When Will I See You Again | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 1975 [1] | |||
Recorded | January 13, 1975 January 20, 1975 January 23, 1975 [1] | |||
Genre |
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Length | 33:42 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | John Florez [3] | |||
Johnny Mathis chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Billboard | positive [4] |
When Will I See You Again is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in March 1975 [1] by Columbia Records and was again predominantly composed of covers of recent hit songs by other artists.
The album made its first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated April 19, 1975, and remained there for 13 weeks, peaking at number 99. [5] It entered the UK album chart on July 26, 1975, and reached number 13 during its 10 weeks there. [6] On September 1, 1975, the British Phonographic Industry awarded the album with Silver certification for sales of 60,000 units. [7]
Joe Viglione of AllMusic, writing retrospectively, warns, "If the casual fan thinks the album is full of Philly sound knockoffs, guess again. Producer John Florez and arranger/conductor D'Arneill Pershing align the stars perfectly for Mathis." [2] He enjoyed a variety of songs on this release, especially the title track, which he describes as "reinvented -- one voice leading the charge with backing vocals chiming in at the right time. Where the Three Degrees punched it for all it was worth as a team effort, Johnny Mathis reads the sentiment over a light disco beat with that soul sound that Gamble & Huff manufactured kept to a minimum. The Platters' ' Only You' may seem like a quantum leap away from the '70s compositions that predominate this collection, but the arrangement borders on jazz/pop and fits nicely alongside the other pretty moments here." [2] He also highlights his favorites from side two. "The medley of Paul Williams/ Roger Nichols tunes, ' I Won't Last a Day Without You'/' Let Me Be the One', which leads off side two, is as immaculate as the closing number, 'The Things I Might Have Been', making for another very good no-bumps-in-the-road Johnny Mathis release." [2]
From the liner notes for The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection: [1]
The most successful incarnation of " Mandy" was by Barry Manilow, who spent a week at number one with the song on the Billboard Hot 100 [8] and two weeks in the top spot on the magazine's Easy Listening chart [9] in addition to reaching number 11 in the UK [10] and receiving Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. [11] " Nice to Be Around" originated in the 1973 film Cinderella Liberty as "You're So Nice to Be Around" [12] and also " bubbled under" the Hot 100 to number 101 as a recording by Maureen McGovern [13] that also got as high as number 28 Easy Listening. [14] "You're As Right As Rain" first appeared on the 1972 Stylistics album Round 2. [15]
" When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees enjoyed two weeks at number one on the UK singles chart [16] and a week in that position on Billboard's Easy Listening chart, [17] peaked at number two pop [18] and number four R&B, [19] and received Platinum certification from the RIAA. [20] The Platters had the biggest hit version of " Only You (And You Alone)", which spent seven weeks at number one R&B [21] and made it to number five on the Billboard Hot 100. [22] " Let Me Be the One" first appeared on the self-titled 1971 album by The Carpenters, [23] and the brother-and-sister duo also had the most popular recording of " I Won't Last a Day Without You", which had a week at number one on the Easy Listening chart [24] and got as high as number 11 pop [25] and number nine UK. [26]
" The Way We Were" earned songwriters Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Marvin Hamlisch the Grammy Award for Song of the Year [27] and the Academy Award for Best Original Song. [28] Barbra Streisand's recording of the song went Gold, [29] spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 [30] and two weeks in the Easy Listening top spot, [31] and peaked at number 31 UK. [32] Neil Sedaka's " Laughter in the Rain" also spent two weeks at number one Easy Listening [33] in addition to enjoying a week in that position on the pop chart [34] and peaking at number 15 in the UK. [35] Another number one Easy Listening hit that Mathis covers here, " You and Me Against the World" by Helen Reddy, [36] also made it to number nine on the Hot 100. [37] And by the time this album was released, "The Things I Might Have Been" had been recorded as a solo by Kitty Wells, [38] Willie Nelson, [39] and Roy Clark [40] and as a duet by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. [41]
From the liner notes of the original album: [3]