Originally Posted by
Ky Fried Redleg
198. This song was originally done by a husband and wife duo but was made famous by a brother and sister duo.
Originally titled "Groupie," the song was written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell. It was inspired by Rita Coolidge observing the intense and often tragic relationships between groupies and rock stars in the late 1960s. It’s written from the perspective of a young woman who naively believes a musician's promises, only to be left behind and obsessed.
The song was originally released as a B-side single by the husband and wife duo , with a little help from their friends. Rita Coolidge sang backup on the original, which featured Eric Clapton on lead guitar and Dave Mason on guitar.
But it wasn't until February of '71 ,when one half of a sibling pop duo heard Bette Midler sing the song on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, that the song would gets it due. He loved the melody but thought the lyrics were a bit too risque for his taste(and wholesome image). So he changed one word in the second verse, replacing "sleep" with the less suggestive "be." Thus, "to sleep with you again" became "to be with you again."
His sister originally disliked the song but warmed up to it after hearing the lush, orchestral arrangement. Her iconic, and absolutely haunting , vocal track was captured in just a single, remarkable take. Almost unbelievably, as she was recording that one take, she was literally reading the song's lyrics for the first time. That's a professional singer!!!
The song went all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 , becoming the duos fifth Billboard Hot 100 single. They would eventually end up with 21 Billboard Top 40 singles, including 13 in the Top Ten and three chart toppers.
Can you name the song, the husband and wife duo who originally released it , and the sibling duo who made it famous?
