A Very Special Love Song - Misplaced Pages

"A Very Special Love Song" is the title of a 1974 song by country music singer Charlie Rich. The song was written by Billy Sherrill and Norro Wilson, songwriters who had also written Rich's 1973 hit, "The Most Beautiful Girl". The song is included on Rich's 1974 album, Very Special Love Songs.

Reception

Released as the follow-up single to "The Most Beautiful Girl", "A Very Special Love Song" nearly reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1974, peaking at #11. The song was able to top two other Billboard charts that year, as it spent three weeks atop the country music chart and two weeks at the summit on the adult contemporary chart. This was the second of four chart-toppers Rich achieved on the Billboard AC chart.

Songwriters Sherrill and Wilson won a Grammy Award for "A Very Special Love Song" in the category Best Country Song at the 1975 ceremony.

Inspiration

French composer and pianist Michel Legrand's "The Summer Knows", the theme from the 1971 film Summer of '42, served as the musical inspiration for Rich's song. He was quoted by Billboard author Tom Roland as saying: "I don't think I stole from them all , but that's my favorite theme of all time. There's not a similarity, and yet, you can understand what I was thinking about and where I was coming from."

Chart performance

Chart (1974)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	23
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	11
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Top Singles	4
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary	2

Cover versions

Country music singer Barbara Mandrell recorded a version of this song in 1974; hers was included on her album This Time I Almost Made It.
Another version of this song was released by Alexander Forrest in April 1976. Released on the Emerald label, cat# MD1185.
Mexican pop singer Gualberto Castro recorded a cover version in spanish as "Mi Bella Melodia".

References

Kosser, Michael (2006). How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: A History Of Music Row. Lanham, Maryland, US: Backbeat Books. pp. 155–160. ISBN 978-1-49306-512-7.
"Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits: 1974 | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via AllMusic.
Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 528.
^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 137.
Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 251. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 289.

External links

"A Very Special Love Song" 7" info from discogs.com

v t e Charlie Rich
Studio albums	The Fabulous Charlie Rich I Do My Swingin' at Home Behind Closed Doors
Notable singles	"Life's Little Ups and Downs" "Behind Closed Doors" "The Most Beautiful Girl" "There Won't Be Anymore" "A Very Special Love Song" "I Don't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore" "I Love My Friend" "She Called Me Baby" "My Elusive Dreams" "Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High)" "America the Beautiful" "Rollin' with the Flow" "On My Knees" "Spanish Eyes" "Even a Fool Would Let Go"
Related articles	Discography

v t e CMA Album of the Year
1967−1970	There Goes My Everything – Jack Greene (1967) Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash (1968) Johnny Cash At San Quentin – Johnny Cash (1969) Okie from Muskogee – Merle Haggard and the Strangers (1970)
1971−1980	I Won't Mention It Again – Ray Price (1971) Let Me Tell You About a Song – Merle Haggard and the Strangers (1972) Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich (1973) A Very Special Love Song – Charlie Rich (1974) A Legend in My Time – Ronnie Milsap (1975) Wanted! The Outlaws – Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser (1976) Ronnie Milsap Live – Ronnie Milsap (1977) It Was Almost Like a Song – Ronnie Milsap (1978) The Gambler – Kenny Rogers (1979) Coal Miner's Daughter – Various artists (1980)
1981−1990	I Believe in You – Don Williams (1981) Always on My Mind – Willie Nelson (1982) The Closer You Get – Alabama (1983) A Little Good News – Anne Murray (1984) Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind – George Strait (1985) Lost in the Fifties Tonight – Ronnie Milsap (1986) Always And Forever – Randy Travis (1987) Born to Boogie – Hank Williams Jr. (1988) Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1989) Pickin' on Nashville – The Kentucky Headhunters (1990)
1991−2000	No Fences – Garth Brooks (1991) Ropin' the Wind – Garth Brooks (1992) I Still Believe in You – Vince Gill (1993) Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles – Various artists (1994) When Fallen Angels Fly – Patty Loveless (1995) Blue Clear Sky – George Strait (1996) Carrying Your Love with Me – George Strait (1997) Everywhere – Tim McGraw (1998) A Place in the Sun – Tim McGraw (1999) Fly – The Dixie Chicks (2000)
2001−2010	O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Various artists (2001) Drive – Alan Jackson (2002) American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (2003) When the Sun Goes Down – Kenny Chesney (2004) There's More Where That Came From – Lee Ann Womack (2005) Time Well Wasted – Brad Paisley (2006) It Just Comes Natural – George Strait (2007) Troubadour – George Strait (2008) Fearless – Taylor Swift (2009) Revolution – Miranda Lambert (2010)
2011−2020	My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean (2011) Chief – Eric Church (2012) Based on a True Story... – Blake Shelton (2013) Platinum – Miranda Lambert (2014) Traveller – Chris Stapleton (2015) Mr. Misunderstood – Eric Church (2016) From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton (2017) Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (2018) Girl – Maren Morris (2019) What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs (2020)
2021−2030	Starting Over – Chris Stapleton (2021) Growin' Up – Luke Combs (2022) Bell Bottom Country - Lainey Wilson (2023) Leather - Cody Johnson (2024)

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