WHEN I NEED YOU – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
22-Apr-77	10	New
29-Apr-77	6	+4	Star rater
06-May-77	5	+1
13-May-77	3	+2
20-May-77	2	+1	Peak
27-May-77	2	0	Peak
03-Jun-77	4	-2
10-Jun-77	5	-1
17-Jun-77	6	-1
24-Jun-77	7	-1
01-Jul-77	8	-1
08-Jul-77	15	-7	Biggest faller
15-Jul-77	17	-2
22-Jul-77	20	-3

Written by: Albert Hammond & Carole Bayer Sager
Produced by: Richard Perry
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis

Hit number for artist	6
Peak position	2
Weeks	14
Biggest climber awards	0
Star rater climbs	1
Biggest faller awards	1
Top 20 points	184
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=468
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	2
Top 30 Points	324
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=513
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	2

Annual ranking:

1977

15

Other chart success:

Australia	8
Belgium	2
Canada	1
Ireland	1
Israel	1
Netherlands	2
New Zealand	4
Sweden	15
UK	1
US	1
Zimbabwe	1

The song was first recorded in 1976 by Albert Hammond, who co-wrote it and it was the title track of his album which included the song. The song supposedly borrows some of the melody from Leonard Cohen’s ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ and apparently an out of court settlement was made around that. Toto’s Jeff Porcaro plays drums on the track. It would be the 5^th song to enter our charts in the top 10 but not make number 1 as it was denied the top spot by Julie Covington’s ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’.  It was the 12^th of 24 hits to chart where Richard Perry is noted as the producer and would rank 7^th out of those 24 for top 20 points. Rod Stewart, Julio Iglesias, Celine Dion and Cliff Richard (UK #38) are amongst the artists who have recorded version of the song.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer

THUNDER IN MY HEART – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
02-Dec-77	15	New
09-Dec-77	10	+5	Star rater
16-Dec-77	6	+4	Star rater/Peak
23-Dec-77	9	-3
30-Dec-77	15	-6	Biggest faller
06-Jan-78	9	+6	Biggest climber/Star rater
13-Jan-78	14	-5
20-Jan-78	17	-3

Written by: Leo Sayer & Tom Snow
Produced by: Richard Perry
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis

Hit number for artist	7
Peak position	6
Weeks	8
Biggest climber awards	1
Star rater climbs	3
Biggest faller awards	1
Top 20 points	73
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=1344
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	4
Top 30 Points	153
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=1463
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	5

Annual ranking:

1977	=75
1978	90

Other chart success:

Australia	11
Austria	17
Belgium	11
Canada	35
Finland	22
Netherlands	12
New Zealand	21
UK	22
US	38
Zimbabwe	19

SA Radio charts:

Radio 5

11

The song featured Lee Ritenour on guitar and Toto’s Jeff Porcaro on drums. In 2006 the track was remixed (with Sayer’s blessing) by UK DJ Meck (real name Craig Dimech) and put out with the title ‘Thunder In my Heart Again’. It would go to number 1 in the UK and make the top 20 in most European countries.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer

THE SHOW MUST GO ON – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
31-May-74	18	New
07-Jun-74	15	+3
14-Jun-74	14	+1
21-Jun-74	13	+1
28-Jun-74	11	+2	Peak
05-Jul-74	13	-2
12-Jul-74	16	-3

Written by: Leo Sayer & David Coutney
Produced by: Adam Faith & David Courtney
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis

Hit number for artist	1
Peak position	11
Weeks	7
Biggest climber awards	0
Star rater climbs	0
Biggest faller awards	0
Top 20 points	47
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=1631
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	8
Top 30 Points	117
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=1700
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	8

Annual ranking:

1974

72

Other chart success:

Australia	10
Austria	4
Germany	7
Ireland	3
UK	2
Zimbabwe	2

SA Radio charts:

LM Radio

2

The song was Sayer’s 3^rd single release and would be his first charting hit. Three Dog Night would record a version the same year as Sayer and that version would get to 4 in the US (it would top the US Cash Box charts, a rival chart to the Billboard Hot 100) and sell in excess of a million units.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer

ORCHARD ROAD – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
10-Jun-83	21	New
17-Jun-83	16	+5	Star rater
24-Jun-83	12	+4	Biggest climber/Star rater
01-Jul-83	12	0
08-Jul-83	11*	+1
15-Jul-83	9	+2	Peak
22-Jul-83	13	-4
29-Jul-83	14**	-1
05-Aug-83	18	-4
12-Aug-83	20	-2
19-Aug-83	21	-1
26-Aug-83	22	-1
02-Sep-83	30	-8	Biggest faller

* Clocks up 100 weeks in the charts for Leo Sayer
** Clocks up 103 weeks in the charts without seeing a number 1. This was a new record, overtaking Cliff Richard. Ultimately Sayer would not see a number 1 at all and would clock up 108 weeks. Billy Joel (122 weeks) and Madonna (152 weeks) would have longer chart careers without a chart toper.

Written by: Leo Sayer & Alan Tarney
Produced by: Alan Tarney
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis

Hit number for artist	12
Peak position	9
Weeks	13
Biggest climber awards	1
Star rater climbs	2
Biggest faller awards	1
Top 20 points	64
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=1440
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	6
Top 30 Points	184
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=1270
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	4

Annual ranking:

1983

58

Other chart success:

Australia	17
Belgium	8
Ireland	8
Netherlands	5
New Zealand	18
UK	16

SA Radio charts:

Capital 604	7
Radio 5	1
Radio 702	1

The song was based on a real all-night conversation Sayer had from a public telephone with his wife asking her to come back to him after she had left following ‘a lapse of judgement’ by Sayer. His wife was staying in Churchill Road at the time, but that didn’t work well for the song, so Sayer changed the lyric to Orchard Road, named after a shopping area in Singapore where he had recently performed. Alan Tarney (who wrote the music for the song) and Trevor Spencer from the Tarney Spencer Band both played on the track.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer

ONE MAN BAND – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
06-Sep-74	19	New
13-Sep-74	15	+4	Biggest climber/Star rater/Peak
20-Sep-74	15	0	Peak
27-Sep-74	17	-2
04-Oct-74	17	0

Written by: David Courtney & Leo Sayer
Produced by: David Courtney & Adam Faith
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis

Hit number for artist	2
Peak position	15
Weeks	5
Biggest climber awards	1
Star rater climbs	1
Biggest faller awards	0
Top 20 points	22
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=1973
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	11
Top 30 Points	72
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=2011
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	11

Annual ranking:

1974

=92

Other chart success:

Australia	38
Germany	12
Ireland	5
UK	6
US	96
Zimbabwe	10

SA Radio charts:

LM Radio

1

The song was initially recorded by The Who’s Roger Daltrey for his debut solo album ‘Daltrey’. Adam Faith, who would co-produce the track for Sayer, would produce Daltrey’s version. Ry Cooder would play guitar on Sayer’s version. The song was 1 of 8 which had the word ‘Band’ in the title (this includes ‘Band Of Gold’ by Freda Payne where all the other version refer to a musical band). It would spend its entire chart run sharing the top 20 with Wings’ ‘Band On The Run’ and they would be the only 2 of the 8 ‘Band’ songs to share the chart.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer

MORE THAN I CAN SAY – LEO SAYER

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 3^rd 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

MOONLIGHTING – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
14-Nov-75	20	New
21-Nov-75	18	+2
28-Nov-75	12	+6	Biggest climber/Star rater/Peak
05-Dec-75	15	-3
12-Dec-75	15	0

Written by: Leo Sayer & Frank Farrell
Produced by: Adam Faith & Russ Ballard
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis

Hit number for artist	4
Peak position	12
Weeks	5
Biggest climber awards	1
Star rater climbs	1
Biggest faller awards	0
Top 20 points	25
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=1931
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	10
Top 30 Points	75
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=1993
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	10

Annual ranking:

1975

93

Other chart success:

Australia	13
Ireland	1
New Zealand	14
Norway	6
Sweden	7
UK	2
Zimbabwe	3

SA Radio charts:

LM Radio	17
Radio 5	8

The song was inspired by one of Sayer’s roadies who was in love with a local police chief’s daughter and wanted to marry her. However the police chief would not let them, so they tried to elope and go get married in Gretna Green. While the real life story ended with the couple being stopped by the police in Carlisle and made to turn back, Sayer’s version ends with a hint at a happier outcome.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer

LONG TALL GLASSES – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
28-Feb-75	15	New
07-Mar-75	13	+2
14-Mar-75	9	+4	Star rater/Peak
21-Mar-75	11	-2
28-Mar-75	12	-1
04-Apr-75	13	-1
11-Apr-75	14	-1
18-Apr-75	16	-2

Written by: Leo Sayer & David Courtney
Produced by: Adam Faith & David Courtney
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis

Hit number for artist	3
Peak position	9
Weeks	8
Biggest climber awards	0
Star rater climbs	1
Biggest faller awards	0
Top 20 points	65
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=1425
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	5
Top 30 Points	145
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=1513
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	6

Annual ranking:

1975

=64

Other chart success:

Australia	7
Belgium	3
Canada	18
Germany	27
Ireland	4
Netherlands	2
UK	4
US	9
Zimbabwe	3

SA Radio charts:

LM Radio

1

Canadian band Shooter would release a cover version around the same time as Sayer’s version was released. Theirs went under the title ‘I Can Dance’ and would peak at 22 in Canada.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer

I CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU (THOUGH I TRY) – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
16-Feb-79	18	New	Peak
23-Feb-79	18	0	Peak

Written by: William Nicholls (aka Billy Nicholls)
Produced by: Richard Perry
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chysalis

Hit number for artist	9
Peak position	18
Weeks	2
Biggest climber awards	0
Star rater climbs	0
Biggest faller awards	0
Top 20 points	6
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=2217
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	12
Top 30 Points	26
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=2320
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	12

Annual ranking:

1979

=105

Other chart success:

Australia	37
UK	6
Zimbabwe	1

The song was originally recorded in 1977 by White Horse, a band which included the song writer Billy Nicholls. Steve Pocaro from Toto would play synthesizers on Sayer’s version. Phil Collins would record a version of the song in 2002. Going under the title ‘Can’t Stop Loving You’ it would get to 28 in the UK and 76 in the US as well going top 20 in a number of European countries and topping the charts in Poland.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY – LEO SAYER

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
26-Jan-79	19	New
02-Feb-79	18	+1
09-Feb-79	16	+2
16-Feb-79	12	+4	Star rater
23-Feb-79	14	-2
02-Mar-79	10	+4	Biggest climber/Star rater/Peak
09-Mar-79	13	-3
16-Mar-79	16	-3
23-Mar-79	19	-3

Written by: James H. Brown Jr. & Russell Smith
Produced by: Richard Perry
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis

Hit number for artist	8
Peak position	10
Weeks	9
Biggest climber awards	1
Star rater climbs	2
Biggest faller awards	0
Top 20 points	52
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=1569
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	7
Top 30 Points	142
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=1533
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	7

Annual ranking:

1979

=74

Other chart success:

Australia	15
New Zealand	31

The song was originally recorded by The Amazing Rhythm Ace and would be covered by The Oak Ridge Boys, Crystal Gayle and Steve Hofmeyr.

Video:

Artist link: Leo Sayer