Something to Talk About (Bonnie Raitt song)

Last updated

"Something to Talk About"
Something to Talk About (Bonnie Raitt song) coverart.jpg
Single by Bonnie Raitt
from the album Luck of the Draw
ReleasedMay 20, 1991 (1991-05-20) [1]
RecordedNovember 1990−February 1991
Genre Blues-pop [2]
Length3:47
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Shirley Eikhard
Producer(s) Bonnie Raitt, Don Was
Bonnie Raitt singles chronology
"Love Letter"
(1990)
"Something to Talk About"
(1991)
"I Can't Make You Love Me"
(1991)

"Something to Talk About" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Shirley Eikhard and recorded by American singer Bonnie Raitt for her 1991 album Luck of the Draw . It was serviced to US radio on June 3, 1991. Two single versions were released: a 7-inch single with the B-side "One Part Be My Lover" and a 12-inch single with these two songs and "I Ain't Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again". In turn, this song was included on the EP version of Raitt’s 2000 single of "The Fundamental Things" taken from her 1998 album Fundamental . It was also included in 2003’s greatest hits compilation The Best of Bonnie Raitt . Live versions appear on 1995's Road Tested and 2006's Bonnie Raitt and Friends.

Contents

Background

Anne Murray wanted to record this song in 1985, but her producers did not think it would be a hit. [3] She still called the album that she released that year Something to Talk About even though it did not include this song. [4]

Chart performance

The song was popular on multiple formats of radio: it peaked at number five on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, [5] number 12 on the Album Rock Tracks chart, [6] and number five on the Hot 100, becoming her highest-charting hit and is her only single to reach the top 10 on the chart. [7] It was also a success in Canada, where it rose to number three on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, [8] and in New Zealand, where it reached number 33. [9]

Music video

The video for the song was directed by Matt Mahurin. It features Raitt with two guitarists performing the song at a community event, while other scenes show older couples dancing, people in silly wardrobe acting goofy for a film crew, and many people in a swimming pool.

Nominations and awards

Raitt won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1992 for her recording of this song (Oleta Adams, Mariah Carey, Amy Grant and Whitney Houston were the other finalists). The track also received a nomination for Record of the Year, losing to "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. [10]

Eikhard received a Juno Award nomination as Songwriter of the Year at the Juno Awards of 1992, [11] and later a SOCAN Classics award from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. [12]

Charts

Cover versions

YearSinger/groupAlbumComments
1998 Willie Clayton Something to Talk About [21]
2000Tom Ball, Kenny Blackwell, Dennis "Cannonball" Caplinger, Tom Corbett, Rudi Ekstein, Curtis Jones, John Moore, Bob Nichols, David West and Gabe WitcherAngel from Montgomery: Bluegrass Celebrates Bonnie Rait
2003St. Lawrence University SinnersSing
2005WencheI’m a Country Girl
2006Yester, Belland & SomervilleTriple Gold
2007Eddie Levert Sr. & Gerald LevertSomething to Talk About
2007 SHeDAISY The Guardian Soundtrack
2007Melanie Joy HallFalling to the Moon
2007 Sanjaya Malakar American Idol Season 6: Greatest Hits: Collector's Edition
2009Heidi EllisMaritime Idol 2008
2010 Note-oriety Get Gone
  • a cappella version
2012X-FactorsThe Pink Album
  • a cappella version
2013 Jennifer Love Hewitt N/A
  • sung on her show "The Client List"
2017 Britney Spears N/A

"Something to Talk About" was utilized as the theme for the 1995 sitcom Women of the House (CBS-TV): this version was sung by the song's composer Shirley Eikhard.

In 2007, the country music group SHeDAISY recorded a cover of "Something to Talk About" for the soundtrack to the film The Guardian .

The song has been performed numerous times on American Idol , including by Kimberly Caldwell in season 2, Fantasia Barrino in season 3, Kellie Pickler in season 5 and Sanjaya Malakar in season 6. Sanjaya changed "how about love" from the chorus to "other than hair" during his farewell performance.

David Cross and Jon Benjamin perform a live duet on the 2007 DVD The Comedians Of Comedy: Live at the Troubadour. It was sung by Will Ferrell in the 2008 film Step Brothers and also featured in the 1995 film Something to Talk About starring Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid.

Also, in 2008, the song was covered by Daryl Hall on his video podcast show, Live From Daryl's House with special guest, KT Tunstall. [22]

In August 2017, Britney Spears covered the song during her Las Vegas residency show Britney: Piece of Me. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Raitt</span> American musician (born 1949)

Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk, and country. She was also a frequent session player and collaborator with other artists, including Warren Zevon, Little Feat, Jackson Browne, the Pointer Sisters, John Prine, and Leon Russell.

<i>Sudden Stop</i> 1990 studio album by Colin James

Sudden Stop is the second studio album by Canadian blues musician Colin James released in 1990 on Virgin Records. The album was recorded in Vancouver and Memphis, Tennessee.

Mae Moore is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her music is a blend of pop, folk and jazz. Her most successful album, 1992's Bohemia, was an international hit, although her other albums have been successful mainly in Canada. Over the course of her career, Moore achieved nine top 40 singles in Canada, as well as two JUNO nominations, two Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations, and won two SOCAN Awards. Moore's second album, Bohemia, drew critical acclaim and was released internationally. Her biggest hit, "Genuine", became a top 10 hit in June 1995 and was one of Canada's ten most-performed compositions of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emotions (Mariah Carey song)</span> 1991 single by Mariah Carey

"Emotions" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey for her second studio album of the same name (1991). It was written and produced by Carey, Robert Clivillés, and David Cole of C+C Music Factory and released as the album's lead single on August 13, 1991 by Columbia Records. The song's lyrics has its protagonist going through a variety of emotions from high to low, up to the point where she declares, "You got me feeling emotions." Musically, it is a gospel and R&B song heavily influenced by 1970s disco music and showcases Carey's upper range and extensive use of the whistle register. Jeff Preiss directed the song's music video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Steady (Bonnie Raitt and Bryan Adams song)</span> 1995 single by Bonnie Raitt with Bryan Adams

"Rock Steady" is a song from American blues singer Bonnie Raitt's first live album, Road Tested (1995), written by Bryan Adams and Gretchen Peters. The song was written as a duet with Adams and Raitt for her Road Tested Tour, which also became one of her albums. The original demo version of the song appears on Adams' 1996 single "Let's Make a Night to Remember". The song reached number 17 in Adams' native Canada and entered the top 50 in the Flanders region of Belgium and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Got It</span> 1989 single by Roy Orbison

"You Got It" is a song from American singer Roy Orbison's 22nd studio album, Mystery Girl (1989). The song was released posthumously on January 3, 1989, after Orbison's death from a heart attack on December 6, 1988. The song was issued with "The Only One" as the B-side and was later released with "Crying". The single reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary chart, returning Orbison to the top 10 for the first time in 25 years. "You Got It" also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and entered the top five in 10 other countries. Although it is an Orbison solo single, Orbison's fellow Traveling Wilburys bandmates Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne co-wrote the song and played instruments on the record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Baby (Amy Grant song)</span> 1991 single by Amy Grant

"Baby Baby" is a pop song by American recording artist Amy Grant and it was issued as the first single from her eighth studio album, Heart in Motion (1991). The song was written by Grant and Keith Thomas, who also produced it. It was released on January 18, 1991, through A&M Records and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks in April 1991, becoming the first in a string of hits from Heart in Motion. At the 34th Annual Grammy Awards in 1992, the song received three Grammy Award nominations, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Its music video was directed by D.J. Webster and first aired in March 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maneater (Hall & Oates song)</span> 1982 single by Daryl Hall & John Oates

"Maneater" is a song by American duo Hall & Oates, featured on their eleventh studio album, H2O (1982). It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 18, 1982. It remained in the top spot for four weeks, longer than any of the duo's five other number-one hits, including "Kiss on My List", which remained in the top spot for three weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)</span> 1981 single by Daryl Hall & John Oates

"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" is a song by American duo Hall & Oates. Written by Daryl Hall, John Oates and Sara Allen, the song was released as the second single from their tenth studio album, Private Eyes (1981). The song became the fourth number one hit single of their career on the Billboard Hot 100. It features Charles DeChant on saxophone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where Does My Heart Beat Now</span> 1990 single by Celine Dion

"Where Does My Heart Beat Now" is a song performed by Canadian recording artist Celine Dion for her ninth studio album and debut English-language album, Unison (1990). It was released by Columbia Records as the third single from Unison in Canada on 1 October 1990. It was also issued as the lead single in the United States in late 1990, and in other parts of the world in early 1991. "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" was written by Robert White Johnson and Taylor Rhodes in 1988, and recorded by Dion one year later. The song was produced by Christopher Neil. Dion premiered the song at the Eurovision Song Contest 1989 in Switzerland, where she performed it along with her 1988 winning song, "Ne partez pas sans moi".

"Just Have a Heart" is a song by American R&B singer Angela Clemmons from her second studio album, This Is Love (1987). It was written by Aldo Nova, Billy Steinberg and Ralph McCarthy, and produced by Nova. Canadian singer Celine Dion recorded a French-language version of the song, "Partout je te vois" for her 1987 album, Incognito. In 1990, Dion covered the English version for her first English-language album, Unison, and titled it "Have a Heart".

Something to Talk About may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right Down the Line</span> 1978 song performed by Gerry Rafferty

"Right Down the Line" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. Released as a single in the US in July 1978, it was the follow-up to his first major hit as a solo artist, "Baker Street", and reached No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 8 on Cash Box and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Make You Love Me</span> 1991 single by Bonnie Raitt

"I Can't Make You Love Me" is a song written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin and recorded by American singer Bonnie Raitt for her eleventh studio album, Luck of the Draw (1991). Released as the album's second single in 1991, "I Can't Make You Love Me" became one of Raitt's most successful singles, reaching the top-20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the top-10 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Eikhard</span> Canadian singer-songwriter (1955–2022)

Shirley Rose Eikhard was a Canadian singer-songwriter. Although moderately successful in Canada as a performer in her own right, she had her greatest Canadian and international success as a songwriter for other artists, most notably as the writer of Bonnie Raitt's 1991 hit "Something to Talk About".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Raitt discography</span>

This article lists the discography of American blues and rock singer and songwriter Bonnie Raitt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say You Love Me (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1976 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Say You Love Me" is a song written by English singer-songwriter Christine McVie for Fleetwood Mac's 1975 self-titled album. The song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, and remains one of the band's most recognizable songs. Its success helped the group's eponymous 1975 album sell over eight million copies worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Way I Want to Touch You</span> 1975 single by Captain & Tennille

"The Way I Want to Touch You" is a song written by Toni Tennille, which started the professional recording careers for Captain & Tennille. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of one million units. Captain & Tennille recorded a Spanish version, entitled "Como Yo Quiero Sentirte" which was released as a single in 1975. It was taken from the Spanish version of their debut album Por Amor Viviremos. The duo also re-recorded "The Way I Want to Touch You" in 1995 for their album, 20 Years of Romance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not the Only One (Bonnie Raitt song)</span> 1992 single by Bonnie Raitt

"Not the Only One" is a 1991 song by Bonnie Raitt, written by Paul Brady and produced by Don Was from the album Luck of the Draw. The single reached No. 34 in the United States and No. 13 in Canada, topping the latter country's Adult Contemporary chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Sneakin' Up On You</span> 1994 single by Bonnie Raitt

"Love Sneakin' Up On You" is a song by American blues singer Bonnie Raitt. Released in March 1994 from her 12th album, Longing in Their Hearts (1994), the song topped Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart for three weeks and reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted in Germany and the United Kingdom. In 1995, it was nominated for both the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Meiert Avis directed the song's music video.

References

  1. "Spokane Chronicle – Google News Archive" . Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  2. Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard . Retrieved February 10, 2024. The swaggering blues-pop sparkler where Raitt 'fesses up to sultry attraction between she and a companion...
  3. Susan Beyer, "Anne Murray's Million-dollar instincts". Ottawa Citizen , November 2, 1991.
  4. "Something to Talk About". Songfacts.com. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Bonnie Raitt Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Bonnie Raitt Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Bonnie Raitt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1624." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Bonnie Raitt – Something to Talk About". Top 40 Singles.
  10. "34th Annual Grammy Awards – 1992". Rock On The Net. February 25, 1992. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  11. "Adams leads Juno pack with seven nominations". Montreal Gazette , February 13, 1992.
  12. Cheryl Gillard, "Shirley Eikhard". The Canadian Encyclopedia , September 4, 2013.
  13. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 229.
  14. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1631." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  15. "Bonnie Raitt – Something to Talk About" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  16. "Bonnie Raitt – Something to Talk About" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM . Retrieved November 23, 2017 via Library and Archives Canada.
  18. "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved July 25, 2016 via Library and Archives Canada.
  19. "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-14.
  20. "1991 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-36. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  21. Hamilton, Andrew (June 2, 1998). "Something to Talk About – Willie Clayton : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  22. "KT Tunstall & Daryl Hall [Part 1 of 5] – Something To Talk About [Live From Daryl's House]". Youtube.com. March 5, 2008. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  23. "Britney Spears Blasts Media, Sings Cover of Bonnie Raitt's 'Something to Talk About'". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.