At This Moment
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This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2008) |
| "At this Moment" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Billy Vera and the Beaters | ||||
| from the album Billy and the Beaters | ||||
| Released | 1981/1986 | |||
| Recorded | January 1981 at the Roxy Theatre | |||
| Genre | Blues rock, blue-eyed soul, pop, jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 4:21 | |||
| Label | Alfa, Rhino Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Billy Vera | |||
| Producer |
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| Billy Vera and the Beaters singles chronology | ||||
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"At This Moment" is a song that was first recorded by Billy Vera & The Beaters in 1981 during a string of performances at the Roxy in West Hollywood (January 15–17) and featured on their self-titled live album, Billy and the Beaters, released that same year.
When it was originally released as a single, as the follow-up to the album's first single, "I Can Take Care of Myself"[1] (which had become the band's first Billboard Top 40 hit[2]), "At this Moment" stalled on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #79 at the end of 1981. When the song was included on several episodes of the NBC sitcom Family Ties during the 1985-86 season as the love song associated with Alex P. Keaton (played by Michael J. Fox) and his girlfriend Ellen Reed (played by Tracy Pollan, whom Fox eventually married in real life), the exposure renewed interest in the song. Reissue label Rhino Records purchased the track from the band's original record label, Alfa (which was by then inactive), and re-released it in its original version. The tune then began a revived chart run, eventually hitting #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts in January 1987. It quickly sold over a million copies in the United States, becoming one of the last Gold-certified singles in the 45 RPM format. The song crossed over to the R&B and Country formats, reaching #40 on the Country Singles chart.
In an interview with Rachael Ray in 2007, Michael J. Fox good-naturedly said, "Tracy and I couldn't get on the dance floor anywhere in the world for like ten years without them playing 'What would you think...' " (These are the opening words of "At This Moment.") [3]
A cover version was recorded by country music singer Neal McCoy on his 1990 debut album, also titled At This Moment. McCoy's version was released as a single, but did not chart. Another cover version of the song appears on Michael Bublé's 2009 album, Crazy Love, selling over eight million copies. The song has gone on to become a modern standard with dozens of covers, including Tom Jones, Freda Payne, Arthur Prysock, Wayne Newton, blues singer Little Milton and soul singer Will Downing.
References [edit]
- ^ Billy Vera & the Beaters- The Story @Billy Vera's Official Site Retrieved 2010-07-04.
- ^ Chart position for "I Can Take Care of Myself" @AllMusic.com Retrieved 2010-07-09.
- ^ "Michael J. Fox and Rachael Ray". YouTube. 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
- The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 9th Edition, 2010
- Back cover liner notes of the Billy and the Beaters (1981) album
| Preceded by "Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single January 31, 1987 |
Succeeded by "Open Your Heart" by Madonna |
| Preceded by "This Is the Time" by Billy Joel |
Billboard Adult Contemporary (chart) number-one single January 31, 1987 |
Succeeded by "Ballerina Girl" by Lionel Richie |
