Annie's Song

"Annie's Song"
John Denver
Single by John Denver
from the album Back Home Again
B-side "Cool An' Green An' Shady"
Released June 1974
Format 7", 12", Maxi, Vinyl record, CD single, cassette single, digital download
Genre Folk rock, country
Length 2:58
Label RCA Records
Songwriter(s) John Denver
Producer(s) Milt Okun
John Denver singles chronology
"Sunshine on My Shoulders"
(1973)		 "Annie's Song"
(1974)		 "Back Home Again"
(1974)

"Annie's Song" (also known as "Annie's Song (You Fill Up My Senses)") is a folk rock and country song recorded and written by singer-songwriter John Denver. The song was released as a single from Denver's album, Back Home Again. It was his second number-one song in the United States, occupying that spot for two weeks in July 1974. "Annie's Song" also went to number one on the Easy Listening chart.[1] Billboard ranked it as the No. 25 song for 1974.

It went to number one in the United Kingdom, where it was Denver's only major hit single (many of Denver's American hits were more familiar in the UK through cover versions by other artists). Four years later, an instrumental version also became flutist James Galway's only major British hit.

Background

"Annie's Song" was written as an ode to Denver's wife at the time, Annie Martell Denver. Denver "wrote this song in July 1973 in about ten-and-a-half minutes one day on a ski lift" to the top of Ajax Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, as the physical exhilaration of having "just skied down a very difficult run" and the feeling of total immersion in the beauty of the colors and sounds that filled all senses inspired him to think about his wife.[2][3] Annie Denver recalls the beginnings: "It was written after John and I had gone through a pretty intense time together and things were pretty good for us. He left to go skiing and he got on the Ajax chair on Aspen mountain and the song just came to him. He skied down and came home and wrote it down... Initially it was a love song and it was given to me through him, and yet for him it became a bit like a prayer."

"The first time I heard 'Annie's Song,' I told John it had the same melody as Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, Second Movement," says Milt Okun. "He walked over to the piano, sat for an hour and came back, and the only thing remaining from Tchaikovsky was the first five notes. It was fantastic."[4]

Cover versions

Ville Valo version

"Olet mun kaikuluotain"
Single by Ville Valo
B-side Freeman - "Olet mun kaikuluotain"
Released July 4, 2016
Format Digital download, 7"
Length 3:26
Label Love Records
Songwriter(s) John Denver, Hector

On July 4, 2016, Ville Valo, vocalist of the rock band HIM, released a Finnish-language translation of "Annie's Song", titled "Olet mun kaikuluotain" ("You're My Sonar").[5] The song had previously been performed in Finnish in 1976 by Freeman, with lyrics by Hector.[5] Ville Valo's version was released as a tribute to Finnish label Love Records, who celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2016.[5] Valo's version was also the first release from the label in over 30 years.[5] Valo commented on the song, stating: "'Kaikuluotain' is a childhood favorite of mine, to the beat of which many a sleepless night ended up in tears. To this day it gives me cold shivers and goosebumps."[5]

Valo's version also received a music video, directed by Ykä Järvinen.[6] Released on July 11, 2016, the video features scenes of Valo walking around Helsinki, done in tribute to Aki Kaurismäki's film Calamari Union.[6] The single eventually reached number one on the Finnish Singles Chart, while the video received the Emma Award for "Video of the Year" in 2017.[7][8]

Other notable cover versions

Glen Campbell recorded a version of the song but was not released until 1995 on his album The Essential Glen Campbell Volume Three.[9]

American punk rock band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covered the song on their album Love Their Country in 2006.[10]

British folk trio Honey Ryder covered "Annie's Song" as a single in December 2012.[11]

British musical theatre actor Daniel Boys covered the song on his 2009 debut album "So Close".[12]

Spanish dramatic tenor Placido Domingo also covered the song, featuring John Denver himself on lead guitar[13].

In the UK the song was used as the basis for "The Greasy Chip Butty Song", primarily associated with fans of the football team Sheffield United F.C..[14]

The Foundation for a Better Life won a CINE award for their video featuring the song in 2014.[15][16]

Karel Gott covered the song in Czech language as "Když Milenky Pláčou".[17]

Pakistani pop singer Khalid Waheed covered the song in Urdu as "Mere Jeevan Men Aana."[18]

Chart performance

Chart (1974) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Top Singles 1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 3
Ireland (IRMA)[19] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[20] 11
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[21] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[23] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[24] 9

Certification

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 76.
  2. ↑ "Sold on Song – Top 100 – Number 50 – Annie's Song". bbc.co.uk.
  3. ↑ "John Denver on writing Annie's Song" (RAM). bbc.co.uk.
  4. ↑ Alfonso, Barry. (2005). Back Home Again (pp. 2–3) [CD Booklet]. New York City, NY: Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ville Valo laulaa suomeksi legendaarisen levy-yhtiön juhlavuoden kunniaksi". MTV3. 2016-07-04. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  6. 1 2 "Ville Valo julkaisi suomenkielisen kappaleen – katso herkän mahtipontinen musiikkivideo". Ilta-Sanomat. July 11, 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  7. ↑ "Ville Valo - "Olet mun kaikuluotain"". Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  8. ↑ "Emma-gaalan yllättäjä! Ville Valo palkittiin vuoden musiikkivideosta". MTV3. 2017-02-04. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
  9. ↑ "Annie's Song". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  10. ↑ http://www.last.fm/music/Me+First+and+the+Gimme+Gimmes/_/Annie's+Song+(John+Denver)
  11. ↑ "Honey Ryder - Annie's Song". Femalefirst.co.uk. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Amazon.com: So Close: Daniel Boys: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  13. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2r0RRCUB2A
  14. ↑ "Last orders for Sheffield United's greasy chip butty anthem?". thestar.co.uk. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  15. ↑ "Be inspired with our latest television commercial featuring a classic song by John Denver". Values.com. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  16. ↑ "2014 CINE Golden Eagle Award Recipients". CINE. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  17. ↑ "Lásko Má". iTunes. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  18. ↑ Mere Jeevan Men Aana on YouTube. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  19. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Annie's Song". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  20. ↑ "SA Charts 1965 - 1989, Songs A-B". Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  21. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  22. ↑ "John Denver Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  23. ↑ "John Denver Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  24. ↑ "John Denver Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  25. ↑ "American single certifications – John Denver – Annie's Song". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 15, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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