I Couldn't Live Without Your Love (album)
Encyclopedia
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love is a Petula Clark
album released in the United States and the UK in September 1966. Clark's fifth US album release, I Couldn't Live Without Your Love was the first Petula Clark album to include creative personnel besides Tony Hatch
, who produced the album and arranged some of the tracks, along with Johnny Harris
.
The album was released subsequent to the Top Ten success in both the UK and the US of the "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love
" single. Unlike the parent albums of Clark's precedent hits which had favored original material over cover versions, the I Couldn't Live Without Your Love album featured seven contemporary covers plus the traditional pop standard "Come Rain or Come Shine". This formula proved to be a popularity booster in the UK where I Couldn't Live Without Your Love became Clark's first charting album; its #11 peak remains Clark UK album chart best. In the US the album reached #43.
The mid-60s hits Clark covers on the album include "Elusive Butterfly
"; its original artist and writer Bob Lind
has called Clark's recording his favourite version despite its omission of a verse. Also included is Clark's version of the Mindbenders
' "A Groovy Kind Of Love
"; that track became a hit for Clark in Rhodesia (#7) and South Africa (#5) in the summer of 1967. The set opens with Clark's bouncy rendition of Frank Sinatra's recent #1 hit "Strangers in the Night". Her nasal version of the song was reportedly in retaliation for Sinatra's version of "Downtown". Clark performed the song on "The Hollywood Palace".
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love also features "Wasn't It You", which is Clark's only recording of a Gerry Goffin
/Carole King
song.1
Side Two
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
album released in the United States and the UK in September 1966. Clark's fifth US album release, I Couldn't Live Without Your Love was the first Petula Clark album to include creative personnel besides Tony Hatch
Tony Hatch
Anthony Peter "Tony" Hatch is an English composer, songwriter, pianist, music arranger and producer.-Early life and early career:...
, who produced the album and arranged some of the tracks, along with Johnny Harris
Johnny Harris (musician)
Johnny Harris is a Scottish born composer, producer, arranger, conductor and musical director. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland; and a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music in London. He has lived in the US since 1972...
.
The album was released subsequent to the Top Ten success in both the UK and the US of the "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love
"I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" is a 1966 single written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent and recorded by Petula Clark. It was inspired by the affair the songwriters were having at the time....
" single. Unlike the parent albums of Clark's precedent hits which had favored original material over cover versions, the I Couldn't Live Without Your Love album featured seven contemporary covers plus the traditional pop standard "Come Rain or Come Shine". This formula proved to be a popularity booster in the UK where I Couldn't Live Without Your Love became Clark's first charting album; its #11 peak remains Clark UK album chart best. In the US the album reached #43.
The mid-60s hits Clark covers on the album include "Elusive Butterfly
Elusive Butterfly
"Elusive Butterfly" is a popular song by Bob Lind released in 1966, which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also recorded and released in 1966 in the UK by the Irish singer Val Doonican...
"; its original artist and writer Bob Lind
Bob Lind
Bob Lind is an American folk music singer-songwriter who reached the height of his success during the 1960s...
has called Clark's recording his favourite version despite its omission of a verse. Also included is Clark's version of the Mindbenders
The Mindbenders
The Mindbenders was a 1960s beat group from Manchester, England. They were part of the mid 1960s British Invasion with their chart-toppers "Game of Love" and "A Groovy Kind of Love"....
' "A Groovy Kind Of Love
A Groovy Kind of Love
"A Groovy Kind of Love" is a pop song written by Toni Wine and Carol Bayer for the Screen Gems music publishing company. It is heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5 by Muzio Clementi...
"; that track became a hit for Clark in Rhodesia (#7) and South Africa (#5) in the summer of 1967. The set opens with Clark's bouncy rendition of Frank Sinatra's recent #1 hit "Strangers in the Night". Her nasal version of the song was reportedly in retaliation for Sinatra's version of "Downtown". Clark performed the song on "The Hollywood Palace".
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love also features "Wasn't It You", which is Clark's only recording of a Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
/Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
song.1
- 1Clark has cut post-1960s compositions written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King independently of each other - respectively "Two Lives" (Gerry Goffin/Tom KellyTom Kelly (musician)Thomas F. Kelly is an American musician, best known for his songwriting partnership with Billy Steinberg. Steinberg and Kelly co-wrote numerous hit songs for popular music artists, including five number-one singles on the Billboard Top 100 chart in the 1980s....
/Billy SteinbergBilly SteinbergWilliam Endfield "Billy" Steinberg is an American songwriter. He has achieved most of his success as part of a song writing team, most notably with Tom Kelly. He has also co-written several hit songs with Rick Nowels.-Biography:...
) and "Beautiful"; Clark has also recorded a live version of King's "You've Got a FriendYou've Got a Friend"You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year...
".
Track listing
Side One- "Strangers in the NightStrangers in the Night"Strangers in the Night" is a popular song composed by Bert Kaempfert with English lyrics by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder. It was originally created under the title Beddy Bye as part of the instrumental score for the movie A Man Could Get Killed...
" (Bert KaempfertBert KaempfertBert Kaempfert was a German orchestra leader and songwriter. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records, and wrote the music for a number of well-known songs, such as "Strangers in the Night" and "Spanish Eyes".-Biography:He was born in Hamburg, Germany - where he received his lifelong...
, Charles Singleton, Eddie SnyderEddie SnyderEdward Abraham Snyder was an American composer and songwriter. Snyder is credited with co-writing the English language lyrics and music for Frank Sinatra's 1966 hit, "Strangers in the Night"....
) - "A Groovy Kind of LoveA Groovy Kind of Love"A Groovy Kind of Love" is a pop song written by Toni Wine and Carol Bayer for the Screen Gems music publishing company. It is heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5 by Muzio Clementi...
" (Carole Bayer SagerCarole Bayer SagerCarole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and painter.-Introduction:Born in New York City, Sager graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts and speech...
, Toni WineToni WineToni Wine is an American pop music songwriter, who wrote songs for such artists as The Mindbenders , Tony Orlando and Dawn , Elvis Presley, and Checkmates Ltd. in the late 1960s and 1970s...
) - "RainRain (The Beatles song)"Rain" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was first released in June 1966 as the B-side of the "Paperback Writer" single...
" (John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
) - "Wasn't It You" (Gerry GoffinGerry GoffinGerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
, Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
) - "There Goes My Love, There Goes My Life" (Tony Hatch, Petula Clark, Hubert Ballay, Jackie TrentJackie TrentJackie Trent is an English singer, songwriter, and actress.-Career:Trent's first stage appearance was as a ten-year-old ingenue in the pantomime Babes In The Wood, but her primary interest was a career in pop music...
) - "Monday Monday" (John PhillipsJohn Phillips (musician)John Edmund Andrew Phillips , was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and promoter . Known as Papa John, Phillips was a member and leader of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas...
)
Side Two
- "Bang BangBang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"Bang Bang " is the second single by singer-actress Cher from her second studio album The Sonny Side of Chér. The song was written by Sonny Bono and released in 1966. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (Sonny BonoSonny BonoSalvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
) - "Homeward BoundHomeward Bound (song)"Homeward Bound" is an American folk song written by Paul Simon, performed by Simon and Garfunkel, produced by Bob Johnston and recorded on December 14, 1965. The song describes his longing to return home, both to his then girlfriend, Kathy Chitty in Brentwood, Essex, England, and to return to the...
" (Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
) - "Two Rivers" (Petula Clark)
- "Come Rain or Come Shine" (Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, Harold ArlenHarold ArlenHarold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
) - "Elusive ButterflyElusive Butterfly"Elusive Butterfly" is a popular song by Bob Lind released in 1966, which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also recorded and released in 1966 in the UK by the Irish singer Val Doonican...
" (Bob LindBob LindBob Lind is an American folk music singer-songwriter who reached the height of his success during the 1960s...
) - "I Couldn't Live Without Your LoveI Couldn't Live Without Your Love"I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" is a 1966 single written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent and recorded by Petula Clark. It was inspired by the affair the songwriters were having at the time....
" (Tony Hatch, Jackie Trent)