of the Masser song has the same melody as "I never thought I could act this way and I got to say that I just don't get it; I don't know where we went wrong but the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back" of Lightfoot's song.
Lightfoot stated that he dropped the lawsuit when he felt it was having a negative effect on the singer Houston because the lawsuit was about the writer and not her. [8] He also said that he did not want people to think that he had stolen his melody from Masser. [9] The case was settled out of court, and Masser issued a public apology. [10]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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"If You Could Read My Mind" | ||||
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Single by Stars on 54 | ||||
from the album 54: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, Volume 2 | ||||
Released | 1998 | |||
Genre | Dance-pop | |||
Length | 3:26 | |||
Label | Tommy Boy Music (UK) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Gordon Lightfoot | |||
Amber singles chronology | ||||
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Jocelyn Enriquez singles chronology | ||||
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Ultra Naté singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"If You Could Read My Mind" on YouTube |
House music collective Stars on 54—consisting of Amber,Jocelyn Enriquez,and Ultra Naté—recorded a version of the song for the 1998 film 54,reaching No. 3 on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart and Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart,as well as No. 6 in New Zealand and No. 10 in Spain. Australian music channel Max included this version of "If You Could Read My Mind" in its list of the "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2012. [19]
"Our favourite production during the '90s was the song "If You Could Read My Mind" by the group Stars on 54. (...) It featured Ultra Nate (to date, our favourite female singer), as well as Amber and Jocelyn Enriquez. Except for the short (but intense) "discussion" between the three performers about who would get the first verse, it was an amazing session. In the end, the film company Miramax re-shot the conclusion of the movie and had the group perform the track. That's how much they loved the song."
Can't Stop the Pop called "If You Could Read My Mind" "one of the most mind-bogglingly brilliant cover versions of the ‘90s", adding that it "remains a deeply fabulous single" and "a proudly ‘90s homage to disco that is as uplifting and joyous as there could be – and can now be rightly enjoyed as a triumphant celebration of everything that 54 represents." [21]
A music video was made to accompany the single release. It pays homage to aspects of the disco-era presented through a 1990s lens. Amber and Ultra Naté perform in a room where every surface is covered in LED dancefloor tiles. Jocelyn Enriquez is swinging on a giant disco ball. In the end, the singers performs together on the stage in a night club, all three dressed in red outfits. In between these scenes, several clips from the movie 54 are shown.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Club Mix) | 9:30 |
2. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (original club mix) | 6:11 |
3. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Dub Mix) | 7:00 |
4. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (The Shark Dub Mix) | 8:00 |
Total length: | 30:41 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (original edit) | 3:27 |
2. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Club Mix) | 7:48 |
3. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (original club mix) | 6:10 |
Total length: | 17:25 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (album version) | |
2. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (instrumental) |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [47] | Gold | 35,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"If You Could Read My Mind (25th Anniversary Edition)" | ||||
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Single by Stars on 54 | ||||
from the album 54: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, Volume 2 | ||||
Released | July 14, 2023 | |||
Genre | Dance-pop | |||
Label | Tommy Boy Records (Reservoir Media) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Gordon Lightfoot | |||
Amber singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"If You Could Read My Mind" on YouTube |
On July 14, 2023, Tommy Boy Records (Reservoir Media) issued the 16-track digital album "If You Could Read My Mind (25th Anniversary Edition)" by Stars on 54 to celebrate the quarter-century anniversary of the original single. This marked the first time that many of the versions were made available on digital platforms.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "If You Could Read My Mind" | 3:27 |
2. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Instrumental) | 3:36 |
3. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Original Club Mix) | 6:09 |
4. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Remix) | 3:35 |
5. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Remix - Extended) | 9:33 |
6. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Epic Piano Mix) | 4:13 |
7. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Dub Mix) | 7:04 |
8. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector 12 Inch Raw Remix) | 7:38 |
9. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector 12 Inch Raw Instrumental) | 7:38 |
10. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Uplifting Mix) | 10:15 |
11. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Uplifting Vocal) | 9:22 |
12. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Uplifting Reprise Version 1) | 7:05 |
13. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Uplifting Reprise Version 2) | 7:44 |
14. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's House on 54 Mix) | 9:45 |
15. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's House on 54 - Part 1 & 2) | 13:37 |
16. | "If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Anthem Mix) | 9:10 |
A 1980 cover by Viola Wills peaked at No. 2 for five weeks on the dance/disco charts with a dance version of the song [48] and at No. 80 in Australia. [49] Duane Steele reached No. 32 on the Canadian country charts with his version in 1998. [50] Johnny Cash also recorded a version of the song that was released posthumously on his 2006 album American V: A Hundred Highways , which topped the Billboard 200. [51]
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a 1976 hit song written, composed and performed by the Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot to memorialize the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. Lightfoot considered this song to be his finest work.
"Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson wrote the song based on a suggestion from Foster. A posthumously released version by Janis Joplin topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971, making the song the second posthumously released No. 1 single in U.S. chart history after "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. Gordon Lightfoot released a version that reached number 1 on the Canadian country charts in 1970. Jerry Lee Lewis released a version that was number 1 on the country charts in December 1971/January 1972 as the "B" side of "Would You Take Another Chance on Me". Billboard ranked Joplin's version as the No. 11 song for 1971.
Marie-Claire Cremers, known professionally as Amber, is a Dutch-born singer, songwriter, label owner, and executive producer. She is best known for her hits "This Is Your Night", "If You Could Read My Mind", and "Sexual ". In December 2016, Billboard ranked her as the 34th-most successful dance artist of all time. The magazine later declared her the #7 Dance Singles Sales Artist of the 2000s.
Ultra Naté Wyche is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and promoter who has achieved success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free", "If You Could Read My Mind", and "Automatic".
Jocelyn Enriquez is a Filipino American dance-pop singer born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her most popular songs are "Do You Miss Me", "A Little Bit of Ecstasy", and the Stars on 54 cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind". Her success helped inspire and pave the way for many Asian American, particularly Filipino Americans from the San Francisco Bay Area, artists during the mid to late 1990s such as Buffy, Kai, One Vo1ce, Pinay, Sharyn Maceren, and others.
"MacArthur Park" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb that was recorded first in 1967 by Irish actor and singer Richard Harris. Harris's version peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number four on the UK Singles Chart. "MacArthur Park" was subsequently covered by numerous artists, including a 1970 Grammy-winning version by country singer Waylon Jennings and a number one Billboard Hot 100 disco version by Donna Summer in 1978. Webb won the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the Harris version.
Sit Down Young Stranger is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's sixth original album and his best-selling original album. Shortly after its 1970 release on the Reprise Records label, it was renamed If You Could Read My Mind when the song of that title reached #1 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The album itself reached #12 on the Billboard 200 chart. In Canada, the album was on the charts from April 18, 1970, to November 27, 1971. It peaked at #8 on March 13, 1971 after an earlier peak at #12 on June 20, 1970. Its last 24 weeks were spent in the 90s, except for two appearances at #88 and one at #100.
"Love Hangover" is a song by the American singer Diana Ross, recorded in 1975 and released as a single on March 16, 1976. It rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot-Selling Soul Singles. It also hit number one on the Record World disco charts.
Summertime Dream is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's eleventh studio album, released on the Reprise Records label in 1976. It peaked at #1 on the Canadian RPM national album chart, and #12 on the US Billboard pop chart.
"Sundown" is a song by Canadian folk artist Gordon Lightfoot, from the titular album, released as a single in March 1974.
"Working My Way Back to You" is a song made popular by the Four Seasons in 1966 and the Spinners in 1980.
"These Eyes" is a song by the Canadian rock band The Guess Who. The song was co-written by the group's lead guitarist Randy Bachman and lead singer Burton Cummings and originally included on the band's 1969 album Wheatfield Soul. It was first released as a single, in their native Canada, where its chart success (#7), along with the influence of CKLW-AM Windsor's radio station music director Rosalie Trombley, helped land them a U.S. distribution deal with RCA Records. It was subsequently released in the U.S. in March 1969, and became a breakthrough success for the group, as it would be their first single to reach the top ten on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, peaking at number six, and would eventually be certified gold by the RIAA for sales of over one million copies. It was also a top ten hit in South Africa. While it was actually the 18th single released by the band overall, it was the first from the line-up of Cummings, Bachman, Jim Kale, and Garry Peterson as produced by Jack Richardson.
Stoney End is the twelfth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. Released in 1971 and produced by Richard Perry, it was a conscious change in direction for Streisand, having a more upbeat, contemporary pop/rock sound. It included cover versions of several songs by contemporary singer-songwriters, including Laura Nyro, Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell.
"She's a Lady" is a song written by Paul Anka and released on his album Paul Anka '70s. The most successful recording was performed by Tom Jones and released at the beginning of 1971. It is Jones's highest-charting single in the U.S..
If Not for You is the debut studio album by British-Australian singer-songwriter Olivia Newton-John, released in November 1971 by Festival Records. The album was released on the Pye International label in the UK as Olivia Newton-John, with a slightly different cover.
The discography of Canadian folk and country music singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot consists of 20 studio albums, three live albums, 16 greatest hits albums and 46 singles. Lightfoot's songs, including "For Lovin' Me", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Ribbon of Darkness"—a number one hit on the U.S. country chart with Marty Robbins's cover in 1965—and "Black Day in July" about the 1967 Detroit riot, brought him wide recognition in the 1960s. Canadian chart success with his own recordings began in 1962 with the No. 3 hit "(Remember Me) I'm the One", followed by recognition and charting abroad in the 1970s.
"Keep On Dancin'" is the debut single by Gary's Gang, a disco group from Queens, New York. The song became successful in several countries in 1979.
"Free" is a song by American recording artist Ultra Naté, released on March 31, 1997, through record label Strictly Rhythm. It was co-written by Naté, Lem Springsteen and John Ciafone, while production was held by both Springsteen and Ciafone. "Free" was served as the lead single from her third studio album, Situation: Critical (1997). Musically, the song is a house-influenced song that incorporates strong 1990s soul, dance-pop, garage and disco. The accompanying music video was directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, depicting Naté in an abandoned hospital.
"It's a Miracle" is a 1975 single by Barry Manilow and was the second release from his album, Barry Manilow II. "It's a Miracle" went to number twelve on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was Manilow's second number one on the U.S. Easy Listening chart, spending one week at number one in April 1975. The single also peaked at number fifteen on the disco/dance chart, and was the first of four entries on the chart. "It's a Miracle" was followed by "Could It Be Magic".
"Beautiful" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. This song, which is in the key of B major, first appeared on Lightfoot's 1972 LP Don Quixote and was the first of two singles released. The album's title track appeared on the B-side.
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