“A Very Special Love Song”, song written by Billy Sherrill and Norro Wilson, was recorded by Charlie Rich for the Epic label, the album was recorded between January and July 1973. With the production of Billy Sherrill, the song was released in January 1974, on April 6, 1974, peaking at # 1 on the U.S Hot Country Songs charts for three weeks in a row. A week later, it also peaked at # 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Albums charts, for three consecutive weeks. It was the third consecutive number one on the U.S Hot Country Songs charts.
The song was included on Charlie’s fourteenth studio album, Very Special Love Songs (Epic 1974), the album was released in early 1974, peaking at # 1 on the US Top Country Albums charts on April 27, 1974, reached # 1 on the charts of US Top Country Albums, remaining a total of 39 weeks on the charts, on the charts of Canadain. The album was certified gold in the USA. On the Canadian Country Albums charts it reached at # 25.
About the song:
“The Summer Knows” by French composer and pianist Michel Legrand, theme song for the 1971 film Summer of ’42, served as the musical inspiration for Rich’s song. Billboard author Tom Roland quoted him saying, “I don’t think I stole them all, but that’s my favorite topic of all time. There’s no similarity, and yet you can understand what I was thinking about and where it came from.
Some versions:
Barbara Mandrell 1974 (Columbia)
Country Road 1974 (Hilltop)
Jim Nabors 1975 (Columbia)
Paul Martin 1978 (Plantation Records)
Miquel Batlle Garriga
mbatllegarriga@gmail.com