- Only Love Can Break a Heart
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Not to be confused with Only Love Can Break Your Heart.
"Only Love Can Break a Heart" Single by Gene Pitney from the album Only Love Can Break a Heart B-side "If I Didn't Have a Dime (To Play the Jukebox)" Released 1962 Format 7" (45 rpm) Genre Pop Length 2:50 Label Musicor Records Writer(s) Hal David, Burt Bacharach Producer Wally Gold, Aaron Schroeder "Only Love Can Break a Heart" is the title of a popular song from 1962 (see 1962 in music) by the American singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. The song was written by Hal David (words) and Burt Bacharach (music) and appears on Pitney's second album Only Love Can Break a Heart.
Pitney had enjoyed some success as a songwriter prior to breaking through as a performer in his own right. He wrote the songs "Hello Mary Lou", "Rubber Ball", and "He's a Rebel", the latter a number-one Billboard Hot 100 hit for The Crystals in 1962.[1] Ironically, Pitney's success as a singer was beginning at this time, and "He's a Rebel" kept "Only Love Can Break a Heart" from topping the Billboard pop chart, where it spent one week at number two.[2] "Only Love..." did spend two weeks atop the Billboard Easy Listening chart in October and November 1962.[3] It also reached number 16 on the Billboard R&B chart.[3]
Other artists have recorded cover versions of "Only Love...", including country music singers Sonny James and Kenny Dale. Both versions reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart during the 1970s.[3] James' version peaked at No. 2 in March 1972, held out of the top by Freddie Hart's "My Hang-Up Is You." As a result, "Only Love ..." just missed continuing James' record-breaking streak of consecutive number-one singles, which had reached 16.[4] Dale's version of the song reached number seven on the Hot Country Singles chart in 1979 becoming his biggest hit on the country charts.
Dionne Warwick released her version of the song as a single in 1977, but it only reached number nine of the "Bubbling Under" portion of the Billboard Hot 100.[3] Bobby Vinton also recorded the song in 1977, and it reached number 99 on the Hot 100.[5] Vinton's version appears on his album The Name Is Love.
See also
References
- ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of #1 Hits, 5th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ a b c d Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
- ^ Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006.
- ^ Vinton Hot 100 chart info at billboard.com
External links
Categories:- 1962 singles
- Gene Pitney songs
- Sonny James songs
- Bobby Vinton songs
- Dionne Warwick songs
- Kenny Dale songs
- Songs with lyrics by Hal David
- Songs with music by Burt Bacharach
- Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one singles
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