"The Air That I Breathe" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by the Hollies | ||||
from the album Hollies | ||||
B-side | "No More Riders" | |||
Released | UK: January 1974 US: March 1974 | |||
Recorded | 15 & 22 November 1973 [1] | |||
Studio | EMI Studios, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:13 (album version) 3:45 (single version) | |||
Label | UK: Polydor 2058435 US: Epic 5-11100 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Albert Hammond, Michael Hazlewood | |||
Producer(s) | Ron Richards and the Hollies | |||
The Hollies singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alternative release | ||||
"The Air That I Breathe" is a ballad written by the British-Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Albert Hammond and the English songwriter Mike Hazlewood. It was initially recorded by Hammond on his debut album, It Never Rains in Southern California (1972). [3] After being covered by Phil Everly in 1973, it was a major hit for the Hollies in early 1974, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart. It was the Hollies' last major hit. [4] The English rock band Radiohead reused the chord progression and melody of "The Air That I Breathe" for their 1992 song "Creep".
The audio engineering for "The Air That I Breathe" was done by Alan Parsons. In an interview, Parsons mentioned that Eric Clapton said the first note of "The Air That I Breathe" had more soul than anything he had ever heard. [5]
"The Air That I Breathe" was a hit for the Hollies in early 1974, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart. In mid-1974, it reached number six in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on the Adult Contemporary chart. [6] In Canada, the song reached number five on the RPM magazine charts. This version featured a string orchestra arrangement, which also featured a horn section. Record World said that "the potent material gets a super interpretation." [7]
The English rock band Radiohead reused the chord progression and melody of "The Air That I Breathe" for their 1992 song "Creep". [8] [9] After Rondor Music, the publisher of "The Air That I Breathe", took legal action, Hammond and Hazlewood received cowriting credits and a percentage of the royalties. Hammond said Radiohead were honest about having reused the composition, and so he and Hazlewood accepted only a small part of the royalties. Radiohead later sued singer Lana Del Rey for allegedly plagiarizing "Creep" in her 2017 song "Get Free." The copyright dispute was settled, and the writing credits on "Get Free" were not changed as a result. [10] [11]
Credits from Richard Buskin and engineer Alan Parsons. [12]
The Hollies
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [25] | Silver | 250,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [26] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"The Air That I Breathe" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Simply Red | ||||
from the album Blue | ||||
Released | 10 August 1998 | |||
Length | 4:24 | |||
Label | EastWest | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | AGM | |||
Simply Red singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"The Air That I Breathe" on YouTube |
British soul and pop band Simply Red released a cover of "The Air That I Breathe" on their sixth album, Blue (1998). [27] It peaked at number five in Scotland, number six in the UK and number 17 in Austria. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 35. A music video was also produced to promote the single.
Gene Armstrong from Arizona Daily Star declared the Simply Red version as "a sexy version". [28] J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun felt "his Marvin Gaye-like" take on the track "is wonderfully audacious". [29] Larry Flick from Billboard viewed it as "an inspired, groove-laden interpretation", remarking that "Hucknall brings his signature soul to the track, vamping with glee while the band pumps a mild, jeep-styled beat that is hard enough for R&B listeners but soft enough to tickle the fancy of AC and triple-A radio listeners." He added, "Popsters will soon be treated to a bevy of remixes by Sean "Puffy" Combs and Stevie J., which should make top 40 punters quickly sit up and take notice." [30] A reviewer from Daily Record commented, "You'll be looking for a breath of fresh air after hearing Mick Hucknall's middle-of-the-road reworking of this song which was originally a hit for The Hollies. The band desperately need a dose of originality." [31]
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [32] | 17 |
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [33] | 15 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [34] | 35 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [35] | 66 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [36] | 82 |
Scotland (OCC) [37] | 5 |
UK Singles (OCC) [38] | 6 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 28 April 1998 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | EastWest | [39] |
5 May 1998 | Contemporary hit radio | [40] | ||
11 May 1998 | Adult contemporary radio | [41] [42] | ||
United Kingdom | 10 August 1998 |
| [43] |
This section needs additional citations for verification .(October 2020) |
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