Top 40 Music on Compact Disc: Kenny Loggins

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Topic: Kenny Loggins - Celebrate Me Home

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eriejwg
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Posted: 20 November 2007 at 3:06pm \| IP Logged

Though not listed in the database, which version, live or studio, was the 'hit' at Christmas in 1977?

Paul Haney
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Posted: 24 November 2007 at 4:25am \| IP Logged

The studio version was released in 1977 on Columbia 10652 (with "Why Do People Lie" as the B-side). The live version was released in 1980 on Columbia 11417 (with the studio version as the B-side).

Edited by Paul Haney on 24 November 2007 at 7:46am

eriejwg
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Posted: 24 November 2007 at 7:12am \| IP Logged

Thank you, Paul!

My promo should be here in a few days. Reason I asked, I seem to remember playing a 'live' version at a station I worked at in 1980.

Jim, did your station ever play this song?

Edited by eriejwg on 24 November 2007 at 7:12am

jimct
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Posted: 24 November 2007 at 11:33am \| IP Logged

John, "Celebrate Me Home" was initially released as the 2nd and final single, off the album of the same name, his first solo LP. The first 45 from it, "I Believe In Love", did make the Hot 100, but was a national midchart. This 1977 45 release of "Celebrate Me Home" did not make the Hot 100, did not "Bubble Under", and did not appear on the Billboard Christmas singles chart. Also, the ARSA "Old Top 40 Music Surveys Database", that I help maintain, does not show a SINGLE station that charted it, in 1977. But it did became a HUGE concert favorite for him, even an "anthem" of sorts. So, when he released the "Kenny Loggins Alive" LP, in late 1980, it was the natural choice for a second 45 release. And, in the spirit of the later "Save A Prayer" by Duran Duran, and as Paul already stated, they included the 1977 original studio version on the 1980 45's flip side. But, again, the 1980 45 release didn't even make the Hot 100. Nor did it "Bubble Under", nor did it appear on the Billboard Christmas chart in 1980. So, and as with 1977, I just cannot find even a SINGLE ARSA-posted 1980 survey, that charted this song. The station you worked at may have been the ONLY one in the U.S. that played it, John! Do you have any old surveys from there? I acknowledge that, for many years now, it has been considered a "Kenny Loggins Classic". But I never have been able to find even the SMALLEST crumb of evidence of radio airplay for it, either in 1977 or in 1980, and we never did either, until your statement above.

AndrewChouffi
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Posted: 24 November 2007 at 11:54am \| IP Logged

Hi Jim,

I also remember hearing it on the radio in 1977, but it wasn't on the top-40 stations.

It seemed back then some markets had something similar to what we now call AAA stations.

The "format" or (more accurately non-format) was laid-back announcers, adult music, album cuts played liberally, nothing too heavy or too progessive, not ultra-currents based. Artists like Van Morisson, Jesse Colin Young, Kenny Loggins. Songs like "And It Stoned Me", "Songbird" "Angry Eyes". New class acts like Dire Straits, Rickie Lee Jones. Most did not report to the trades.

Even some of the "syndicated" FM top-40 formats had a sprinkling of the above to make it appear as an alternative to the younger-leaning AM top-40's.

I actually wish this type of format would reappear, as AAA current titles are heavily "worked" by the record companies, so it's obvious the station isn't picking a few "best cuts" off a new album.

Andy

eriejwg
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Posted: 24 November 2007 at 11:56am \| IP Logged

Unfortunately, Jim, WKSN in Jamestown, NY was neither a reporting station (too small a market), nor did we have any surveys. Guess the gentleman who was Music Director before me in late 1980 had a good ear for the live version and felt Kenny Loggins was a natural fit for the adult format we had.

I took over as Music Director in January, 1981.

eriejwg
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Posted: 24 November 2007 at 12:05pm \| IP Logged

Had to think who the gentleman was before me. His name was Chris Chapman (airname was Chris Layne) who added the 'live' version in. He had worked in Oneonta, NY before Jamestown, then headed to WLAM in Lewiston Maine in December of 1980. Where he worked after that, no clue.

That's was the nice thing about small market non-reporting radio stations. While the salaries were horrible, we weren't under pressure to play what the competitors were.
While we got promo 45's at WKSN, and watched the Billboard Hot 100, sometimes a non-charting song from an artist that fit the demo was added.

At WWCB in Corry, PA, I DID add "I Believe In Love" from Kenny Loggins in 1977. Again, a non reporting SMALL station too. In fact, so small we didn't even get label service. Our 45's came in from RSI (Record Source International) out of Cincinnati, OH. And, they were stock 45's, not promos.

Edited by eriejwg on 24 November 2007 at 12:25pm

eriejwg
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Posted: 28 November 2007 at 1:54pm \| IP Logged

Promo 45 for this came in today....

1) Studio Version is 3:52.

2) Live Version is 4:19.

Todd Ireland
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Posted: 28 November 2007 at 10:52pm \| IP Logged

Thanks for the promo 45 update, John!

TimNeely
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Posted: 17 February 2008 at 4:39pm \| IP Logged

AndrewChouffi wrote:

I also remember hearing it on the radio in 1977, but it wasn't on the top-40 stations.

It seemed back then some markets had something similar to what we now call AAA stations.

The "format" or (more accurately non-format) was laid-back announcers, adult music, album cuts played liberally, nothing too heavy or too progessive, not ultra-currents based. Artists like Van Morisson, Jesse Colin Young, Kenny Loggins. Songs like "And It Stoned Me", "Songbird" "Angry Eyes". New class acts like Dire Straits, Rickie Lee Jones. Most did not report to the trades.

Even some of the "syndicated" FM top-40 formats had a sprinkling of the above to make it appear as an alternative to the younger-leaning AM top-40's.

I actually wish this type of format would reappear, as AAA current titles are heavily "worked" by the record companies, so it's obvious the station isn't picking a few "best cuts" off a new album.

This format sounds a lot like the "old" WMGK in Philadelphia, which used to play artists like Kenny Rankin, Roger Whittaker and Paul Williams as well as some of those others you mentioned. It was sort of a "hip" version of Adult Contemporary.

"Celebrate Me Home" didn't become a Christmas "standard" until pretty recently, like the past five years or so. When Christmas-formatted radio started playing it, at first I thought it was a re-recording, because it had been literally 25 years since I'd heard it on the radio, and AC stations had picked up on a re-recorded version of "House at Pooh Corner" not long before the re-emergence of "Celebrate Me Home." I even thought it might be a "Christmas" version of the song, much as Jim Brickman has recorded "Holiday Versions" of some of his non-holiday singles, because of my long unfamiliarity with the original recording.

sriv94
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Posted: 25 May 2015 at 3:17pm \| IP Logged

1. Was the (3:52) version on the stock single as well?

2. Can the (3:52) version be extracted from the LP version (which runs about (4:40)ish)?

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eriejwg
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Posted: 25 May 2015 at 7:58pm \| IP Logged

Yes, the 3:52 version can be recreated. A couple of
edits in the intro (a jarring one at :07 in or so) and
another in the 2:46 range.

While I was at it, I recreated the live single version.
But, since the live album version was well over 9
minutes, I 'cheated' and borrowed a section or two from
my promo 45 to recreate the 4:21 version. :)

80smusicfreak
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Posted: 25 May 2015 at 8:32pm \| IP Logged

jimct wrote:

Well, according to the new Comparison Book 1954-1982 from Record Research, the studio version of "Celebrate Me Home" on Columbia 10652 DID hit #64 in Record World during a 9-week run in April-May of '78. In addition, it shows the live version on Columbia 11417 climbed to #110 in the same publication during a similar 9-week run from December of '80 through February of '81...

Observation: At first glance, the debut date of April 1, 1978, on Record World's "top 100" chart for the studio version would suggest that Columbia 10652 was released in early to mid March of '78. However, I noticed that Columbia's "Hall of Fame" re-issue 45 of the song (where it's b/w "I Believe in Love") states an original release date of "December, 1977" on the label, as does the current pressing of the 45 from Collectables. In addition, 45cat states an original release date of "Nov 1977" for Columbia 10652. Further research reveals that the "10652" catalog no. DOES jive w/ a November '77 release date; by March of '78, Columbia was already up to the high 10690s/low 10700s - so I think there's little question it hit store shelves in late '77. Therefore, it appears that "Celebrate Me Home" made a VERY slow - yet progressive - climb in Record World, from November of '77 through March of '78, before cracking their "top 100" in the April 1 issue. Perhaps Paul Haney could fill us in w/ regards to exactly when & how long the song ranked anywhere from #101-#150 in the magazine during those winter months, for some additional insight??? Of course, this chart success in Record World also begs the following: If "Celebrate Me Home" was indeed considered a "seasonal song" from the get-go - as its original November '77 promotion/release by Columbia and recent radio history both suggest - how did it manage to peak on the chart the following SPRING???

My own experience w/ this song - as someone who has never actually worked in radio, but has always been an avid listener - is that I don't recall hearing it on the airwaves when it was pushed as a single either time (i.e., 1977-78 or 1980-81). Throughout the '80s & '90s, though, I DID hear it occasionally on the radio and other places, so I knew that "Celebrate Me Home" was considered something of a "classic" for KL, although during that period, I didn't really associate it w/ the holidays. (Indeed, the song isn't even included on his lone Christmas album, 1998's December!) However, as TimNeely said, it sure does seem to have become a Christmas "standard" over the last 10-15 years, as I now hear it often during that time of year...

Further cementing "Celebrate Me Home" as a "classic" of KL's in my mind over the years has been its inclusion on almost all of his hits collections, as well as the three times I've seen him in concert. The first two times I saw him he was solo, which was circa 1987-88 (SoCal), and again around 1996-97 (Long Island, NY) - actually got to meet him after the latter. :-) I know he performed "CMH" during at least one of those shows, if not both. The third time I saw him live was here in NH back in 2005, when he did a reunion tour w/ Jim Messina, and they performed mostly L&M songs. That show was fantastic! (Dang, was that really TEN years ago now?!?)

Paul Haney
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Posted: 26 May 2015 at 10:05am \| IP Logged

Indeed, the original studio version of "Celebrate Me Home" did debut on the Record World #101-150 ("Bubbling Under") chart on 12/17/77. It peaked at #101 for 3 weeks (starting on 1/21/78) and then slowly fell back down the chart before debuting on the Top 100 chart on 4/1/78.

Here's the chart action, starting on 12/17/77: 138-125-119-114-107-101-101-101-102-104-114-128-131-137-148.

jimct
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Posted: 26 May 2015 at 12:31pm \| IP Logged

Thanks for all the RW chart info, which was obviously unavailable to me
when I posted earlier. I only ever got into the "did it get current airplay?"
issue because John had asked me a direct question about it, early in the
thread.

For anyone interested, I was gifted from a friend a 9-track, unreleased
holiday tracks sampler, titled "Sweet Tracks", that Best Buy stores were
giving away in 2004. (I also own one they produced in 2005 - these were
distinctive for being housed in small, round, CD-shaped, two-piece metal
housing, which opened from the top. This one had a green and white swirl
design, while '05 was red and white.) There is no label/catalog info, but
the CD deadwax info is "ST - 2004 10"). The final track is a live version of
Kenny singing "Celebrate Me Home (For The Holidays"). It runs (6:22).

I wouldn't be surprised if it's turned up elsewhere since 2004. He
customized the song's normal lyrics here, since it's grown to be
considered a holiday track by many.

Edited by jimct on 26 May 2015 at 12:36pm

80smusicfreak
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Posted: 31 May 2015 at 8:17pm \| IP Logged

Paul Haney wrote:

Yes, thanks for the additional RW chart stats, Paul, which confirmed my suspicion. So, if I'm understanding you correctly, after climbing all the way up to #101 for three weeks in the January 21, January 28, and February 4, 1978, issues, "Celebrate Me Home" had dropped down to #148 on March 25, only to suddenly rebound all the way back up into the 90s or 80s the following week, in the April 1 issue?!? Hmmm, that was a strange chart run, to say the least! Gotta wonder... :-)

80smusicfreak wrote:

Of course, this chart success in Record World also begs the following: If "Celebrate Me Home" was indeed considered a "seasonal song" from the get-go - as its original November '77 promotion/release by Columbia and recent radio history both suggest - how did it manage to peak on the chart the following SPRING???

The chart run detailed above clearly makes the answer to my question all the more interesting, whatever that explanation may be. However, apparently Joel Whitburn/Record Research doesn't consider "Celebrate Me Home" to be a Christmas song, as I see there is no "[X]" symbol next to the studio version in the recent Hit Records 1954-1982 book, nor is that symbol shown next to the live version in Hit Records 101-150 1959-1982. Paul, was that an oversight, or is the song's seasonal status still considered debatable???

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