Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1979


If I Had My Wish Tonight

Buy If I Had My Wish Tonight now from Amazon

First, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.

Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = If I Had My Wish Tonight

| cover =

| alt =

| caption =

| type = single

| artist = David Lasley

| album = Missin' Twenty Grand

| released =

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre = Pop

| length = 3:33

| label = EMI America

| writer =

* Randy Goodrum

* Dave Loggins

| producer = David Lasley

| prev_title = One Fine Day

| prev_year = 1973

| next_title = Teamwork

| next_year = 1984

| misc =

}}

"'If I Had My Wish Tonight"' is a song written by Randy Goodrum and Dave Loggins originally released in 1979 by Dave Loggins on his self-titled album. American singer-songwriter David Lasley covered the song on his Missin' Twenty Grand album, releasing it as the first single. The song debuted on March 13, 1982, and reached a peak position of 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1982.

The song was produced by Lasley with strings arranged by Arif Mardin. Dave Iveland is credited as co-producer and recording engineer. Bonnie Raitt contributed background vocals. It appears on Lasley's Back To Blue-Eyed Soul Collected Works released in 2001 and on EMI compilations Lost Hits of the 80s Vol. 2 and AOL Light Mellow: EMI Edition.

Composition, lyrics and style



Don Shewey for the Boston Phoenix described the performance and delivery of the lyrics "while the singer wails, a sort of Greek chorus led by Bonnie Raitt emblazons the wish on the back of the departing lover: "'Stead of walkin' away/You'd want me to stay/You would want me" (note the insistence of those "w" sounds)."

Credits and personnel



* Bonnie Raitt backing vocals

* Chuck Cochran backing vocals, guitar

* David Lasley lead and backing vocals, producer

* Wade Short bass

* David Benoit conductor, electric piano, organ

* Jody Linscott congas

* Willie Wilcox drums

* Marty Walsh guitar

* David Garibaldi percussion

* Bill Schnee engineer, mixing

* Benny Facone engineer

* Paul McKenna engineer, assistant

* Dave Iveland producer, recording

* Derek DuNann recording

* David Loggins songwriter

* Randy Goodrum songwriter

* Arif Mardin string arrangement

Critical reception



Don Shewey for the Boston Phoenix praised the song writing "the sumptuous semi-hit" calling Lasley's falsetto "so passionate that the second verse trails off midway (perhaps to allow the singer to break down a la James Brown)" declaring it "a mini-masterpiece, milked for every drop by Arif Mardin's superb string arrangement."

References



Category:1979 songs

Category:1982 singles

Category:EMI Records singles

Category:Songs written by Dave Loggins

Category:Songs written by Randy Goodrum

Category:Redirects from songs

Category:David Lasley songs

Buy If I Had My Wish Tonight now from Amazon

<-- Return to songs from 1979



This work is released under CC-BY-SA. Some or all of this content attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1109825739.