"Somewhere Down the Road" is a popular song written by Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow and most famously recorded in 1981 by Barry Manilow. Weil wrote the song's lyrics and Snow wrote the melody.
| "Somewhere Down the Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Barry Manilow | ||||
| from the album If I Should Love Again | ||||
| B-side | "The Old Songs" | |||
| Released | September 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:59 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Cynthia Weil, Tom Snow | |||
| Producer(s) | Barry Manilow | |||
| Barry Manilow singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Release
editThe song was chosen for Barry Manilow by Arista Records' then-president, Clive Davis, and recorded by Manilow on his album If I Should Love Again. Released as the follow-up to the top 20 hit "The Old Songs", "Somewhere Down the Road" did moderately well as a single in early 1982, reaching #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. On February 20, 1982, the record reached #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and stayed there for two weeks.[1] In Canada, the song reached number seven on the Adult Contemporary chart.[2]
Record World called it a "warm ballad" in which "Manilow's reassuring vocal is complemented with sparkling piano leads."[3]
Popularity
editThe song was introduced to new audiences when it was prominently featured in an episode of the popular TV show Ally McBeal in 2001. In the episode "Reach Out and Touch" (which guest-starred Manilow as the subject of the title character's hallucinations), the song was performed by Manilow and singer/series regular Vonda Shepard.
In 1996, the song was also introduced to its episode of Philippine drama Villa Quintana on GMA Network as the first season ending in their wedding suicide for Isagani (Keempee de Leon) and Lynette (Donna Cruz). [citation needed]
Charts
edit| Chart (1981-82) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[4] | 7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 21 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[6] | 1 |
Nina version
editIn 2007, the song was recorded and released by Filipina pop/R&B singer Nina for the repackaged version of her self-titled album entitled Nina Featuring the Hits of Barry Manilow. It was the carrier single of the album, with a music video of her singing in a studio. The single peaked at #2 in her home country.
Other cover versions
edit- Daniel Evans, a finalist on series 5 of the X Factor (UK) recorded an acoustic piano version on his debut album No Easy Way in 2010.
- Roselle Nava
- Sabrina
- Martin Nievera
- Kathy Mattea
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 345.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1982-02-27. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 19, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1982-02-27. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ^ "Barry Manilow Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
- ^ "Barry Manilow Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
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