I'm Coming Home (album)
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I'm Coming Home is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 21, 1973,[1] by Columbia Records and was mainly composed of material written by the songwriting team of its producer, Thom Bell, and Linda Creed. It made its first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated November 17, 1973, and remained there for 22 weeks, peaking at number 115.[5] It also began an 11-week run on the UK album chart on March 8, 1975, during which time it made it to number 18.[6]
Unlike several of the Mathis albums before it, I'm Coming Home relies primarily on new material and includes only two songs that were already established chart hits, both of which were by The Stylistics ("I'm Stone in Love with You" and "Stop Look and Listen to Your Heart"). Upon its CD release in 2003, writer Ellis Widner notes that the original release came at a point at which "Mathis knew it was time to refresh his music and renew his career. It had been four years since his last hit"[1] on the Billboard Hot 100 (1969's number 96 entry, "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet (A Time for Us)").[7]
The title track was released as the first single from the album on July 27, 1973,[1] and entered Billboard's list of the 50 most popular Easy Listening songs in the US the following month in the issue of the magazine dated August 25 to begin an 18-week stay that included a week at number one—Mathis's first week in the top spot on that particular chart.[8] The song entered the Hot 100 in the September 22 issue, reaching number 75 over the course of 10 weeks,[7] and gave him his first Soul chart entry in almost 10 years when it started a five-week run in the October 6 issue that took the song to number 92.[9] The second single released in the US, "Life Is a Song Worth Singing", made its first appearance on the Easy Listening chart in the issue dated December 22, 1973, and got as high as number eight during its 15 weeks there.[8] The December 29 issue saw its debut on the Hot 100, which resulted in a 12-week stay and a peak position at number 54,[7] and its eight-week Soul chart run began in the January 26 issue and took it to number 65.[9] A third song from the album, "Sweet Child", began a five-week run on the Easy Listening chart that spring in the June 1 issue and got to number 35.[8] The only song from the album to make the UK singles chart, "I'm Stone in Love with You", started its 12 weeks there on January 25, 1975, and made it to number 10.[10] It also entered the Easy Listening chart in the US two months later, on March 29, and reached number 16 during its nine weeks there.[8]
Track listing
All songs written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed except as noted:
Side 1
- "I'm Coming Home" – 3:24
- "I'd Rather Be Here with You" – 3:47
- "Foolish" (Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson) – 4:38
- "I'm Stone in Love with You" (Anthony Bell, Thom Bell, Linda Creed) – 3:30
- "And I Think That's What I'll Do" – 3:41
Side 2
- "Life Is a Song Worth Singing" – 6:06
- "A Baby's Born" – 4:28
- "Sweet Child" – 4:02
- "Stop Look and Listen to Your Heart" – 4:18
- "I Just Wanted to Be Me" (Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson) – 3:12
Real Gone Music CD Bonus Tracks
On March 10, 2015, Real Gone Music released Life Is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions, a two-disc set featuring remastered editions of I'm Coming Home and Mathis and Bell's other LP collaboration, Mathis Is..., along with bonus tracks on each disc.[11]
- Disc one (I'm Coming Home) bonus tracks
- "I'm Coming Home" (Stereo Single Version) – 3:24
- "I'm Stone in Love with You" (Unreleased Instrumental Version) – 3:30
- "And I Think That's What I'll Do" (Unreleased Instrumental Version) – 4:36
- "Life Is a Song Worth Singing" (Mono Single Edit - Short Version) – 3:20
- Disc two (Mathis Is...) bonus tracks
- "Betcha by Golly, Wow" (Thom Bell, Linda Creed) – 2:49 (from The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face))
- "Break Up to Make Up" (Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Kenneth Gamble) – 3:50 (from Killing Me Softly with Her Song)
- "You're As Right As Rain" (Thom Bell, Linda Creed) – 3:02 (from When Will I See You Again)
- "You Brought Me Love" performed with Patti Austin (Andy Goldmark) – 4:07 (from Better Together: The Duet Album)
- "You Make Me Feel Brand New" (performed with Yolanda Adams) (Thom Bell, Linda Creed) – 5:12 (from A Night to Remember)
- "Loving You-Losing You" (Mono Single Version) (LeRoy Bell, Thom Bell) – 3:46 (from Mathis Is...)
Personnel
Original album[3]
- Johnny Mathis - vocals
- Thom Bell - producer, arranger, conductor
- Mike Hutchinson - engineer
- Don Murray - engineer
- Ken Robertson - engineer
- Joe Tarsia - engineer
- Robert Blakeman - photography
Real Gone Music reissue[12]
- Gordon Anderson – producer
- Joe Marchese - liner notes; compiler, producer
- Jeff James - Sony producer; compiling assistant
- Johnny Mathis - compiling assistant
- Tom D. Kline - design
- Michael Ochs Archives – photo
- Getty Images - photo
- Remastered by Sean Brennan at Battery Studios, New York City
Notes
- ^ a b c d e (2003) I'm Coming Home by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records CK 85810.
- ^ a b "I'm Coming Home - Johnny Mathis". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ^ a b (1973) I'm Coming Home by Johnny Mathis [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records KC 32435.
- ^ "Top Album Picks". Billboard. 1973-11-03. p. 56.
- ^ Whitburn 2010, p. 504.
- ^ "Johnny Mathis - Albums". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ^ a b c Whitburn 2009, p. 628.
- ^ a b c d Whitburn 2007, p. 179.
- ^ a b Whitburn 2004, p. 383.
- ^ "Johnny Mathis - Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ "Life Is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ (2015) Life Is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment RGM 0342.
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2004), Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, 1942-2004, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-160-8
- Whitburn, Joel (2007), Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898201691
- Whitburn, Joel (2009), Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1955-2008, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-180-2
- Whitburn, Joel (2010), Joel Whitburn Presents Top Pop Albums, Seventh Edition, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-183-7