Loving Arms Explained

Loving Arms
Type:single
Artist:Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge
Album:Full Moon
B-Side:I'm Down (But I Keep Falling)
Released:1973
Recorded:August 1973
Label:A&M Records
Producer:David Anderle
Prev Title:A Song I'd Like to Sing
Prev Year:1973
Next Title:Rain
Next Year:1974
Lovin' Arms
Cover:Elvis_Lovin_Arms_PS.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Elvis Presley
Album:Good Times
B-Side:You Asked Me To
Released:March 27, 1981
Recorded:December 13, 1973
Genre:Country
Label:RCA Records
Producer:Felton Jarvis
Prev Title:Guitar Man
Prev Year:1981
Next Title:There Goes My Everything
Next Title2:You'll Never Walk Alone
Next Year:1982

"Loving Arms" is a song written by Tom Jans and first recorded as a duet by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge for their 1973 album Full Moon.

The song was notably covered by Dobie Gray that same year, then by a number of artists including Elvis Presley and Petula Clark in 1974.

History

"Loving Arms" was written by Tom Jans.[1] Jans recorded the song and released his version on his 1974 self-titled album.

Dobie Gray's version of the song peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of October 6, 1973.[2]

Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge's version was released as a single in late 1973, and became a minor Billboard Hot 100 hit in the spring of 1974.[3] The song first appeared on their 1973 duet album Full Moon.

Elvis Presley's version was first released on his 1974 album Good Times. In 1975, it was included as a B-side on some editions of his "My Boy" single. In 1981, it appeared on Presley's posthumous album Guitar Man and was released as the second single from it, with "You Asked Me To" on side B. In the UK, the song spent 6 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 47 for the week of April 14. In the United States, the single charted as a double A-side ("Lovin' Arms"/"You Asked Me To") on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, peaking at number 8 on the week of June 20.

Petula Clark's version reached number 12 on the US AC chart and number 9 on the Canadian AC/Pop charts on February 1, 1975.[4]

In total, the song has been covered over 50 times. Other notable covers include ones by Olivia Newton-John, Etta James, the Dixie Chicks, and Demis Roussos.

Personnel

Personnel on Dobie Gray's version

Musical style and lyrics

As Steven Blanton notes in his book The Songwriter's Toolkit: From Pen to Push Play, "[t]he song is written using the method of holding the title until the last line effectively."

Charts

Dobie Gray version

Chart (1973)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 61
Canada (RPM)[7] 67

Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge version

Chart (1974)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 86
Canada (RPM)[9] 83
Canada AC (RPM)[10] 9

Elvis Presley version

Chart (1981)Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11] 47
US Billboard Hot Country Singles[12] 8*

* as "Lovin' Arms"/"You Asked Me To"

Notes and References

  1. Book: Steven Blanton. The Songwriter's Toolkit: From Pen to Push Play. 2010. Tate Publishing. 978-1-61663-349-3. 45–.
  2. Book: Ace Collins. All About the Dixie Chicks. 8 September 2015. St. Martin's Press. 978-1-250-09758-3. 118–.
  3. Book: Colin Larkin. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Kollington – Morphine. 2006. MUZE. 978-0-19-531373-4.
  4. Web site: RPM Top 50 AC Singles - February 1, 1975.
  5. Gray, Dobie, Dobie Gray: Drift Away, Loving Arms, Hey Dixie, BGO Records, liner notes, 2011
  6. Web site: Dobie Gray – Chart history. Billboard.
  7. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - September 29, 1973.
  8. Web site: Music: Top 100 Songs – Billboard Hot 100 Chart (1974-04-13). Billboard. 2016-12-15.
  9. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - April 13, 1974.
  10. Web site: RPM Top 50 AC/Pop Singles - June 15, 1974.
  11. Web site: Elvis Presley – full Official Chart History. Official Charts Company. 2016-12-14.
  12. Web site: Elvis Presley – Chart history (Hot Country Songs). Billboard. 2016-12-14.