Chart performance:
| Week | Position | Movement | Comments |
| 11-Jul-80 | 18 | New | |
| 18-Jul-80 | 11 | +7 | Star rater |
| 25-Jul-80 | 8 | +3 | |
| 01-Aug-80 | 8 | 0 | |
| 08-Aug-80 | 6 | +2 | |
| 15-Aug-80 | 6 | 0 | |
| 22-Aug-80 | 3 | +3 | |
| 29-Aug-80 | 2 | +1 | Peak |
| 05-Sep-80 | 2 | 0 | Peak |
| 12-Sep-80 | 2 | 0 | Peak |
| 19-Sep-80 | 2 | 0 | Peak |
| 26-Sep-80 | 3 | -1 | |
| 03-Oct-80 | 6 | -3 | |
| 10-Oct-80 | 6 | 0 | |
| 17-Oct-80 | 7 | -1 | |
| 24-Oct-80 | 15 | -8 | Biggest faller |
| 31-Oct-80 | 17 | -2 |
Written by: Sonny Curtis & Jerry Allison
Produced by: Alan Tarney
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis
| Hit number for artist | 10 |
| Peak position | 2 |
| Weeks | 17 |
| Biggest climber awards | 0 |
| Star rater climbs | 1 |
| Biggest faller awards | 1 |
| Top 20 points | 235 |
| Overall Top 20 points ranking | =230 |
| Top 20 points ranking for the artist | 1 |
| Top 30 Points | 405 |
| Overall Top 30 points ranking | =264 |
| Top 30 points ranking for the artist | 1 |
Annual ranking:
| 1980 | 9 |
Other chart success:
| Australia | 1 |
| Austria | 6 |
| Belgium | 4 |
| Canada | 7 |
| Germany | 8 |
| Ireland | 2 |
| Netherlands | 9 |
| New Zealand | 5 |
| Switzerland | 2 |
| UK | 2 |
| US | 2 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 |
SA Radio charts:
| Capital 604 | 4 |
| Radio 5 | 1 |
The song was writer by Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison, both members of Buddy Holly’s Crickets. The Crickets recorded the song soon after Holly’s death in 1959. Their version would spend 1 week on the UK charts, peaking at 42 in the May of 1960. Bobby Vee, who stepped in as a replacement act for Holly at the latter’s next scheduled concert, would see his 1961 cover of the song go to 61 in the US and 4 in the UK. The Beatles are said to have performed the song live just prior to their rise to fame although there are no recorded versions of this. Sayer’s version would be the 3rd and last song that would peak at 2 on all 3 of the South African, US and UK charts. The previous songs to manage this were The Rolling Stones’ ‘19th Nervous Breakdown’ and The Mamas & The Papas’ ‘Dedicated To The One I Love’. Sayer’s version was kept off the top spot in SA by Joy’s ‘Paradise Road’.
Video:
Artist link: Leo Sayer
SA Singles Charts 