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==Cover versions==
==Cover versions==
''A Song for You'' has been covered many times since its release. The most notable versions include the following:<ref>[http://stargayzing.com/when-a-song-becomes-a-copyright-leon-russells-a-song-for-you/] {{dead link|date=April 2021}}</ref>
''A Song for You'' has been covered many times since its release. The most notable versions include the following:<ref>[http://stargayzing.com/when-a-song-becomes-a-copyright-leon-russells-a-song-for-you/] </ref>
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Revision as of 18:21, 2 May 2021

For other uses, see A Song for You (disambiguation).
"A Song for You"
Song by Leon Russell
from the album Leon Russell
ReleasedMay 1970
GenreVocal
Length4:08
LabelShelter Records(US)
A&M Records(UK)
Songwriter(s)Leon Russell
Producer(s)Leon Russell
"A Song for You"
Single by Andy Williams
from the album You've Got a Friend
B-side"You've Got a Friend"
ReleasedAugust 1971
GenreVocal
Length3:12
LabelColumbia 45434
Songwriter(s)Leon Russell
Producer(s)Dick Glasser
Andy Williams singles chronology
"(Where Do I Begin) Love Story"
(1971) 		"A Song for You"
(1971) 		"Love Is All"
(1971)

"A Song for You" is a song written and originally recorded by rock singer and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album Leon Russell, which was released in 1970 on Shelter Records. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understanding from an estranged lover, the tune is one of Russell's best-known compositions. Russell not only sings and plays piano on the recording, but also plays the tenor horn that is accompanying.[1] It has been performed and recorded by over 200 artists, spanning many musical genres. Elton John has called the song an American classic.[2][3] Merry Clayton in 1971, Carmen McRae in 1972, also in 1972, on June 22, 1972, The Carpenters released “ A Song for You” signed with the Record Production Company of; A & M Studios, in Los Angeles, and ranked Number 26, in 1972, on the Billboard Charts. Aretha Franklin in 1974 as well as Donny Hathaway and the Temptations have recorded highly acclaimed renditions. One of the first versions of the song that brought it broader attention was by Andy Williams, whose single peaked at number 29 on the adult contemporary chart and number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.[4] Ray Charles recorded a version that earned him the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

On January 17, 2018, "A Song for You" was added to Grammy Hall of Fame.[5][6]

Charts

Herbie Hancock ft. Christina Aguilera version:

Chart (2005) Peak
position
US Smooth Jazz[7] 11

Bizzy Bone ft. DMX & Chris Notez version:

Chart (2008) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[8][9] 61

Cover versions

A Song for You has been covered many times since its release. The most notable versions include the following:[10]

Year Artist Album Notes
1970 Leon Russell Leon Russell First release. Not released as a single
1971 Jaye P. Morgan Non-album track Charted at number 105 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.
1971 Donny Hathaway Donny Hathaway Not released as a single.
1971 Helen Reddy I Don't Know How to Love Him Not released as a single. First song on side two of her debut album.
1972 The Carpenters A Song for You Not released as a single. Performed also on a Bob Hope TV Special that aired on October 5, 1972[11][12]
1972 Cher Foxy Lady
1973 Willie Nelson Shotgun Willie He also performed it in the 1980 movie Honeysuckle Rose, and it appears on the movie's soundtrack.
1974 Aretha Franklin Let Me In Your Life Not released as a single.[13]
1975 The Temptations A Song For You This was the title track to the album by the group by the same name. This album was notable in that is won a 1975 American Music Award and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
1975 Mina La Mina Adapted to Italian by Gino Paoli and Claudio Daiano and retitled Quasi come musica.
1991 Whitney Houston Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston Part of the HBO concert special Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston, which was broadcast live from the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia on March 31, 1991. The special was released in VHS and Laserdisc on May 14, 1991, and later on DVD in 2002. In 2008, the DVD was re-released in the United States and worldwide under the title A Song for You: Live. Houston later recorded a studio version for her 2009 album, I Look to You.
1993 Ray Charles My World He recorded a version of the song on his 1993 album My World. Released as a single, it reached number 104 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, and won him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Charles also performed the song at New York's Beacon Theatre on April 9, 2003, as part of Willie Nelson's 70th birthday tribute (released on DVD as Willie Nelson and Friends: Live & Kickin'). Leon Russell sang the first verse, Willie Nelson sang the second verse, and Charles sang the remainder of the song in this unforgettable performance. Nelson, who stood nearby during Charles' performance, was moved to tears.
2005 Herbie Hancock feat. Christina Aguilera Possibilities It received airplay on U.S. smooth jazz radio and was also nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 2006 Grammy Awards. The duo performed a live rendition at the ceremony that year.
2005 Simply Red Simplified Released as part of a double A-side single in January 2006.
2011 Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures One of the singles off the album.
2019 Kate Ceberano and Paul Grabowsky Tryst First single off the album.

References

  1. ^ "Leon Russell - Best Of Leon (Vinyl, LP, Compilation) | Discogs". Discogs. February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  2. ^ The Encyclopedia of Country Music, 2012: "In 1970 Russell released his self-titled debut solo album, including such enduring songs as 'Delta Lady' and 'A Song for You,' both written for versatile vocalist Rita Coolidge. He followed with Leon Russell and the Shelter People (1971) and ..."
  3. ^ "Discogs - Tracks Beta". Discogs.com. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Billboard Singles". All Media Guide / Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  5. ^ Nathan Poppe, "Leon Russell's 'A Song For You' added to Grammy Hall Of Fame", The Oklahoman, January 17, 2018.
  6. ^ World, Jimmie Tramel Tulsa. "Pop culture: Leon Russell song selected for Grammy Hall of Fame". Tulsa World. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Chart History: Christina Aguilera", Billboard.
  8. ^ "Billboard Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  9. ^ "Chart History: Bizzy Bone", Billboard.
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ The Carpenters (3 February 2013). "A Song for You Live". YouTube: Beverwyk.
  12. ^ "Bob Hope TV Special on NBC: 10/05/72". Rewatch Classic TV. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  13. ^ Let Me in Your Life - Aretha Franklin | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-04-01


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