"It's Sad to Belong" is a song written by Randy Goodrum and performed by England Dan & John Ford Coley on their 1977 album, Dowdy Ferry Road. Called a "timeless classic",[1] it peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the easy listening chart.[2] It was one of the earlier pop hits in Goodrum's career.[3]
| "It's Sad to Belong" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by England Dan & John Ford Coley | ||||
| from the album Dowdy Ferry Road | ||||
| B-side | "The Time Has Come" | |||
| Released | April 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1976 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:54 | |||
| Label | Big Tree Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Randy Goodrum | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| England Dan & John Ford Coley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "It's Sad to Belong" on YouTube | ||||
"It's Sad to Belong" was released in May 1977[4] through Big Tree Records, with the b-side "The Time Has Come".[5] It became one of "a string of hit singles" that England Dan & John Ford Coley had in the mid-1970s.[6][7]
The song topped the adult contemporary (then called "easy listening") chart for five consecutive weeks from June 25 to July 23.[8][9] It also appeared on the top 40 "rack singles" list on June 7.[10] On December 24, it ranked #3 on Billboard's end-of-the-year easy listening chart.[11]
Background
edit"It's Sad to Belong" is the second track on Dowdy Ferry Road. It is one of only two songs on the album not written by either singer.[12]
The song has been called "bittersweet", telling the story of a married man falling in love with another woman and knowing they cannot be together.[1] Dale Van Atta of the Deseret News observed that it is "the universal divorce anthem - about the alleged monotony of monogamy" and that the duo "[reduces] it to a simple, peaceful chorus" (referring to the line, Yes, it's sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along).[13]
Billboard described the song as a "sweetly catchy ballad."[14] Cash Box said "The strong point is their seamless harmony, easing a catchy chorus through several refrains."[15] Record World said that "the latest single by this duo deals with the 'trying to love two' theme in a way that should find listeners in pop, MOR and country formats in short order."[16]
It is still performed in concerts by the surviving member of the duo, John Ford Coley.[1]
Chart performance
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Other versions
editB.J. Thomas recorded a version of "It's Sad to Belong" in 1977 on his eponymous LP.[24]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Martinez-Belen, Crispina. "MYMP's pre-Valentine show". mb.com.ph, February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 86.
- ^ Minting, Will. "Jay Graydon & Randy Goodrum interview, October 2008". ejazznews.com, November 1, 2008. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
- ^ Nite, Norm N. Rock On: The Modern Years: 1964 - Present, Volume 2 (Crowell, 1980), p. 152.
- ^ Koenig, John. Goldmine Records & Prices (Krause Pubns Inc, 2006).
- ^ "Dan Seals to perform Friday". The Sumter Daily Item, November 16, 1985, p. 128.
- ^ "Singer at Doniphan". The Southeast Missourian, May 28, 1986, p. 2.
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications).
- ^ Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (Billboard Books, 2000), p. 214.
- ^ Billboard, June 18, 1977.
- ^ a b Billboard, December 24, 1977.
- ^ "Dowdy Ferry Road - England Dan & John Ford Coley". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
- ^ Van Atta, Dale. "Patented simplicity on the 'Dowdy Ferry Road'". The Deseret News, June 10, 1977, p. 20.
- ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. May 14, 1977. p. 70. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 7, 1977. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 7, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3692." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. August 6, 1977.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3675a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 30, 1977.
- ^ "England Dan John Ford Coley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "England Dan John Ford Coley Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles: Week Ending July 23, 1977". Cashbox. July 23, 1977.
- ^ "Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 14, December 31 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- ^ "The Cashbox Year-End Charts: 1977". Cashbox. December 31, 1977. Archived from the original on October 28, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ Discogs - B.J. Thomas 1977
