"You're a Friend of Mine" is a 1985 hit song, written by Narada Michael Walden and Jeffrey Cohen, with lead vocals by Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne in a duet. At the time of the song's release, Clemons was already well known nationally as the saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. The song was released on Clemons's solo album Hero (1985). Browne's then-girlfriend Daryl Hannah provides background vocals and appears in the song's music video painting and later filming the duo. Also appearing in the video is a backing band, including songwriter Walden on drums. The B-side was "Let the Music Say It", a non-album track written by Clemons and Michael Jonzun.
| "You're a Friend of Mine" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne | ||||
| from the album Hero | ||||
| B-side | "Let the Music Say It" | |||
| Released | October 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Jazz rock, dance-rock | |||
| Length | 4:48 (album version) 4:12 (single edit) | |||
| Label | CBS Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen | |||
| Producer(s) | Narada Michael Walden | |||
| Clarence Clemons singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was a commercial success, reaching the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 (#18), Mainstream Rock (#16), and the top 40 on the Adult Contemporary (#21) charts in the U.S. The song also reached the top 20 in Ireland on the Irish Singles Chart (#18).
A live version of the song was recorded on Clemons's 2004 album with Temple of Soul entitled Live in Asbury Park, Vol. 2.
Singing cousins Whitney Houston & Dionne Warwick sang a live version of "You're a Friend of Mine" on Solid Gold in January of 1986, which can be found on YouTube.
This song was used by the World Wrestling Federation (WWE) in early 1986, to cement a storyline involving a feud between "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Ace" Cowboy Bob Orton, culminating with a montage of their work together from 1984 to 1986. It was also used again on 02/03/1989 on NBC's The Main Event to show the close friendships of The Mega Powers: Hulk Hogan, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, and Miss Elizabeth.[citation needed]
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1985–1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[1] | 9 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[2] | 12 |
| Ireland[3] | 18 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[4] | 7 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 18 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[7] | 21 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[8] | 16 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1986) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 55 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[10] | 86 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] | 66 |
References
edit- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne – You're a Friend of Mine" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". www.irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 5, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne – You're a Friend of Mine" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "Clarence Clemons Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "Clarence Clemons Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "Clarence Clemons Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. No. 650. December 1986. Retrieved January 24, 2023 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1986". Ultratop. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
External links
edit- "You're a Friend of Mine" on YouTube
- Song lyrics at SongFacts