Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick song)

"Heartbreaker" is a single by American pop and soul singer Dionne Warwick from her album Heartbreaker (1982). The song was written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees, with Barry Gibb's backing vocal being heard on the chorus.

"Heartbreaker"
Single by Dionne Warwick
from the album Heartbreaker
B-side"I Can't See Anything (But You)" (Barry Gibb, Albhy Galuten, Maurice Gibb)
ReleasedSeptember 1982
Recorded1982; Middle Ear (Miami Beach); Media Sound (New York)
Genre
Length4:16
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Producer(s)Gibb-Galuten-Richardson
Dionne Warwick singles chronology
"For You"
(1982)		 "Heartbreaker"
(1982)		 "Take the Short Way Home"
(1983)

Background

Warwick admitted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits by Wesley Hyatt that she was not fond of "Heartbreaker" (regarding the song's international popularity, she quipped, "I cried all the way to the bank"), but recorded it because she trusted the Bee Gees' judgment that it would be a hit. It turned out to be Warwick's most successful solo hit of the 1980s. The Bee Gees recorded a version, with Barry Gibb on lead vocals, which was featured on the album Their Greatest Hits: The Record, as well as their Love Songs album.

Maurice Gibb, who co-wrote the song, commented, "I cried my eyes out after we wrote it. I drove home and thought, 'We should be doing this one', and when she did it, it was brilliant. We sang on it, and it still became like a duet between the Bee Gees and Dionne Warwick".[1]

Outcome

The song reached the top of charts around the world and stands as one of Warwick's biggest career hits, selling an estimated 4 million copies worldwide. It made the Top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1983. The track was Warwick's eighth #1 Adult Contemporary hit[2] and reached #14 on the Soul chart. In the UK Singles Chart, the track reached #2 for two weeks in November 1982.

It was ranked as Billboard magazine's 80th-biggest US hit of 1983.

Chart performance

See also

Cover versions
"Heartbreaker"
Song by Bee Gees
from the album Their Greatest Hits: The Record
Released2001
Format7" single, CD single
Recorded1994 at
Middle Ear, Miami Beach, Florida
GenrePop, adult contemporary
Length4:25
LabelPolydor (UK)
Universal (US)
Songwriter(s)Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Producer(s)Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
"Heartbreaker"
Song by Barry Gibb
from the album The Heartbreaker Demos
ReleasedNovember 2006
FormatDigital download
RecordedFebruary 1982 at
Miami Beach, Florida
GenreR&B
Length4:32
Songwriter(s)Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb

Bee Gees version

The Bee Gees' own version was recorded in 1994. It was originally planned for an album called Love Songs to be released in 1995, but was eventually released in 2001 on Their Greatest Hits: The Record.[24]

Barry Gibb version

"Heartbreaker" was originally recorded by Barry Gibb for Dionne Warwick, for her album Heartbreaker released in 1982. This demo version was not released until 2006.

This song blended the Gibb brothers' two schools of songwriting: it has the clear verse and chorus structure favored by Robin and Maurice, yet also has the longer spun-out verses Barry now preferred, both well balanced, so that it has instant appeal but takes repeated listenings to fully appreciate. The melody is reminiscent of "Living Eyes", but the song has a much stronger forward motion. Maurice said later that he wished they had saved it for themselves.[25]

Personnel

Other versions

In 2004, J-pop singer Junichi Inagaki released a Japanese-language cover version of "Heartbreaker" on his album Revival II. In 2005, the German reggae-pop band Blue Lagoon included a cover version of "Heartbreaker" on their album Clublagoon. Nick Lowe covered it on his 2018 EP Tokyo Bay.

References
  1. Hughes, Andrew. The Bee Gees - Tales of the Brothers Gibb. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2007). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2006. Record Research. p. 254.
  3. https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Dionne+Warwick&titel=Heartbreaker&cat=s
  4. https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Dionne+Warwick&titel=Heartbreaker&cat=s
  5. "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par W". Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  6. https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Dionne+Warwick&titel=Heartbreaker&cat=s
  7. The Irish Charts, 7 November 1982
  8. https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Dionne+Warwick&titel=Heartbreaker&cat=s
  9. NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, 2 January 1983
  10. https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Dionne+Warwick&titel=Heartbreaker&cat=s
  12. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  13. https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Dionne+Warwick&titel=Heartbreaker&cat=s
  14. https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Dionne+Warwick&titel=Heartbreaker&cat=s
  15. UK Official Charts, 23 October 1982
  16. "Dionne Warwick Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  17. Billboard Adult Contemporary Music Chart, December 18, 1982
  18. https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1982
  19. Rees, Dafydd; Lazell, Barry; Jones, Alan (1983). "The Top 100 UK Singles". Chart File Volume 2. London, England: Virgin Books. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-907080-73-1.
  20. "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1979". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  21. Steffen Hung. "Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  22. "American Top 40 Year-End Survey 1983". Lionking.org. 2004-12-28. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  23. http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1983.htm
  24. "Gibb Songs : 1994". Columbia.edu. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  25. "Gibb Songs : 1982". Columbia.edu. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
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