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If You Could Read My Mind (Song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “If You Could Read My Mind” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by Gordon Lightfoot | |
| from the album Sit Down Young Stranger | |
| B-side | “Poor Little Allison” |
| Released | December 1970 |
| Recorded | November 1969 |
| Studio | SunWest (Hollywood, California) |
| Genre | Soft rock, folk rock |
| Length | 3:48 |
| Label | Reprise |
| Songwriter(s) | Gordon Lightfoot |
| Producer(s) | Lenny Waronker and Joseph Wissert |
| Gordon Lightfoot singles chronology | |
| “Approaching Lavender” (1970)”If You Could Read My Mind“ (1970)”This Is My Song” (1971) | |
“If You Could Read My Mind” is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot wrote the lyrics while he was reflecting on his own divorce. It reached No. 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart on commercial release in 1970 and charted in several other countries on international release in 1971.
Theme
Lightfoot cited his divorce for inspiring the lyrics, which came to him as he was sitting in a vacant Toronto house one summer. The song compares events in his relationship to a ghost movie and a paperback romance novel. The lyrics include the words: “I don’t know where we went wrong. But the feeling’s gone and I just can’t get it back.”
At the request of his daughter Ingrid, he performed the lyrics with a slight change: the line “I’m just trying to understand the feelings that you lack” is altered to “I’m just trying to understand the feelings that we lack.” Lightfoot said in an interview that the difficulty with writing songs inspired by personal stories is that there is not always the emotional distance and clarity to make lyrical improvements such as the one his daughter suggested.
Production
The song was produced by Lenny Waronker and Joe Wissert at Sunwest Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, with strings arranged by Nick DeCaro.
Composition
The song is in A major and uses the subtonic chord. According to Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon, the chorus of their song “Save a Prayer” was based on “If You Could Read My Mind”.
Format releases
This song first appeared on Lightfoot’s 1970 album Sit Down Young Stranger, later renamed If You Could Read My Mind following the song’s success.
Sit Down Young Stranger (Album)
For the Country Gentlemen album, see Sit Down, Young Stranger.
| Sit Down Young Stranger | |
|---|---|
| |
| Studio album by Gordon Lightfoot | |
| Released | April 1970 |
| Recorded | Early 1970 |
| Genre | Folk |
| Length | 36:44 |
| Label | Reprise |
| Producer | Lenny Waronker, Joseph Wissert |
| Gordon Lightfoot chronology | |
| Sunday Concert (1969)Sit Down Young Stranger (1970)Summer Side of Life (1971) | |
| Singles from Sit Down Young Stranger | |
| “Me And Bobby McGee“ Released: June 1970″Approaching Lavender” Released: 1970″If You Could Read My Mind“ Released: December 1970 | |
Sit Down Young Stranger is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot‘s sixth original album and his best-selling original album. Shortly after its 1970 release on the Reprise Records label, it was renamed If You Could Read My Mind when the song of that title reached #1 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The album itself reached #12 on the Billboard 200 chart. In Canada, the album was on the charts from April 18, 1970, to November 27, 1971. It peaked at #8 on March 13, 1971 after an earlier peak at #12 on June 20, 1970. Its last 24 weeks were spent in the 90s, except for two appearances at #88 and one at #100.
History
Sit Down Young Stranger was Lightfoot’s first recording for his new label, Reprise Records. He had left United Artists because he believed they did not adequately promote his albums.
On this album, Lightfoot included more orchestration, which is particularly evident on “If You Could Read My Mind”. It was also the first studio album to feature long-time Lightfoot bassist Rick Haynes. The orchestration on “Minstrel of the Dawn” and “Approaching Lavender” was arranged by Randy Newman.
The album contained one of the first recorded versions of Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster‘s “Me and Bobby McGee” which had previously been a country hit for Roger Miller and would later become a hit for Janis Joplin.
A small number of vinyl copies of the album contain no title on the front cover. This is because the cover was originally supposed to be just a picture of Lightfoot, but it was then thought that stating the title would increase the album’s sales. The untitled copies did have a small sticker on the cellophane wrap bearing the album’s title.
One rarity of note is “The Pony Man” appears on the Warner Brothers loss leader Schlagers! without the harmonica overdub.
Reception
Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
In his retrospective Allmusic review, critic Jim Newsom praised the album, writing “While future albums would begin to drift away from the folky acoustic timbres of this one, the beauty and simplicity of Sit Down Young Stranger make it a timeless recording.”
Track listing
All compositions by Gordon Lightfoot, except where indicated
Side 1
- “Minstrel of the Dawn” – 3:26
2. “Me and Bobby McGee” – 3:38 (Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster)
3. “Approaching Lavender” – 2:56
4. “Saturday Clothes” – 3:20
5. “Cobwebs & Dust” – 3:20
6. “Poor Little Allison” – 2:30
Side 2
- “Sit Down Young Stranger” – 3:26
2. “If You Could Read My Mind” – 3:48
3. “Baby It’s Alright” – 2:58
4. “Your Love’s Return (Song for Stephen Foster)” – 3:55
5. “The Pony Man” – 3:27
Chart performance
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 20 |
| Canadian RPM Top Albums | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 12 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Personnel
with:
- Ry Cooder – slide guitar on “Me and Bobby McGee”, mandolin on “Cobwebs and Dust”
- Van Dyke Parks – harmonium on “Cobwebs and Dust”
- John Sebastian – electric guitar on “Baby It’s Alright”, autoharp on “Saturday Clothes”, harmonica on “The Pony Man”
- Nick DeCaro – string arrangements on “Poor Little Allison”, “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Your Love’s Return”
- Randy Newman – string arrangement on “Minstrel of the Dawn” and “Approaching Lavender”
- Kris Kristofferson was rumored to have provided harmony vocals on “Me and Bobby McGee”
Technical
- Gary Brandt, Lee Herschberg – engineer
- Barry Feinstein, Tom Wilkes – design, photography
Chart performance
On release, the song reached No. 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart and was his first recording to appear in the U.S., reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in February 1971. Later in the year, it reached No. 27 on the Australian singles chart and No. 30 on the United Kingdom’s singles chart. The song also reached No. 1 for one week on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, and was the first of four Lightfoot releases to reach No. 1.
Rights infringement legal action
In 1987, Lightfoot filed a lawsuit against Michael Masser, the composer of Whitney Houston‘s hit “The Greatest Love of All“, alleging plagiarism of 24 bars of “If You Could Read My Mind”; the transitional section that begins “I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow” of the Masser song has the same melody as “I never thought I could act this way and I got to say that I just don’t get it; I don’t know where we went wrong but the feeling’s gone and I just can’t get it back” of Lightfoot’s song.
Lightfoot stated that he dropped the lawsuit when he felt it was having a negative effect on the singer Houston because the lawsuit was about the writer and not her. He also said that he did not want people to think that he had stolen his melody from Masser. The case was settled out of court, and Masser issued a public apology.
Charts
Weekly charts
Weekly chart performance for “If You Could Read My Mind”
| Chart (1970–1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Go-Set) | 28 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 27 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) | 1 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 1 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 19 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 30 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
Year-end charts
Year-end chart performance for “If You Could Read My Mind”
| Chart (1971) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 17 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 38 |
2023 weekly chart performance for “If You Could Read My Mind”
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard) | 17 |
Stars on 54 version
| “If You Could Read My Mind” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by Stars on 54 | |
| from the album 54: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, Volume 2 | |
| Released | 1998 |
| Genre | Dance-pop |
| Length | 3:26 |
| Label | Tommy Boy Music (UK) |
| Songwriter(s) | Gordon Lightfoot |
| Amber singles chronology | |
| “One More Night” (1997)”If You Could Read My Mind“ (1998)”Sexual (Li Da Di)” (1999) | |
| Jocelyn Enriquez singles chronology | |
| “Get Into the Rhythm” (1998)”If You Could Read My Mind“ (1998)”When I Get Close to You” (2000) | |
| Ultra Naté singles chronology | |
| “Release the Pressure” (1997)”If You Could Read My Mind“ (1998)”Desire” (2000) | |
House music collective Stars on 54—consisting of Amber, Jocelyn Enriquez, and Ultra Naté—recorded a version of the song for the 1998 film 54, reaching No. 3 on Australia’s ARIA Singles Chart and Canada’s RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, as well as No. 6 in New Zealand and No. 10 in Spain. Australian music channel Max included this version of “If You Could Read My Mind” in its list of the “1000 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2012.
“Our favourite production during the ’90s was the song “If You Could Read My Mind” by the group Stars on 54. (…) It featured Ultra Nate (to date, our favourite female singer), as well as Amber and Jocelyn Enriquez. Except for the short (but intense) “discussion” between the three performers about who would get the first verse, it was an amazing session. In the end, the film company Miramax re-shot the conclusion of the movie and had the group perform the track. That’s how much they loved the song.”
—Producers the Berman Brothers talking about the song.
Critical reception
Can’t Stop the Pop called “If You Could Read My Mind” “one of the most mind-bogglingly brilliant cover versions of the ‘90s”, adding that it “remains a deeply fabulous single” and “a proudly ‘90s homage to disco that is as uplifting and joyous as there could be – and can now be rightly enjoyed as a triumphant celebration of everything that 54 represents.”
Music video
A music video was made to accompany the single release. It pays homage to aspects of the disco-era presented through a 1990s lens. Amber and Ultra Naté perform in a room where every surface is covered in LED dancefloor tiles. Jocelyn Enriquez is swinging on a giant disco ball. In the end, the singers performs together on the stage in a night club, all three dressed in red outfits. In between these scenes, several clips from the movie 54 are shown.
Track listings
UK 12-inch vinyl (1998)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector Club Mix) | 9:30 |
| 2. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (original club mix) | 6:11 |
|---|
| 3. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector Dub Mix) | 7:00 |
|---|
| 4. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (The Shark Dub Mix) | 8:00 |
|---|---|---|
| Total length: | 30:41 | |
European CD single (1998)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (original edit) | 3:27 |
| 2. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector Club Mix) | 7:48 |
|---|
| 3. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (original club mix) | 6:10 |
|---|---|---|
| Total length: | 17:25 | |
US cassette single (1998)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (album version) |
| 2. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (instrumental) |
|---|
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 3 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 17 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) | 11 |
| Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) | 1 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 3 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | 83 |
| France (SNEP) | 82 |
| Germany (GfK) | 65 |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | 23 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 6 |
| Scotland (OCC) | 25 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | 10 |
| UK Dance (OCC) | 21 |
| UK Indie (OCC) | 5 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 23 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 52 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 3 |
| US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard) | 3 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 24 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 48 |
| Canada Dance (RPM) | 1 |
| US Dance Club Play (Billboard) | 19 |
| US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard) | 16 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | Gold | 35,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Stars on 54 version 25th Anniversary re-release (2023)
| “If You Could Read My Mind (25th Anniversary Edition)” | |
|---|---|
| Single by Stars on 54 | |
| from the album 54: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, Volume 2 | |
| Released | July 14, 2023 |
| Genre | Dance-pop |
| Label | Tommy Boy Records (Reservoir Media) |
| Songwriter(s) | Gordon Lightfoot |
| Amber singles chronology | |
| “This is Your Night (Special Edition)“ (2023)”If You Could Read My Mind (25th Anniversary Edition)“ (2023)”Being With You (Remixes)” (2023) | |
On July 14, 2023, Tommy Boy Records (Reservoir Media) issued the 16-track digital album “If You Could Read My Mind (25th Anniversary Edition)” by Stars on 54 to celebrate the quarter-century anniversary of the original single. This marked the first time that many of the versions were made available on digital platforms.
Track listings
If You Could Read My Mind 25th Anniversary Edition (2023)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “If You Could Read My Mind” | 3:27 |
| 3. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Original Club Mix) | 6:09 |
|---|
| 4. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector Remix) | 3:35 |
|---|
| 5. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector Remix – Extended) | 9:33 |
|---|
| 6. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector Epic Piano Mix) | 4:13 |
|---|
| 7. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector Dub Mix) | 7:04 |
|---|
| 8. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector 12 Inch Raw Remix) | 7:38 |
|---|
| 9. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Hex Hector 12 Inch Raw Instrumental) | 7:38 |
|---|
| 10. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Silk’s Uplifting Mix) | 10:15 |
|---|
| 11. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Silk’s Uplifting Vocal) | 9:22 |
|---|
| 12. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Silk’s Uplifting Reprise Version 1) | 7:05 |
|---|
| 13. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Silk’s Uplifting Reprise Version 2) | 7:44 |
|---|
| 14. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Silk’s House on 54 Mix) | 9:45 |
|---|
| 15. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Silk’s House on 54 – Part 1 & 2) | 13:37 |
|---|
| 16. | “If You Could Read My Mind” (Silk’s Anthem Mix) | 9:10 |
|---|
Other notable cover versions
- American singer Barbra Streisand covered the song on her 1971 album, Stoney End.
- A 1980 cover by Viola Wills peaked at No. 2 for five weeks on the dance/disco charts with a dance version of the song and at No. 80 in Australia. Duane Steele reached No. 32 on the Canadian country charts with his version in 1998.
- Johnny Cash also recorded a version of the song that was released posthumously on his 2006 album American V: A Hundred Highways, which topped the Billboard 200.
- Olivia Newton-John
- Cher
- Glen Campbell
- The Unsung Heroes
- Andy Williams
- Franck Pourcel
Other versions of If You Could Read My Mind
- Attitude
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