Danny's Song

"Danny's Song"
Song by Loggins and Messina from the album Sittin' In
Released	November 1971
Recorded	1971
Genre	Folk Rock
Length	4:16
Label	Columbia
Composer	Kenny Loggins
Producer	Jim Messina

"Danny's Song" is the title of a song written by the American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. It was written as a gift for his brother Danny for the birth of his son Colin. It first appeared on the album Sittin' In, the debut album by Loggins and Messina. The song is well remembered for both the Loggins and Messina original, as well as Anne Murray's 1972 top-ten charting cover.

Loggins and Messina version

Loggins and Jim Messina released Sittin' In in 1971, and although the album yielded no Top 40 radio hits, one song that received a significant amount of radio airplay was "Danny's Song". Loggins wrote the song for his brother Danny Loggins in 1970 when Danny became the father of a boy named Colin -- his first son.^[1] Loggins and Messina would achieve chart success in 1973 with their song "Your Mama Don't Dance", but their version of "Danny's Song" remains one of their best-known songs through frequent airplay on rock and adult contemporary radio stations.^[1]

Anne Murray version

"Danny's Song"
Single by Anne Murray
from the album Danny's Song
Released	1972
Format	7" (45 rpm)
Genre	Country
Length	3:03
Label	Capitol
Writer(s)	Kenny Loggins
Producer	Brian Ahern
Anne Murray singles chronology
"Robbie's Song for Jesus" (1972) "Danny's Song" (1972) "What About Me" (1973)

Canadian country-pop music singer Anne Murray was a fan of the original recording and recorded a cover version in 1972. Included on her album of the same name, Murray's version of "Danny's Song" was a hit, reaching the Top 10 on three major Billboard music charts in early 1973. On the pop chart, the song reached number seven;^[2] on the country chart, it peaked at number ten;^[1] and on the easy listening chart, it spent two weeks at number one in March of that year.^[1] Murray's version also earned her a Grammy Award nomination in the category Best Female Pop Vocal performance at the Grammy Awards of 1974, losing out to "Killing Me Softly with His Song" by Roberta Flack.

Murray stated that she loved the original version, but the song took on a deeper meaning for her after the birth of her first child a few years later. In an interview, she stated that "Whenever I was singing that song, it was very meaningful."^[1]

Chart performance

Chart (1972–1973)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Singles[3]	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks[4]	1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks[5]	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	7
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	10
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening	1

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
3. ^ "RPM Adult Contemporary for March 17, 1973". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4789&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=fdhh4d7omoiikvvliap0bp9ng0. Retrieved 11 October 2010. 
4. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for January 27, 1973". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4273&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=fdhh4d7omoiikvvliap0bp9ng0. Retrieved 11 October 2010. 
5. ^ "RPM Adult Contemporary for January 20, 1973". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4264&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=fdhh4d7omoiikvvliap0bp9ng0. Retrieved 11 October 2010. 

Preceded by "(Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon Wine" by Tom T. Hall	RPM Country Tracks number-one single (Anne Murray version) January 27, 1973	Succeeded by "I Wonder If They Ever Think of Me" by Merle Haggard
Preceded by "Last Song" by Edward Bear	Billboard Easy Listening Singles number-one single (Anne Murray version) March 17, 1973 (2 weeks)	Succeeded by "Sing" by The Carpenters