"Still the One" | ||||
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Single by Orleans | ||||
from the album Waking and Dreaming | ||||
B-side | "Siam Sam" | |||
Released | August 1976 | |||
Recorded | 1975 | |||
Genre | Soft rock [1] | |||
Length | 3:54 | |||
Label | Asylum | |||
Songwriter(s) | Johanna Hall, John Hall | |||
Producer(s) | Chuck Plotkin | |||
Orleans singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Still the One" on YouTube |
"Still the One" is a song written by Johanna Hall and John Hall, and recorded by the soft rock group Orleans on their album Waking and Dreaming , released in 1976, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Country singer Bill Anderson recorded and released a successful cover version, peaking at No. 11 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart in 1977.
The lyrics of the uptempo love song are of someone (as the lyrics were written by a woman and sung by a man, it does not state the gender of the singer or of their beloved) describing their feelings for a person with whom they had and still have, a long-lasting relationship ("We've been together since way back when... Now I want you to know / After all these years"); with trust ("You're still the one / I want whispering in my ears"); that they are close ("You're still the one / I want to talk to in bed"); find them attractive ("Still the one that turns my head"); and of an intimate or sexual nature ("You're still the one / Who can scratch my itch / You're still the one, that I wouldn't switch") and all the reasons why their lover is "Still the One" for whom they have feelings.
Orleans bass player Lance Hoppen recalls that Johanna Hall wrote the lyrics for "Still the One" after a friend "asked her why somebody couldn't write a song about staying together, as opposed to breaking up"; Johanna Hall wrote the lyrics on an envelope which she then handed to John Hall who Hoppen says "created the music in about fifteen minutes". [2] Johanna Hall's recollection is that the realization that there was a dearth of songs about long-term relationships came to her while she was doing laundry, and that she handed John Hall a napkin on which she'd written the song's lyric. [3] John Hall would recall that "Still the One" was not an automatic choice for lead single from Waking and Dreaming saying rather that "we had several songs that were candidates. We were too close to it to see. Fortunately, our producer, Chuck Plotkin, had a strong feeling about the song." [4]
Record World said that it was a "suitable follow-up to 'Dance with Me'" and that "chiming guitars and confident harmony work are the ingredients to make it happen." [5]
The B-side was a non-album track called "Siam Sam" that was sung by Wells Kelly and composed by both Kelly and songwriter/instrumentalist Chris Myers.
In 1977, "Still The One" was used as a jingle by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) to promote the 1977-78 television season, [6] and again in the 1979-80 television season, [7] when the network was the highest rated in the country. The lyrics were sometimes adapted for local station promotional advertisements, sometimes awkwardly; e.g. "We're still having fun, Dayton Twenty-Two's the one."
The song was also used in adverts and promotions for the Nine Network of Australia from the late 1970s to the mid-2000s, and even though the song only charted at No. 61 in Australia in its original chart run, it is most remembered for its usage by the Nine Network. It was also used at EM TV in Papua New Guinea in the 1980s (at the time owned by the Nine Network), and by Sky Television in the United Kingdom. [8] [9] In 2004, the Bush campaign played the song at campaign events until Orleans co-founder (and future Democratic congressman and Bush critic) John Hall commented publicly that the campaign had never received permission to use the song. The campaign later dropped the song from its playlist. Hall expressed similar criticisms when John McCain used the song in his 2008 presidential campaign. [10] A version of the song's chorus was sung at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, following the conclusion of Senator Ted Kennedy's speech. [11]
A remade version of the song has been used to promote Oklahoma City's Riverwind Casino throughout 2018-19.
The original version of the song appears in a 2020 TV commercial for Applebee's.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
"Still the One" | ||||
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Single by Bill Anderson | ||||
from the album Scorpio | ||||
B-side | "This Ole Suitcase" | |||
Released | March 1977 | |||
Recorded | December 13, 1976 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:20 | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Producer(s) | Buddy Killen | |||
Bill Anderson singles chronology | ||||
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"Still the One" was notably recorded by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released as a single in 1977 via MCA Records and became a major hit the following year.
Anderson's version was recorded on December 13, 1976 in Nashville, Tennessee. The session was produced by Buddy Killen, who recently became Anderson's producer after many years of working with Owen Bradley. Killen would continue producing Anderson until his departure from MCA Records. "Still the One" was the only song recorded during this particular session. [22]
"Still the One" was released as a single by MCA Records in October 1977. [23] The song spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles before reaching number 11 in June 1977. [24] The song was among Anderson's final major hits as a recording artist. His final top ten hit would be released in 1978, followed by his final top 20 release in 1979. [23] In Canada, the single also reached the top 20, reaching number 13 on the RPM Country Songs chart in 1977. [25] It was Anderson's second single that was a cover version of an original recording. His first was 1969's "But You Know I Love You", which reached the country top 10. [23] It was first released on his 1977 studio album Scorpio , which also included the major hit "Head to Toe". [22]
7" vinyl single
Chart (1977) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country Songs ( RPM ) [25] | 13 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [26] | 11 |
Orleans is an American pop rock band formed in 1972 in Woodstock, New York by John Hall, Larry Hoppen and Wells Kelly. Larry's younger brother, bassist Lance Hoppen and drummer Jerry Marotta joined the band in 1972 and 1976 respectively. The band is best known for its hits "Dance with Me" ; "Still the One", from the album Waking and Dreaming; and "Love Takes Time". The group's name evolved from the music it was playing when it formed; their music is inspired in part by Louisiana artists, including Allen Toussaint and the Neville Brothers.
"Free Bird", also spelled "Freebird", is a song by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, written by guitarist Allen Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant. The song was released on their 1973 debut studio album.
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"Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" is a song written by Rod Stewart, and recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama for his 1976 album A Night on the Town. The song, controversial at the time of release, proved to be a massive commercial success and became his second US chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100. It made its debut at number 81 on 2 October 1976 and rose quickly, climbing from number eight to the top of the chart on 13 November 1976, and remained on top for eight consecutive weeks until 8 January 1977. It was the longest stay of any song during 1976, the longest run at the top for a single in the US in over eight years (since the Beatles’ "Hey Jude" in November 1968), and the longest stay at number one for Rod Stewart in his entire recording career, and the final number one of the US Bicentennial year. The song also peaked at No. 5 in the UK, No. 1 for six weeks in Canada, No. 3 in Australia and charted well in other parts of the world. It was the number 1 song on both Billboard's 1977 year-end chart and the year-end Canadian singles chart. It became the best-selling single of 1977 in the United States. As of 2018, it is the 19th-most popular song in the history of the chart.
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"Let Her In" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Gary Benson, and released as a single in 1973. It was covered by John Travolta in 1976, and was released as the first single from Travolta's self-titled second album. Travolta's version was a hit, spending five months on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and peaking at number 10. It also reached number 16 on the Adult Contemporary chart. On the Cash Box chart, the song peaked at number five. In Canada, "Let Her In" reached number seven on the RPM Top Singles chart.
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The singles discography of American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson contains 84 singles, three promotional singles, 6 other charted songs and four music videos. After signing to Decca Records in 1958, Anderson released a series of early singles that became hits, reaching the top ten and 20. This included "That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome" (1958), "The Tip of My Fingers" (1960) and "Po' Folks" (1961). The following year, he reached number one on the Billboard Country and Western Sides chart with "Mama Sang a Song." In 1963, Anderson released his most commercially successful single, "Still." The song was his second number one country single and his first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, climbing to number eight. His follow-up single, "8×10" reached similar crossover success. Anderson released 11 more top ten country hits during the rest of the decade. This included the number one singles "I Get the Fever" (1966) and "My Life " (1969). He also had a number one hit with Jan Howard called "For Loving You" in 1968. Anderson also had top ten hits with "I Love You Drops" (1965), "Happy State of Mind" (1968) and a cover of "But You Know I Love You" (1969).