"Loves Me Like a Rock" is a 1973 song recorded by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, who also wrote the song which appears on his solo album There Goes Rhymin' Simon.
It features background vocals from The Dixie Hummingbirds, a Southern gospel group. These vocals add a different texture to the song as compared to many of his previous solo recordings ("Mother and Child Reunion", "Kodachrome") and his duets with his frequent collaborator, Art Garfunkel, as the pop duo Simon & Garfunkel ("The Sounds of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson"). Although the lyrics are not typically associated with gospel music, The Dixie Hummingbirds were eager to record the song with Simon, and they recorded their own version of the song soon afterward.[1]
Paul Simon's version of "Loves Me Like a Rock" peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of October 6, 1973, kept from the summit by Cher's "Half-Breed".[2] It remained in the Top 40 for 14 weeks and was certified a gold record.[3] It also spent two weeks atop the Billboard easy listening chart in September 1973.[1] It reached the Top 40 in the United Kingdom, peaking at #39 on the UK Singles Chart.[4]
The gospel version of "Loves Me Like a Rock" by The Dixie Hummingbirds reached #72 on the Billboard R&B chart[1] and won the group a Grammy for Best Soul Gospel performance in 1974.
Paul Simon performed the song with The Muppets during his guest appearance on The Muppet Show.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1973) |
Peak
Position |
| Australian Singles Chart |
19 |
| Canadian Singles Chart |
5 |
| Dutch Singles Chart |
27 |
| UK Singles Chart |
39 |
| US Hot 100 Singles Chart |
2 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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