Hello It's Me Explained

Hello It’s Me
Cover:Nazz - Hello It's Me.jpg
Border:no
Caption:UK single label
Type:single
Artist:Nazz
Album:Nazz
A-Side:Open My Eyes
Studio:Starfish Sound, Philadelphia/Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Genre:Pop
Length:3:57
Label:SGC
Producer:
  • Michael Friedman
  • Nazz
Prev Title:Open My Eyes
Prev Year:1968
Next Title:Not Wrong Long
Next Year:1969

"Hello It's Me" is a song written by American musician Todd Rundgren. It was the first song he wrote, and was recorded by his group Nazz as a slow ballad, released as the B-side of the band's first single, "Open My Eyes", in 1968. A mid-tempo version of "Hello It's Me", recorded for Rundgren's 1972 solo album Something/Anything?, was issued as a single in 1973, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

History

"Hello It's Me" was the first song written by Todd Rundgren.[1] Written in 1967 as a slow ballad about the breakup of a relationship,[2] it was released in October 1968 as the B-side of his band Nazz's debut single "Open My Eyes", and included on the debut album Nazz (1968). Although released as a B-side, it was picked up in preference to the A-side by Boston radio station WMEX, where it rose to No. 1, and was subsequently picked up by other stations. It entered the Billboard chart in February 1969, peaking at number 71, and re-entered the charts the following January, this time peaking at number 66. In Canada, it ranked number 41 in March 1969,[3] and number 58 in February 1970.[4]

Rundgren's songs in this early phase of his career were heavily influenced by the work of Laura Nyro, but in a 2005 interview he revealed that the basic structure of the song was adapted from the introduction of a Jimmy Smith recording:

Todd Rundgren solo version

Hello It’s Me
Cover:Helloitsme_rundgren.jpg
Caption:1974 France single picture sleeve
Type:single
Artist:Todd Rundgren
Album:Something/Anything?
B-Side:Cold Morning Light
Released: (1st release)
(2nd release)
Recorded:1971
Studio:The Record Plant, New York City
Genre:
Length:
  • 3:31 (single)
  • (album)
Label:Bearsville
Producer:Todd Rundgren
Prev Title:Couldn't I Just Tell You
Prev Year:1972
Next Title:A Dream Goes On Forever
Next Year:1974

Rundgren recorded a more midtempo version of "Hello It's Me" for his 1972 solo album Something/Anything? It was released twice as a single, with the second issue in 1973 becoming Rundgren's only top ten pop hit, reaching No. 5 on the Hot 100. It also reached No. 17 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[12]

Personnel

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1973–1974)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] 68
Canada RPM Top Singles17
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[16] 9
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[17] 5
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary17
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[18] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1973)Rank
Canada RPM Top Singles[19] 139
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[20] 82

Popular culture

Other versions

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.puremusic.com/todd2.html Bill DeMain, "A Conversation with Todd Rundgren", puremusic.com
  2. Web site: The Bad Breakup that Led to "Hello It's Me". Marc Myers. Marc Myers. November 26, 2018. The Wall Street Journal.
  3. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - March 24, 1969.
  4. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - February 21, 1970.
  5. Web site: Stephen Thomas . Erlewine . Stephen Thomas Erlewine . Todd Rundgren – Great Classics . AllMusic. All Media Network . 30 July 2016.
  6. Web site: Lee . Zimmerman . Todd Rundgren, Emil Nikolaisen, Hans-Peter Lindstrom: Runddans . 4 May 2015 . . 30 July 2016.
  7. Web site: David . Greenwald . The top 10 '70s soft-rock seduction ballads (playlist) . 3 April 2014 . . 30 July 2016.
  8. Book: Don Breithaupt. Jeff Breithaupt. Precious and Few: Pop Music of the Early '70s. 26 October 2015. 29 July 2014. St. Martin's Press. 978-1-4668-7649-1. 44.
  9. Book: SPIN Media LLC. SPIN. 26 October 2015. February 1993. SPIN Media LLC. 53. 0886-3032.
  10. Vibe Media Group. Vibe. Vibe Vixen. 26 October 2015. October 1999. Vibe Media Group. 189. 1070-4701.
  11. Book: Stanley, Bob . Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Progressive Rock (And Simpler Pleasures). https://books.google.com/books?id=9emZAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT7. 13 September 2013. Faber & Faber. 978-0-571-28198-5. 368.
  12. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn . 1993 . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 . Record Research . 208.
  13. http://discog.fleetwoodmac.net/songs.php?sid=1869 Todd Rundgren- "Hello, It's Me" information @fleetwoodmac.net
  14. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (1972) album- Liner notes.
  15. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 261.
  16. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 1974-01-19 . 2018-04-30.
  17. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
  18. http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19731222.html Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 22, 1973
  19. Web site: Image : RPM Weekly. Library and Archives. Canada. . July 13, 2017.
  20. http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1974.htm Musicoutfitters.com
  21. Web site: Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1974 . May 1, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161009212559/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1974YESP.html . October 9, 2016 . dead .
  22. Web site: The Heartbreak Behind Todd Rundgren's 'Hello It's Me' . Martin . Kielty . ultimateclassicrock.com. 10 December 2021 .
  23. Web site: TV Girl - Apple Music. Apple Music. October 3, 2023.
  24. Web site: Groove Theory. AllMusic. Netaktion LLC. Stanton Swihart.
  25. Web site: Big Heavy Stuff - Size of the Ocean - Limited Edition Vinyl .

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