A Love Song (Loggins and Messina song)
"A Love Song" is a song written by Kenny Loggins and Dona Lyn George, first released by the folk-rock duo Loggins and Messina in 1973 on their album Full Sail. Country artist Anne Murray (who'd taken her recording of another Loggins & Messina recording, "Danny's Song", to the top-ten in late 1972) covered the song later that year for her album of the same name.
"A Love Song" | ||||
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German cover art | ||||
Single by Anne Murray | ||||
from the album Love Song | ||||
B-side | "You Can't Go Back" | |||
Released | December 1973 | |||
Recorded | October 1973 | |||
Genre | Country, pop | |||
Length | 2:50 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Brian Ahern | |||
Anne Murray singles chronology | ||||
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Released in December 1973, Murray's version became a major crossover hit early in 1974. In her native Canada, it topped all three singles charts: the overall Top Singles chart, the Country Tracks chart and the Adult Contemporary chart. In the United States, the song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart and just missed the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 12. The song fared even better there in the adult contemporary market — it became Murray's third chart-topper on Billboard's American Hot Adult Contemporary Singles chart.[1] (In Canada, it was her seventh No. 1 on both the country and adult contemporary charts.) This was Murray's second Loggins & Messina cover, having charted with her version of their "Danny's Song" the previous year.
Later cover versions include Dar Williams, Jonathan Rayson and Kenny Loggins.
Personnel on Loggins & Messina version
- Kenny Loggins – lead vocals, classical acoustic guitar
- Jim Messina – harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo
- Jon Clarke – bass flute, alto flute
- Al Garth – recorder
- Larry Sims – bass, backing vocals
- Merel Bregante – drums, backing vocals
- Michael Omartian – piano
- Milt Holland – shakers, triangle, congas, pandeiro
Chart history
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 176.
- "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 5007." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. February 23, 1974.
- "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 4989." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. March 2, 1974.
- "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4993a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. March 16, 1974.
- "Anne Murray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- "Hot Country Singles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 86 (7): 30. February 16, 1974. ISSN 0006-2510.
- "Anne Murray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 9, 1974". Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- "The Top 200 Singles of '74". Library and Archives Canada. RPM. 28 December 1974. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- Billboard Top 100 Hits of 1974 Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1974". Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2018.