Friends and Lovers (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Friends and Lovers


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Artist = Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson
Album = Carl Anderson
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B-side = "You Always Knew" (Gloria Loring)
Released = 1986
Format = 7" (45 rpm)
Recorded = 1985
Genre = Pop, Adult contemporary
Length = 3:50
Label = USA Carrere
Writer = Jay Gruska, Paul Gordon
Producer = Yves Dessca
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"Friends and Lovers" is the title of a popular song from 1986 (see 1986 in music). The song was first recorded as a duet by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson in 1985. The recording went unreleased until the summer of 1986, when it was released shortly after a version by Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt hit country radio. The country version featured the altered title of "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)."

Pop version

Loring is a singer and actress who had been married to actor Alan Thicke from 1970 until 1983. Beginning in 1980, she portrayed the character Liz Chandler on the American soap opera "Days of Our Lives". Her character was a lounge singer, so Loring was often called upon to perform on-screen; one of the songs she performed during this period was "Friends and Lovers", a song that was written by Jay Gruska.

In 1985, Anderson (perhaps best remembered for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in both the film and stage versions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar") appeared on "Days of Our Lives" and performed the duet with Loring, a pairing that proved popular with fans of the soap. This duet was released in the summer of 1986, first as a single on the label USA Carrere, then later on Anderson's self-titled album on Epic Records.

The song spent two weeks at #2 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart in late September and early October of 1986, kept from the top position by "Stuck with You" by Huey Lewis and the News. The song remained in the Top 40 for 14 weeks. It reached #1 on the "Billboard" sales chart and #2 on the airplay chart (the two components of the Hot 100 chart). It also spent two weeks at #1 on the adult contemporary chart. "Friends and Lovers" would be the only Top 40 hit for either performer. Loring would leave "Days of Our Lives" the same year the single appeared on the music charts. Anderson died in 2004 from complications arising from a long battle with leukemia.

Country version

Two weeks earlier in 1986, country-pop singers Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt released a version of "Friends and Lovers", altering the title to emphasize the final line from the chorus. Technically, Newton and Rabbitt's version is not a cover version, due to a cover record being one that is recorded "and" released following the original. Therefore, even though Loring and Anderson recorded the song first, Newton and Rabbitt are credited with the original commercial version. Their duet was called "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)", and although this version differed musically from Loring and Anderson's recording, it is lyrically the same song. Both Newton ("Queen of Hearts", "Break It to Me Gently") and Rabbitt ("I Love a Rainy Night", "Every Which Way but Loose") had already enjoyed enormous success on both the pop and country music charts, and their version of the duet went to #1 on the "Billboard" country chart.

External links

* [http://www.discogs.com/release/1119905 Loring/Anderson single info at discogs.com]