When Will I Be Loved (song)

Last updated
"When Will I Be Loved"
When will I be loved Everly Bros.jpg
Single by The Everly Brothers
from the album The Fabulous Style of The Everly Brothers
B-side "Be-Bop-A-Lula"
ReleasedMay 1960
RecordedFebruary 18, 1960
Genre Country
Length2:00
Label Cadence
Songwriter(s) Phil Everly
Producer(s) Wesley Rose
The Everly Brothers singles chronology
"Cathy's Clown"
(1960)
"When Will I Be Loved"
(1960)
"So Sad"
(1960)
Official audio
"When Will I Be Loved" on YouTube

"When Will I Be Loved" is a popular song written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, who had a US top-ten hit with it in 1960. Linda Ronstadt covered the song in 1975, and her version was an even bigger hit in the US, peaking at No. 2. Vince Gill also covered it in 1994 on the soundtrack of the film 8 Seconds .

Contents

The Everly Brothers version

Background

The Everly Brothers scored a number 8 hit single with "When Will I Be Loved" in the summer of 1960 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track had been recorded in 1960 while the duo were contracted to Cadence Records; they moved to Warner Brothers and rerecorded it in a more mainstream pop/rock style. The belated release by Cadence of "When Will I Be Loved" provided the Everly Brothers with a final rockabilly-style hit. [1]

Personnel

The session, produced by Archie Bleyer, took place on February 18, 1960, at the RCA Studio in Nashville. Those present at the session included:

Chart performance

Linda Ronstadt version

"When Will I Be Loved"
When Will I Be Loved - Linda Ronstadt.jpg
Single by Linda Ronstadt
from the album Heart Like a Wheel
B-side "It Doesn't Matter Anymore"
ReleasedMarch 25, 1975
Genre Country rock, soft rock [4]
Length2:04
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Phil Everly
Producer(s) Peter Asher
Linda Ronstadt singles chronology
"You're No Good"
(1974)
"When Will I Be Loved"
(1975)
"Heat Wave"
(1975)

Background

The song had its highest profile when Linda Ronstadt covered it on her album Heart Like A Wheel . This version (which is technically a group vocal with Ronstadt, Kenny Edwards, and a then-up-and-coming singer/songwriter, Andrew Gold) rearranges the verses of the Everly Brothers original, transposing the first and fourth verses. Capitol Records was reportedly unsure whether to release "When Will I Be Loved" or "You're No Good" as the lead 45 off Heart Like a Wheel, finally deciding to issue "You're No Good" as the premier single. [5] "When Will I Be Loved" was issued as the second single in March 1975. [6]

The song hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June of that year, as well as number 1 in Cash Box; [1] only the chart dominance of the year's biggest hit, "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille, prevented Ronstadt from having consecutive number 1 hit singles on the Hot 100. [7] Billboard did afford a number 1 ranking to "When Will I Be Loved" on its C&W chart. [8] The song has sold 268,000 copies in the United States since becoming available for digital download as of January 2020. [9]

As Ronstadt's "When Will I Be Loved" descended the charts, its B-side, a remake of Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", garnered enough airplay to chart at number 47 Pop, number 20 Adult Contemporary, and number 54 Country. [1]

Charts

Little River Band version

"When Will I Be Loved"
Single by Little River Band
from the album Too Late to Load
ReleasedJune 1989
Label EMI
Little River Band singles chronology
"Soul Searching"
(1988)
"When Will I Be Loved"
(1989)
"If I Get Lucky"
(1990)

Australian band Little River Band released a version in June 1989 as the only single from the rarities compilation album Too Late to Load . The song peaked at number 169 on the ARIA Charts. [19]

Track listing

Australian 7" (Capitol Records - CP 1895)
A. "When Will I Be Loved" - 2:50
B. "D" - 3:03

Charts

Chart (1989)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts) [19] 169

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reflections (The Supremes song)</span> 1967 single by Diana Ross & the Supremes

"Reflections" is a 1967 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label. It was the first Supremes record released under the new billing, Diana Ross & the Supremes, and is among their last hit singles to be written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland (H–D–H).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're All I Need to Get By</span> 1968 single by Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye

"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J. Blige.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ooo Baby Baby</span> 1965 song by The Miracles

"Ooo Baby Baby" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore. It is a classic 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. The song has inspired numerous other cover versions by other artists over the years, including covers by Ella Fitzgerald, Todd Rundgren, The Escorts, The Five Stairsteps, Linda Ronstadt, and many others. The Miracles' original version of "Ooo Baby Baby" is listed as number 266 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're Sixteen</span> 1960 single by Johnny Burnette

"You're Sixteen" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers. It was first performed by American rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960 and number 3 in the UK in 1961. The song was covered by Ringo Starr in 1973 and this version reached number one in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Easy (Keith Carradine song)</span> 1976 single by Keith Carradine

"I'm Easy" is an Academy Award-winning song written and performed by Keith Carradine for the 1975 movie Nashville. Carradine recorded a slightly faster version that became a popular music hit in 1976 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Was Made to Love Her (song)</span> 1967 single by Stevie Wonder

"I Was Made to Love Her" is a soul music song recorded by American musician Stevie Wonder for Motown's Tamla label in 1967. The song was written by Wonder, his mother Lula Mae Hardaway, Sylvia Moy, and producer Henry Cosby and included on Wonder's 1967 album I Was Made to Love Her.

"Mountain of Love" is a song written by Harold Dorman. Dorman released his version as a single in 1960. It was originally recorded in late 1959 at the Royal Recording Studios in Memphis before the backing vocals were overdubbed. It performed well, spending 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #21 in May 1960, while reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart, and #25 on Canada's "CHUM Hit Parade". The song was his only top forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the highest-charting single of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will You Love Me Tomorrow</span> 1960 single by the Shirelles

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", sometimes known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song with words by Gerry Goffin and music composed by Carole King. It was recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was the first by a black all-girl group to reach number one in the United States. It has since been recorded by many other artists including a 1971 version by co-writer Carole King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heat Wave (1963 song)</span> 1963 single by Martha and the Vandellas

"Heat Wave" is a 1963 song written by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team. It was first made popular by the Motown vocal group Martha and the Vandellas. Released as a 45 rpm single on July 9, 1963, on the Motown subsidiary Gordy label, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot R&B chart—where it stayed for four weeks—and peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're No Good</span> 1963 single by Dee Dee Warwick

"You're No Good" is a song written by Clint Ballard Jr., first performed by Dee Dee Warwick for Jubilee Records in 1963 with production by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It has since been covered by many artists, including charting versions by Betty Everett in 1963, The Swinging Blue Jeans in 1964, and Linda Ronstadt in 1974, whose version was a number 1 hit in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yes, I'm Ready</span>

"Yes, I'm Ready" a song by Barbara Mason from her album Yes, I'm Ready (1965). It has been covered by numerous artists, and was a hit single for Teri DeSario and K.C. when they recorded a duet version in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Girl</span> 1972 single by the Chi-Lites

"Oh Girl" is a song written by Eugene Record and recorded by American soul vocal group the Chi-Lites, with Record on vocals and also producing. It was released as a single on Brunswick Records in 1972. Included on the group's 1972 album A Lonely Man, "Oh Girl" centers on a relationship on the verge of break-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk Right In</span> 1962 single by the Rooftop Singers

"Walk Right In" is a country blues song written by musician Gus Cannon and originally recorded by Cannon's Jug Stompers in 1929. Victor Records released on a 78 rpm record and in 1959, it was included on the influential compilation album The Country Blues. A revised version of the song by the Rooftop Singers, with the writing credits allocated to group members Erik Darling and Bill Svanoe, became an international hit in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(I Don't Know Why) But I Do</span> R&B song written by Paul Gayten and Bobby Charles

"(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" is an R&B song written by Paul Gayten and Bobby Charles, and performed by Clarence "Frogman" Henry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasted Days and Wasted Nights</span> 1975 single by Freddy Fender

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" is an American country and pop song recorded by Freddy Fender. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop idiom of south Louisiana and southeast Texas that had such a major musical impact on Fender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cupid (Sam Cooke song)</span>

"Cupid" is a song by American singer Sam Cooke, released on May 16, 1961. It charted at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 20 on the Hot R&B Sides chart; the track performed best in the United Kingdom, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. Cooke's producers had asked him to write a song for a girl they had seen on a Perry Como TV show—but once they heard her sing, they kept "Cupid" for Cooke himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He Will Break Your Heart</span> 1960 song by Jerry Butler

"He Will Break Your Heart", is a song originally performed and co-written by Jerry Butler, a top-ten hit in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never My Love</span> 1967 single by The Association

"Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwriters was "Never My Love". Recorded by dozens of notable artists in the decades since, in 1999 the music publishing rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) announced it was the second most-played song on radio and television of the 20th century in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Won't Let Me Wait</span> 1975 single by Major Harris

"Love Won't Let Me Wait" is a hit 1975 single by Major Harris, a former member of R&B/soul group The Delfonics. Written by Vinnie Barrett and Bobby Eli, the single is considered to be a staple of classic soul playlists, and was Harris' only entry into the top five on both the soul and pop charts. The single hit number five on the pop chart, and also hit number one on the soul chart for one week. Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1975. It was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. on 25 June 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)</span> 1964 song performed by Marvin Gaye

"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" is a song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye from his fifth studio album of the same name (1965). It was written in 1964 by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. The song title was inspired by one of the actor and comedian Jackie Gleason's signature phrases, "How Sweet It Is!"

References

  1. 1 2 3 Poore, Billy (1998). Rockabilly: a forty-year journey. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Publishing. p. 170. ISBN   0-7935-9142-2.
  2. "SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY". Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  3. "Top 100 Hits of 1960/Top 100 Songs of 1960". Musicoutfitters.com.
  4. Knowles, Christopher (1 October 2010). The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   9781573445641 via Google Books.
  5. The New York Times , 19 November 1974, p.32
  6. Cash Box vol 36 #46 (5 April 1975) "Cash Box Singles Reviews" p.9
  7. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 540.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2008). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944b2008. Record Research. p. 300.
  9. Bjorke, Matt (January 7, 2020). "Top 30 Digital Country Songs Chart: January 7, 2020". Rough Stock. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  10. "Charley Pride Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  11. "Charley Pride Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  12. "Charley Pride Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  13. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  14. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  15. "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com.
  16. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  17. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  18. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1975". Tropicalglen.com.
  19. 1 2 "Bubbling Down Under Week commencing 19 June 1989". 19 June 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.