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Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight

"Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight" is a song by British pop band Johnny Hates Jazz, released in 1991 as the lead single from their second studio album, Tall Stories (1991). The song was written by Phil Thornalley and was produced by Calvin Hayes and Mike Nocito. It reached number 101 in the UK Singles Chart.

"Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight"
Single by Johnny Hates Jazz
from the album Tall Stories
Released20 May 1991
Length
  • 4:45 (album/single version)
  • 6:41 (extended version)
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Phil Thornalley
Producer(s)
  • Calvin Hayes
  • Mike Nocito
Johnny Hates Jazz singles chronology
"Turn the Tide"
(1989) 		"Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight"
(1991) 		"The Last to Know"
(1991)

Background

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"Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight" features strings by the New World Symphonia, with Del Newman as the arranger and conductor. Johnny Hates Jazz member and co-producer Calvin Hayes ensured the band held a couple of pre-production meetings with Newman before he began working on the arrangement. This was because of the band's previous experience with Anne Dudley, who did the string arrangement for the 1988 track "Turn Back the Clock", which the band felt suffered from the "huge mistake" of not holding such a meeting beforehand. Speaking of Newman's involvement in the song, Hayes recalled to Will Harris in 2021, "He turned to Phil [Thornalley] and said, 'I want to know exactly what the chords are', so Phil showed him every single note and chord. By the time we did the string arrangement, there were no notes or chords that clashed. We'd done our homework!"[1]

Release

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The single was originally scheduled for release on 13 May, but this was pushed back to 20 May.[2][3] The song failed to reach the top 100 of the UK Singles Chart and reached its peak of number 101 on 15 June 1991.[4] It gained enough airplay to reach number 50 in the Music Week Playlist Chart on 8 June 1991.[5]

Critical reception

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Upon its release as a single, Marcus Hodge of the Cambridge Evening News commented, "It opens with the word 'baby' but then develops into a far more interesting record than we had any right to expect. There's a bit of George Michael in here, and even a hint of Talk Talk. They lost their singer some time ago but don't appear to be suffering too much."[6] Andrew Hirst of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner wrote, "The wonderful wailing guitar work makes the worn-out aura seem even more world-weary. Genteel and refined, compact and, yes, bijou."[7] Barbara Ellen of New Musical Express was critical of the song, describing it as "nasty, cheap, coffee table pop". She added, "The video will doubtless feature some gormless model charging £1000 an hour to look 'tragic' and cross and uncross her legs in a dimly lit winebar. Idiots, I'd have done it myself for a tenner."[8]

Track listing

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7-inch single (UK and Europe)[9]

  1. "Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight" – 4:45
  2. "Breaking Point" – 3:04

12-inch and CD single (UK)[10][11][12]

  1. "Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight" – 4:45
  2. "Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight" (Orchestral Version) – 4:57
  3. "Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight" (Extended Mix) – 6:41
  4. "Breaking Point" – 3:02

CD single (Japan)[13]

  1. "Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight" – 4:45
  2. "Your Mistake" – 3:22

Personnel

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Credits are adapted from the UK CD single liner notes and the Tall Stories booklet.[11][14]

Johnny Hates Jazz

  • Phil Thornalley – vocals, instruments
  • Calvin Hayes – instruments
  • Mike Nocito – instruments

Additional musicians

Production

  • Calvin Hayes – production
  • Mike Nocito – production, engineer
  • Tom Lord-Alge – mixing

Other

  • Larry Vigon – art direction, design
  • Brian Jackson – design
  • Chris Callis – photography

Charts

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Chart (1991) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart (OCC)[4] 101
UK Playlist Chart (Music Week)[5] 50

References

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  1. ^ Harris, Will (13 March 2021). "Johnny Hates Jazz, Turn Back the Clock — An Oral History (Part 3)". willharris.substack.com. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  2. ^ Downing, Jane (21 April 1991). "Jazz in the old style". Sunday Sun. p. 20. Retrieved 8 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 16 May 1991. p. 21. ISSN 0265-1548.
  4. ^ a b "Singles - Positions 76 to 200". Charts Plus. Spotlight Publications. 15 June 1991. p. 2.
  5. ^ a b "Playlist Chart". Music Week. 8 June 1991. p. 16. ISSN 0265-1548.
  6. ^ Hodge, Marcus (27 May 1991). "Singles". Cambridge Evening News. p. 14. Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ Hirst, Andrew (15 June 1991). "Reviews: Singles". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. p. 29. Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ Ellen, Barbara (1 June 1991). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 20. ISSN 0028-6362.
  9. ^ Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight (UK and European 7-inch single sleeve). Johnny Hates Jazz. Virgin Records. 1991. VS 1220, 114 250.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Johnny Hates Jazz. Virgin Records. 1991. VST 1220.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ a b Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight (UK CD single liner notes). Johnny Hates Jazz. Virgin Records. 1991. VSCDT 1220.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight (UK limited edition fold-out skyscape pack CD single liner notes). Johnny Hates Jazz. Virgin Records. 1991. VSCDX 1220.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Let Me Change Your Mind Tonight (Japanese CD single liner notes). Johnny Hates Jazz. Virgin Records. 1991. VJDP-10159.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Tall Stories (UK and European vinyl LP sleeve notes). Johnny Hates Jazz. Virgin Records. 1991. 211 489, V2615.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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