Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"
Single by James Taylor
from the album One Man Dog
B-side"Woh, Don't You Know"
ReleasedNovember 1972
GenreFolk rock
Length2:34
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)James Taylor
Producer(s)Peter Asher
James Taylor singles chronology
"Long Ago and Far Away"
(1971)
"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"
(1972)
"One Man Parade"
(1973)

"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, from his 1972 album One Man Dog. The song has been included on three of Taylor's greatest-hits collection albums: Greatest Hits (1976), Classic Songs (1987) and The Best of James Taylor (2003). Taylor re-recorded the song for the 2001 Michael Brecker album Nearness of You: The Ballad Book; this rendition won Taylor the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2002.

Personnel

[edit]

Reception

[edit]

Billboard described "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" as a "ballad beauty."[1] Record World called it a "superb lilting ballad featuring stunning Peter Asher production work and a terrific saxophone finale."[2] AllMusic reviewer Bill Janovitz wrote that the song is "a stunning example of the Tin Pan Alley-type of jazzy romantic ballad", and that the song's lyrics, about "a betrayed lover who allows his lonely heart to control his head", were unusual in that songs on that theme were usually performed by female artists.[3] Berwyn Life critic Steve Sparacio said that it "is simply one of the most beautiful ballads in existence."[4]

Chart performance

[edit]

It was released as the lead single from the album, and peaked at No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100,[5] reaching its peak position on January 13, 1973. It also reached No. 3 Easy Listening.[6] In Canada, the song reached No. 18 on the Pop Singles chart and No. 7 AC.

Covers and samples

[edit]

The song has been recorded by the following artists:

Other cover versions

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Radio Action and Pick Singles" (PDF). Billboard. November 18, 1972. p. 20. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. November 25, 1972. p. 18. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  3. ^ "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" review, Bill Janovitz, AllMusic
  4. ^ Sparacio, Steve (January 17, 1973). "Newlyweds record hits". Berwyn Life. p. 12. Retrieved March 24, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 828.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 237.
  7. ^ Isaac Hayes' Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight cover, WhoSampled.com
  8. ^ kenia / Don't let me be lonely tonight on Youtube