Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
| Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word | |
|---|---|
| Elton John | |
| publication | November 1, 1976 |
| length | 3:48 |
| Genre (s) | pop |
| text | Bernie Taupin |
| music | Elton John |
| album | Blue moves |
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word is a song by British singer and composer Elton John , the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin .
After a concert break that was longer for him, John presented his new album Blue Moves at a Wembley concert in 1977 and announced that he would no longer go on a concert tour. The words were obviously difficult for him when he said "This will be my last gig". He then played "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" as an apology.
background
Not only did John compose the music for the song, he also wrote much of the lyrics as he worked on the melody. Taupin just completed the lines, put the finishing touches on them, and finally came up with the title - which is what it usually began with.
In just a few years on the concert stages of the world, John and Taupin had been able to celebrate huge successes and produced one successful album after the other. Still, it seemed to both of them that an era was drawing to a close for them. John didn't want to give concerts anymore and Taupin faced a failed marriage and alcohol problems. It was hardly surprising that the melodies and lyrics of the album “Blue Moves” could only be described as pessimistic and sad.
review
John couldn't have made a better choice. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" was the first single from his album "Blue Moves". Though it's a lament about unhappy love, it came across more than a polite note from the Metroland boy, behaving appropriately, whatever his feelings may have hurt. "It's a sad, sad situation" he sang in a moment of unconscious, psychological truth, the superstar was suddenly just as lost and vulnerable as Reggie Dwight had always been. He seemed to be asking for forgiveness, and by and large should receive it.
B side
The back of the single contained "Shoulder Holster", also taken from the album "Blue Moves". The text is about a wife who is animated with a thirst for revenge and chases after her disloyal husband, but who remembers her own failures and finally returns home alone and without having retaliated. With rich brass arrangements and a driving beat, the title sets a coherent counterpoint to the A-side , also through the lyrics .
occupation
- Elton John - vocals, piano
- Carl Fortina - accordion
- Kenny Passarelli - bass guitar
- Ray Cooper - Vibraphone
- James Newton Howard - electric piano, violin arrangement
production
- Gus Dudgeon - producer
Charts
| Year | single | Chart | position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | UK Singles Chart | 11 |
| 1976 | "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | USA Billboard Hot 100 | 6th |
Awards
| organization | status | date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA - USA | gold | January 25, 1977 |
Interpretations of other artists
Over the years, many artists re-recorded the song or used parts of it.
One of the first to interpret the title was Frank Sinatra . He sang the title seven times in his concerts, but never recorded a studio version of it. An audio recording of it can be found on YouTube.
Dottie West recorded the title in 1981 for her album Wild West .
The Italian artist Mina used the song on her 1987 album Rane Supreme .
In 1991 Joe Cocker interpreted the title on Elton John and Bernie Taupin's album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin .
Country singers Suzy Bogguss and Chet Atkins released the song in 1994 on the album Simpatico . It was also released as a single, but did not reach any chart placement.
A year later, the Argentine singer and composer Pedro Aznar translated the song into Spanish and used it as Ya no hay forma de pedir perdón on the album David y Goliath .
In the same year Anne Haigis published a German version entitled Night of Glass .
Scatman John created another version with dance and techno style elements.
In 1997 the song appeared on the album Steven Houghton by the artist of the same name.
Jimmy Scott released the title on the 1998 album Holding Back The Years ; on the back of the album, the song is listed as Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest .
In 2002 the English band Blue (Band) reinterpreted the title for their second studio album "One Love". The song was recorded together with Elton John and internationally more successful than the original title.
Ana Bettz's debut album "Freedom" from 2003 also contained the song. In addition, a one-track single was released to promote sales.
In 2004 three more versions were released. First Ray Charles and Elton John recorded the song as a duet for the album Genius Loves Company, which was only released after Charles' death . From the descriptions of the album it can be seen that this recording was the last one for the "Genius" project. In this respect, it is one of the music legend's last recordings, if not the very last.
Mary J. Blige sang the title for the film Bridget Jones - On the Verge of Madness , Kenny G with Richard Marx for her duet album At Last… The Duets Album .
The participants in the American Idol contest Clay Aiken used the title in 2006 on his album A Thousand Different Ways . The X Factor winner Leona Lewis recorded the song for her # 1 debut single, A Moment Like This .
In the same year the saxophonist Michael Lington recorded the piece for his album "A Song for You".
Kim Wilde and her father Marty Wilde sang the song at the AIDS Benefit Concert Live AIDS at Wembley, UK on April 1, 1987. Twenty years later they recorded a version for Marty Wilde's greatest hits album, Born to rock'n'roll, on the occasion of his 50th birthday Stage anniversary.
Toše Proeski interpreted the song in a concert. The recording was used posthumously in 2011 on the album So ljubav od Toše .
Sarah Darling recorded the title in 2011 for her second studio album Angels & Devils .
2012 The Australian electron pop duo Pnau produced an album with eight recordings of Elton John songs for the album Good Morning to the Night . The main title was the song Sad , which also used parts of Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word .
Maltese child star Veronica Rotin used the song on her 2014 debut album of the same name.
The Canadian composer and singer Diana Krall interpreted the song on her twelfth studio album Wallflower in 2015.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Video on YouTube
- ↑ Tom Waters: Slapstick and Superego Verlag Lulu.com, Raleigh, North Carolina 2010, ISBN 978-0-557-07709-0
- ↑ http://eltonjohnallsongslist.blogspot.de/2007/11/stroy-behind-sorry-seems-to-be-hardest.html
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. Harmony Books, New York 1992, ISBN 0-517-58762-9 , p. 335
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. 1991, p. 336
- ↑ Elton John / Discography # Chart placements
- ↑ http://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/
- ↑ https://the-main-event.de/songindex/sorryseemstobethehardestword.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5-guQtEysg
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Ana-Bettz-Sorry-Seems-To-Be-The-Hardest-Word/release/2347056