"The Air That I Breathe"
Side A of UK single
Single by the Hollies
from the album Hollies
B-side	"No More Riders"
Released	UK: January 1974 US: March 1974
Recorded	15 & 22 November 1973 [1]
Studio	EMI Studios, London
Genre	Rock [2] pop [2]
Length	4:13 (album version) 3:45 (single version)
Label	UK: Polydor 2058435 US: Epic 5-11100
Songwriter(s)	Albert Hammond, Michael Hazlewood
Producer(s)	Ron Richards and the Hollies
The Hollies singles chronology
"The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam Mcgee" (1973) "The Air That I Breathe" (1974) " Son of a Rotten Gambler" (1974)
Alternative release
Side A of US single (Epic)

"The Air That I Breathe" is a ballad written by the British-Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Albert Hammond and the English songwriter Mike Hazlewood. It was initially recorded by Hammond on his debut album, It Never Rains in Southern California (1972). ^[3] After being covered by Phil Everly in 1973, it was a major hit for the Hollies in early 1974, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart. It was the Hollies' last major hit. ^[4] The English rock band Radiohead reused the chord progression and melody of "The Air That I Breathe" for their 1992 song " Creep".

Recording

The audio engineering for "The Air That I Breathe" was done by Alan Parsons. In an interview, Parsons mentioned that Eric Clapton said the first note of "The Air That I Breathe" had more soul than anything he had ever heard. ^[5]

Release

"The Air That I Breathe" was a hit for the Hollies in early 1974, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart. In mid-1974, it reached number six in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on the Adult Contemporary chart. ^[6] In Canada, the song reached number five on the RPM magazine charts. This version featured a string orchestra arrangement, which also featured a horn section. Record World said that "the potent material gets a super interpretation." ^[7]

"Creep"

The English rock band Radiohead reused the chord progression and melody of "The Air That I Breathe" for their 1992 song " Creep". ^{[8] [9]} After Rondor Music, the publisher of "The Air That I Breathe", took legal action, Hammond and Hazlewood received cowriting credits and a percentage of the royalties. Hammond said Radiohead were honest about having reused the composition, and so he and Hazlewood accepted only a small part of the royalties. Radiohead later sued singer Lana Del Rey for allegedly plagiarizing "Creep" in her 2017 song " Get Free." The copyright dispute was settled, and the writing credits on "Get Free" were not changed as a result. ^{[10] [11]}

Personnel

Credits from Richard Buskin and engineer Alan Parsons. ^[12]

The Hollies

• Allan Clarke - lead, harmony, and backing vocals
• Tony Hicks - harmony and backing vocals, electric lead guitar; acoustic rhythm guitar (uncertain)
• Terry Sylvester - harmony and backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
• Bobby Elliott - drums, additional overdubbed tom-toms
• Bernie Calvert - bass

Additional musicians and production staff

• The Hollies - producers
• Ron Richards - producer
• Alan Parsons - engineer
• Chris Gunning - orchestral arrangements
• unknown - 40-piece orchestra (including brass and strings)

Charts

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom ( BPI) [25]	Silver	250,000^
United States ( RIAA) [26]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Simply Red version

"The Air That I Breathe"
Single by Simply Red
from the album Blue
Released	10 August 1998 (1998-08-10)
Length	4:24
Label	EastWest
Songwriter(s)	Albert Hammond Mike Hazlewood
Producer(s)	AGM
Simply Red singles chronology
" Say You Love Me" (1998) "The Air That I Breathe" (1998) " Ain't That a Lot of Love" (1999)
Music video
"The Air That I Breathe" on YouTube

British soul and pop band Simply Red released a cover of "The Air That I Breathe" on their sixth album, Blue (1998). ^[27] It peaked at number five in Scotland, number six in the UK and number 17 in Austria. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 35. A music video was also produced to promote the single.

Critical reception

Gene Armstrong from Arizona Daily Star declared the Simply Red version as "a sexy version". ^[28] J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun felt "his Marvin Gaye-like" take on the track "is wonderfully audacious". ^[29] Larry Flick from Billboard viewed it as "an inspired, groove-laden interpretation", remarking that "Hucknall brings his signature soul to the track, vamping with glee while the band pumps a mild, jeep-styled beat that is hard enough for R&B listeners but soft enough to tickle the fancy of AC and triple-A radio listeners." He added, "Popsters will soon be treated to a bevy of remixes by Sean "Puffy" Combs and Stevie J., which should make top 40 punters quickly sit up and take notice." ^[30] A reviewer from Daily Record commented, "You'll be looking for a breath of fresh air after hearing Mick Hucknall's middle-of-the-road reworking of this song which was originally a hit for The Hollies. The band desperately need a dose of originality." ^[31]

Track listings

• CD single, Europe (1998)

1. "The Air That I Breathe" – 4:24
2. "The Air That I Breathe" (Reprise) – 4:35
3. "So Many People" (Live) – 5:44
4. "Never Never Love" (Live) – 4:34

• CD single CD1, UK (1998)

1. "The Air That I Breathe" – 4:24
2. "Tu Sei Dentro Di Me (Someday In My Life)" – 4:02
3. "Lives And Loves" (Live) – 3:32

• CD single CD2, Europe and UK (1998)

1. "The Air That I Breathe" (Reprise) – 4:35
2. "The Air That I Breathe" – 4:24
3. "Love Has Said Goodbye Again" (Rae & Christian Mix) – 5:14

Charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40) [32]	17
Belgium ( Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [33]	15
Europe ( Eurochart Hot 100) [34]	35
Germany ( Official German Charts) [35]	66
Netherlands ( Single Top 100) [36]	82
Scotland ( OCC) [37]	5
UK Singles ( OCC) [38]	6

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref(s).
United States	28 April 1998	Rhythmic contemporary radio	EastWest	[39]
	5 May 1998	Contemporary hit radio		[40]
	11 May 1998	Adult contemporary radio		[41] [42]
United Kingdom	10 August 1998	CD cassette		[43]

Other cover versions

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• Phil Everly on his 1973 album Star Spangled Springer. ^[44]
• Olivia Newton-John on her 1975 album Have You Never Been Mellow and later on her Deluxe Edition 2022-issued Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits.
• Rex Allen Jr. in 1983; this version was released for the country music market. Allen's version peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in December 1983. ^[45]
• Julio Iglesias in 1984 on his album 1100 Bel Air Place which established him as a star in the English-speaking entertainment industry.
• Alien on their self-titled 1989 album.
• Judy Collins on her 1990 album Fires of Eden.
• k.d. lang on her 1997 album Drag, which featured cover songs with a smoking motif.
• Semisonic on their " Singing in my Sleep" single in 1998.
• The Mavericks on their self-titled 2003 album. ^[46] Their version peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
• A remixed version was used in the trailer for Saw X. ^[47]

References