Tag Archives: Gloria Gaynor

WALK ON BY – GLORIA GAYNOR

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Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
17-Oct-7520New 
24-Oct-7517+3 
31-Oct-7513+4Biggest climber/Star rater
07-Nov-7512+1Peak
14-Nov-7515-3 
21-Nov-7517-2 

Written by: Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Produced by: Meco Monardo
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): MGM

Hit number for artist3
Peak position12
Weeks6
Biggest climber awards1
Star rater climbs1
Biggest faller awards0
Top 20 points32
Overall Top 20 points ranking=1823
Top 20 points ranking for the artist5
Top 30 Points92
Overall Top 30 points ranking=1878
Top 30 points ranking for the artist5

Annual ranking:

1975=88

Other chart success:

Australia12
Belgium14
Canada90
France30
Germany17
Netherlands19
US98

SA Radio charts:

LM Radio10

The song was originally recorded in 1963 by Dionne Warwick. Her version would get to 6 in the US and 9 in the UK. Shortly after Warwick recorded it, Aretha Franklin would also record a version but her one would only be an album track. In 1969 Isaac Hayes would see his version get to 30 in the US. The song has been recorded by a number of different artists with The Stranglers (UK #21), The Average White Band (UK #46, US #92), Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons (Australia #55, New Zealand #6) and Gabrielle (UK#7) being some of the more successful recordings. Gaynor’s version was the 9th out of 14 hits to chart which noted Burt Bacharach in the songwriting credits and it would rank 11th out of the 14 for top 20 points.

Video:

Artist link: Gloria Gaynor

REACH OUT, I’LL BE THERE – GLORIA GAYNOR

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Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
06-Jun-7519New 
13-Jun-7518+1 
20-Jun-7517+1 
27-Jun-7514+3 
04-Jul-7513+1 
11-Jul-75130 
18-Jul-7511+2Peak
25-Jul-7515-4 
01-Aug-7520-5Biggest faller

Written by: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier & Eddie Holland
Produced by: Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): MGM

Hit number for artist2
Peak position11
Weeks9
Biggest climber awards0
Star rater climbs0
Biggest faller awards1
Top 20 points49
Overall Top 20 points ranking=1606
Top 20 points ranking for the artist3
Top 30 Points139
Overall Top 30 points ranking=1554
Top 30 points ranking for the artist3

Annual ranking:

197576

Other chart success:

Australia35
Austria13
Belgium5
Canada16
Germany5
Netherlands3
UK14
US60
Zimbabwe3

SA Radio charts:

LM Radio1

The song was first recorded by The Four Tops in 1966. They would see it top both the UK and US charts and it would be the 4th biggest hit in the US for the year. In 1971, Diana Ross would see her version peak at 29 in the US.

Video:

Artist link: Gloria Gaynor

NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE – GLORIA GAYNOR

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Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
11-Apr-7519New 
18-Apr-7514+5Biggest climber/Star rater
25-Apr-759+5Biggest climber/Star rater
02-May-758+1Peak
09-May-7511-3 
16-May-7514-3 
23-May-7516-2 
30-May-7519-3 

Written by: Clifton Davis
Produced by: Jay Ellis, Meco Monardo, Tony Bongiovi & Harold Wheeler
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): MGM

Hit number for artist1
Peak position8
Weeks8
Biggest climber awards2
Star rater climbs2
Biggest faller awards0
Top 20 points58
Overall Top 20 points ranking=1501
Top 20 points ranking for the artist2
Top 30 Points138
Overall Top 30 points ranking=1564
Top 30 points ranking for the artist4

Annual ranking:

197571

Other chart success:

Australia3
Austria19
Belgium5
Canada3
Germany13
Ireland3
Netherlands6
Spain3
UK2
US9
Zimbabwe9

SA Radio charts:

LM Radio3

Although originally intended for The Supremes, the song was first recorded by The Jackson 5 in 1970 and they would see it peak at number 2 in the US. The following year, Isaac Hayes included a cover version on his ‘Black Moses’ album. In 1988 we would see the song chart for The Communards. That version would get to number 2 on our charts. Of the 67 songs that charted in more than 1 version, this would rank 50th using the combined top 30 points for all versions that charted.

Video:

Artist link: Gloria Gaynor

I WILL SURVIVE – GLORIA GAYNOR

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Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
20-Apr-7919New 
27-Apr-7911+8Biggest climber/Star rater
04-May-799+2 
11-May-795+4Star rater
18-May-793+2 
25-May-792+1Peak
01-Jun-7920Peak
08-Jun-7920Peak
15-Jun-7920Peak
22-Jun-7920Peak
29-Jun-7920Peak
06-Jul-7920Peak
13-Jul-7920Peak
20-Jul-792*0Peak
27-Jul-793-1 
03-Aug-796-3 
10-Aug-7911-5Biggest faller
17-Aug-7913-2 
24-Aug-7920-7Biggest faller

* All time record run at 2 (9 weeks). It was stuck behind Richard Jon Smith’s ‘Michael Row The Boat Ashore’ for 7 weeks and Racey’s ‘Some Girls’ for 2.

Written by: Freddie Perren & Dino Fekaris
Produced by: Freddie Perren & Dino Fekaris
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Polydor

Hit number for artist4
Peak position2
Weeks19
Biggest climber awards1
Star rater climbs2
Biggest faller awards2
Top 20 points281
Overall Top 20 points ranking=113
Top 20 points ranking for the artist1
Top 30 Points471
Overall Top 30 points ranking=138
Top 30 points ranking for the artist1

Annual ranking:

19793

Other chart success:

Australia5
Austria17
Belgium7
Canada3
Finland3
Germany7
Ireland1
Italy9
Netherlands5
New Zealand10
Norway4
Sweden3
Switzerland7
UK1
US1
Zimbabwe2

SA Radio charts:

Radio 51

Perrin and Ferakis were both ex-Motown songwriters who teamed up after they had been fired from the label. Perrin got the idea for the song soon after being fired when he turned on the TV and heard one of his compositions. He began jumping up and down on his bed saying, ‘I’m going to make it, I’m going to be a songwriter, I will survive’. Once writen it took 2 years for them to find someone to record the song. It was in 1978 when they were asked to produce Gaynor’s version of ‘Substitute’ (the same song that was a big hit for Clout), they agreed on the understanding that they could also produce the b-side. They then offered Gaynor ‘I Will Survive’ for that b-side. The record company insisted that ‘Substitute’ be the a-side despite Gaynor saying ‘I Will Survive’ would be a hit. She took the song to a DJ at the famous Studio 54 nightclub and they loved it. Soon all the radio DJs were playing the b-side instead of the a-side.

Video:

Artist link: Gloria Gaynor

I AM WHAT I AM – GLORIA GAYNOR

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Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
24-Feb-8424New 
02-Mar-8423+1 
09-Mar-8422+1 
16-Mar-8418+4Star rater
23-Mar-8417+1 
30-Mar-8416+1 
06-Apr-8413+3 
13-Apr-8412+1Peak
20-Apr-8415-3 
27-Apr-8416-1 
04-May-8420-4Biggest faller
11-May-8421-1 
18-May-8425-4Biggest faller
25-May-8429-4 

Written by: Jerry Herman
Produced by: Joel Diamond
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Gallo

Hit number for artist5
Peak position12
Weeks14
Biggest climber awards0
Star rater climbs1
Biggest faller awards2
Top 20 points41
Overall Top 20 points ranking=1711
Top 20 points ranking for the artist4
Top 30 Points163
Overall Top 30 points ranking=1393
Top 30 points ranking for the artist2

Annual ranking:

198463

Other chart success:

Australia69
Belgium36
Germany35
Ireland18
Netherlands37
Switzerland20
UK13
US102

SA Radio charts:

Capital 60412
Radio 7027

The song came from ‘La Cage Aux Folles’, a 1983 Broadway Musical. It would first appear on the original cast album with that version being sung by American actor George Hearn. It has become a gay anthem since then.

Video:

Artist link: Gloria Gaynor

GLORIA GAYNOR (US)

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Born: 7 September 1943
Birth name: Gloria Fowles

Gloria was born in Newark in New Jersey. Her father played ukulele and guitar in a band called Step ‘n Fetchit which played in nightclubs. She began her singing career as part of a band called the Soul Satisfiers and recorded a single called ‘She’ll Be Sorry’ in her own name in 1965 which was released on Johnny Nash’s Jocida label. In 1971 she signed for Columbia Records but her only output there was a single called ‘Honey Bee’ which didn’t do anything and she would leave the label. Her breakthrough came when she signed for MGM records and saw her single, ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’, go to number 9 in the US and 2 in the UK. She would go on to see 7 US hits, topping the charts with ‘I Will Survive’ in 1979. In the UK she has seen 11 hits with ‘I Will Survive’ also being her only chart topper.

Date of entrySongPeak (weeks at 1)Weeks
    
11-Apr-1975Never Can Say Goodbye88
06-Jun-1975Reach Out, I’ll Be There119
17-Oct-1975Walk On By126
20-Apr-1979I Will Survive219
24-Feb-1984I Am What I Am1214
    
  Total hits5
  Total weeks56
Biggest climber awards4
Star rater climbs6
Biggest fallers5
Weeks with oldest in the charts1
Longest run in the charts (weeks)19
Weeks with more than 1 in the charts0
Biggest gap between hits (weeks)234
Top 30 points ranking128
Top 20 points ranking145
Top 30 points1003
Top 20 points461

Gloria has the tied 19th highest weeks count for any female act.