Put a Little Love in Your Heart
"Put a Little Love in Your Heart" is a song originally performed in 1969 by Jackie DeShannon, who composed it with her brother Randy Myers and Jimmy Holiday. In the U.S., it was DeShannon's highest-charting hit, reaching number 4 on the Hot 100 in August 1969 and number 2 on the Adult Contemporary charts.[1] In late 1969, the song reached number one on South Africa's hit parade. The song is used in the Gus Van Sant film Drugstore Cowboy.
"Put a Little Love in Your Heart" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Jackie DeShannon | ||||
from the album Put a Little Love in Your Heart | ||||
B-side | "Always Together" | |||
Released | June 1969 | |||
Recorded | 1969 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 2:39 | |||
Label | Imperial Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers | |||
Producer(s) | VME | |||
Jackie DeShannon singles chronology | ||||
|
The song rivaled the success of her signature song, "What the World Needs Now Is Love".
Charts
Chart (1968–69) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada RPM Top Singles | 12 |
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary | 9 |
South African Singles Chart | 1 |
US Billboard Hot 100 Chart | 4 |
US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 2 |
Annie Lennox and Al Green version
"Put a Little Love in Your Heart" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Picture sleeve for US vinyl edition | ||||
Single by Annie Lennox and Al Green | ||||
from the album Scrooged | ||||
B-side | "A Great Big Piece of Love" by The Spheres of Celestial Influence | |||
Released | 1988 | |||
Recorded | 1988 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Label | A&M Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers | |||
Producer(s) | David A. Stewart | |||
Annie Lennox singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Al Green singles chronology | ||||
|
In 1988, Annie Lennox and Al Green recorded a version that was released as the ending theme song to the 1988 film Scrooged.[2] The song reached number 9 in the US on the Hot 100 in January 1989 and climbed all the way to number 2 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, as well as becoming a top 40 hit in several countries worldwide. Although credited to Lennox, the song was produced by her Eurythmics partner David A. Stewart.
The video was directed by Sophie Muller.[3]
Personnel
- Annie Lennox - vocals
- Al Green - vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1988–89) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Singles Chart | 6 |
Austrian Singles Chart | 4 |
Canadian Singles Chart | 2 |
German Singles Chart | 20 |
Irish Singles Chart | 30 |
Swiss Singles Chart | 11 |
UK Singles Chart | 28 |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1989) | Position |
---|---|
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] | 51 |
Other versions
- Susan Raye covered the song on her debut 1969 album, One Night Stand. The song was released as a single and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
- The Dave Clark Five recorded a version in 1969. Issued as a single in the UK, it spent four weeks in the top 75, reaching number 31, three positions below that attained by Annie Lennox and Al Green in 1988.[5]
- Andy Williams - Get Together with Andy Williams (1969)
- David Ruffin formerly of The Temptations recorded a version as well on his sophomore solo album Feeling Good in 1969.
- Siw Malmkvist made a Swedish version in 1970, Pröva lite kärlek nå'n gång with lyrics by the well-known Swedish journalist and songwriter Peter Himmelstrand. Malmkvist's version appeared on her album Underbara Siw (Wonderful Siw), which was awarded a Swedish Grammis the same year.
- Cilla Black - Sweet Inspiration (1970)
- The Isley Brothers recorded their own version on 1972's Brother, Brother, Brother album.
- Circle Jerks Tongue-in-cheek version appeared as the final track on their 1982 album Wild in the Streets.
- At the end of Richard Donner's film Scrooged (1988), Bill Murray breaks the fourth wall to lead a sing-along of the song.[6]
- Dolly Parton included a gospel-inspired version of the song on her Slow Dancing with the Moon album in 1993.
- Judith Durham - Mona Lisas (1996)
- Anne Murray - What a Wonderful World (1999)
- Mary Mary covered the song for the 2002 film Stuart Little 2
- Darren Criss, Jeremy Jordan, Carlos Valdes, and John Barrowman perform the song during "Duet", the musical crossover episode between the series The Flash and Supergirl (2017)
- Leonard Nimoy covered the song on his 1974 album Outer Space/Inner Mind[7]
- Bright Light Bright Light included a duet version of the song, performed with Nerina Pallot, on his 2017 EP Cinematography III[8] (2017)
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 77.
- Brennan, Steve (June 11, 2015). "15 Best Songs From '80s Movies (Besides "The Power of Love")". browardpalmbeach.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7f1de00f
- "Top Singles - Volume 51, No. 8, December 23, 1989". RPM. December 23, 1999. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- British Hit Singles, 12th edition, Guinness
- "Hollywood Flashback: When Bill Murray Played a Sleazy Lounge Singer on 'Saturday Night Live'". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- "The Short, Strange Music Career Of Leonard Nimoy". Stereogum.com. March 2, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
- "Cinematography III : Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal, by Bright Light Bright Light". Bright Light Bright Light. Retrieved December 3, 2018.