"Lonely Hearts Club" is a song originally recorded by American country artist Billie Jo Spears. It was composed by Gene Simmons, Roger Bowling and Larry Butler. It was released as a single via United Artists Records in 1977, reaching the top 20 of the American country chart and the top ten of the Canadian country chart. It served as the title track of Spears's 1978 studio album.
| "Lonely Hearts Club" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Billie Jo Spears | ||||
| from the album Lonely Hearts Club | ||||
| B-side | "His Little Something on the Side" | |||
| Released | December 1977 | |||
| Recorded | August 1977 | |||
| Studio | Jack Clement Recording Studio | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:40 | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Larry Butler | |||
| Billie Jo Spears singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background, content and recording
editBillie Jo Spears reached the peak of her career while recording for United Artists Records during the 1970s. She reached the top of the country charts with 1975's "Blanket on the Ground", and reached the top ten with "What I've Got in Mind" (1976), "Misty Blue" (1976) and "If You Want Me" (1977). A string of singles also reached the country top 20 during the decade, which included "Lonely Hearts Club".[2] The song was written by Roger Bowling, Larry Butler and Gene Simmons.[3] The song described a woman who receives a letter from a lover.[4] It was produced by Larry Butler at the Jack Clement Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The session was held in August 1977.[3]
Release, chart performance and reception
edit"Lonely Hearts Club" was released as a single by United Artists in December 1977. It was backed on the B-side by the track, "His Little Something on the Side". It was issued as a seven-inch vinyl disc.[3] It debuted on America's Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in January 1978. It spent a total of 11 weeks on the chart, climbing to the number 18 position.[5] It reached the top ten on Canada's RPM Country Tracks chart, peaking at number nine around the same time.[6] It eventually served as the title track for Spears's 1978 studio album, which was also released by United Artists.[7] The single was reviewed positively by Cash Box magazine in January 1978, describing it production as having "good guitar and banjo licks [that] keep this song rolling."[4]
Track listing
edit7" vinyl single[3]
- "Lonely Hearts Club" – 2:40
- "His Little Something on the Side" – 2:38
Charts
edit| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[6] | 9 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 18 |
References
edit- ^ a b ""Lonely Hearts Club": Billie Jo Spears: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ Huey, Steve. "Billie Jo Spears Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d Spears, Billie Jo (December 1977). ""Lonely Hearts Club"/"His Little Something on the Side" (Single Information)". United Artists Records. UA-XW1127.
- ^ a b "45 / Reviews / LP" (PDF). Cash Box. January 14, 1978. p. 34. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. various.
- ^ a b "Search results for "Billie Jo Spears"". RPM. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Spears, Billie Jo (February 1978). "Lonely Hearts Club (Disc Information)". United Artists Records. UA-LA859-G.
- ^ "Billie Jo Spears Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2023.