| When Will I See You Again | |
| Type: | album |
| Artist: | Johnny Mathis |
| Cover: | When Will I See You Again (Johnny Mathis album).jpg |
| Released: | March 1975[1] |
| Recorded: | January 13, 1975 January 20, 1975 January 23, 1975 |
| Length: | 33:42 |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | John Florez[2] |
| Prev Title: | The Heart of a Woman |
| Prev Year: | 1974 |
| Next Title: | Feelings |
| Next Year: | 1975 |
When Will I See You Again is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released in March 1975[1] by Columbia Records and was again predominantly composed of covers of recent hit songs by other artists.
The album made its first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated April 19, 1975, and remained there for 13 weeks, peaking at number 99.[3] It entered the UK album chart on July 26, 1975, and reached number 13 during its 10 weeks there.[4] On September 1, 1975, the British Phonographic Industry awarded the album with Silver certification for sales of 60,000 units.[5]
Joe Viglione of AllMusic, writing retrospectively, warns, "If the casual fan thinks the album is full of Philly sound knockoffs, guess again. Producer John Florez and arranger/conductor D'Arneill Pershing align the stars perfectly for Mathis." He enjoyed a variety of songs on this release, especially the title track, which he describes as "reinvented -- one voice leading the charge with backing vocals chiming in at the right time. Where the Three Degrees punched it for all it was worth as a team effort, Johnny Mathis reads the sentiment over a light disco beat with that soul sound that Gamble & Huff manufactured kept to a minimum. The Platters' 'Only You' may seem like a quantum leap away from the '70s compositions that predominate this collection, but the arrangement borders on jazz/pop and fits nicely alongside the other pretty moments here." He also highlights his favorites from side two. "The medley of Paul Williams/Roger Nichols tunes, 'I Won't Last a Day Without You'/'Let Me Be the One', which leads off side two, is as immaculate as the closing number, 'The Things I Might Have Been', making for another very good no-bumps-in-the-road Johnny Mathis release."
From the liner notes for :[1]
The most successful incarnation of "Mandy" was by Barry Manilow, who spent a week at number one with the song on the Billboard Hot 100[6] and two weeks in the top spot on the magazine's Easy Listening chart[7] in addition to reaching number 11 in the UK[8] and receiving Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.[9] "Nice to Be Around" originated in the 1973 film Cinderella Liberty as "You're So Nice to Be Around"[10] and also "bubbled under" the Hot 100 to number 101 as a recording by Maureen McGovern[11] that also got as high as number 28 Easy Listening.[12] "You're As Right As Rain" first appeared on the 1972 Stylistics album Round 2.[13]
"When Will I See You Again" by The Three Degrees enjoyed two weeks at number one on the UK singles chart[14] and a week in that position on Billboards Easy Listening chart,[15] peaked at number two pop[16] and number four R&B,[17] and received Platinum certification from the RIAA.[18] The Platters had the biggest hit version of "Only You (And You Alone)", which spent seven weeks at number one R&B<ref>. and made it to number five on the Billboard Hot 100.[19] "Let Me Be the One" first appeared on the self-titled 1971 album by The Carpenters,[20] and the brother-and-sister duo also had the most popular recording of"I Won't Last a Day Without You", which had a week at number one on the Easy Listening chart[21] and got as high as number 11 pop[22] and number nine UK.[23]
"The Way We Were" earned songwriters Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Marvin Hamlisch the Grammy Award for Song of the Year[24] and the Academy Award for Best Original Song.[25] Barbra Streisand's recording of the song went Gold,[26] spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100[27] and two weeks in the Easy Listening top spot,[28] and peaked at number 31 UK.[29] Neil Sedaka's "Laughter in the Rain" also spent two weeks at number one Easy Listening[30] in addition to enjoying a week in that position on the pop chart[31] and peaking at number 15 in the UK.[32] Another number one Easy Listening hit that Mathis covers here, "You and Me Against the World" by Helen Reddy,[33] also made it to number nine on the Hot 100.[34] And by the time this album was released, "The Things I Might Have Been" had been recorded as a solo by Kitty Wells,[35] Willie Nelson,[36] and Roy Clark[37] and as a duet by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge.[38]
From the liner notes of the original album:[2]