"Listen to Your Heart" was a 1983 single for singer Diane Richards. It became a hit for her that year, registering on the Cash Box and Billboard charts.
| "Listen to Your Heart" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Diane Richards | |
| from the album Listen to Your Heart | |
| A-side | "Listen To Your Heart" |
| B-side | "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" |
| Released | 1983 |
| Length | 3:22 |
| Label | Zoo York Recordz WS4 03535 |
| Composer(s) | Billy Livsey/Frank Musker |
| Producer(s) | Butch Barbella |
Background
edit"Listen to Your Heart" was written by Billy Livsey and Frank Musker.[1]
The song was recorded by 26 year old Diane Richards who was new to this side of the music business in spite of having worked in radio and having appeared in Annie hall and Mahogany. The producers and arrangers on the recording were Butch Barbella and Nick Monroe. Richards' own view of her recording was that it was melodic and relaxing, not an aggressive type of song. The song appears on an album of the same name.[2]
The single was released on Zoo York 03535.[3] The 12" version of the single was released on 4W9 03813, and the album was released on FW 38533.[4]
Reception
editAs one of the Top Single Picks, "Listen to Your Heart" was a recommended single in the Pop section of the 12 February issue of Billboard.[5]
In an article about Diane Richards that appeared in the 2 April 1983 issue of Billboard, "Listen to Your Heart" was referred to as a promising effort.[6]
Airplay
editIt was reported by Cash Box in the magazine's 26 February 1983 issue that "Listen to Your Heart" was no. 2 on the Black Contemporary Most Added Singles list. The stations that had added it to their playlists were, WWIN, WCIN, WJMO, WTLC, WLUM, WAWA, WPAL, WNHC, WILD, WATV, and KPRS.[7]
The single was mentioned in the Out Of The Box section of the 9 April issue of Billboard. The writer said that "Listen to Your Heart" had made real cross-over headway and with the proper director she could go a long way. However, the editor wrote that the song wasn't the sort of ballad that kept adult listenership.[8]
According to the 2 July issue of Billboard, Jimmy (Goodtime) Milner of WAWA in Milwaukee felt that the single was going all the way. He was quoted as saying, "flavor is in and this summertime groove is what's happening".[9]
Chart
editOn the week of 11 February, Diane Richards' single was added to the playlist of WWDM in Sumpter and KDIA on Oakland.[10]
On the week of 26 February, "Listen to Your Heart" made its debut at no. 77 in the Cash Box Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles chart.[11] On the week of 7 May and in its eleventh week, the single peaked at no. 29.[12] It held that position for one more week.[13][14] Having been in the chart for seventeen weeks, the single's last entry was at no. 99 on the week of 18 June.[15]
On the week of 2 April, "Listen to Your Heart" jumped to no. 58 on the Billboard Black Singles Chart.[16] It made it to no. 44 in the Billboard chart.[17]
Recognition
editDiane Richards' single won her an award. She came first in the Cash Box 1983 Black Contemporary Singles Awards New Female section with Madonna, Alfie Silas, Lydia Murdock and Pamela Nivens at 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively.[18] A full page congratulatory ad was published in the 31 December issue of Cash Box.[19]
References
edit- ^ MusicVF.com - Songs written by Billy Livsey, Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography, Diane Richards 3. 1983 Listen to Your Heart by Diane Richards
- ^ Billboard, April 2, 1983 - Page 20, Radio, New On The Charts, Diane Richards
- ^ MusicVF.com - Songs written by Billy Livsey, Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography, Diane Richards 3. 1983 Listen to Your Heart by Diane Richards
- ^ Billboard, April 16, 1983 - Page 1 (Front cover), Bulleting its way to the top of the Black Singles Chart is "Listen To You Heart
- ^ Billboard, February 12, 1983 - Page 59 Billboard's Top Single Picks, Pop, recommended, DIANE RICHARDS- Listen To Your Heart (3:22)
- ^ Billboard, April 2, 1983 - Page 20, Radio, New On The Charts, Diane Richards
- ^ Cash Box, February 26, 1983 - Page 27 Black Contemporary, Most Added Singles, 2. Listen to Your Heart - Diane Richards - Zoo York
- ^ Billboard, April 9, 1983 - Page 12 Out Of The Box, BLACK /URBAN
- ^ Billboard, July 2, 1983 - Page 16 Out Of The Box, BLACK /URBAN
- ^ Radio & Records, Issue Number 470 February 11, 1983 - Page 42 Black Radio, Regionalized Adds & Hots, South, WWDM/Sumpter Barbera Taylor, Diane Richards; West, KDIA Oakland/Jeff Harrison, Diane Richards
- ^ Cash Box, February 26, 1983 - Page 26 Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles February 26. 1983 78, 2/19 -, Weeks On Chart 1
- ^ Cash Box, May 7, 1983 - Page 34 Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles May 7, 1983 29, 4/30 32, Weeks On Chart 11
- ^ Cash Box, May 14, 1983 - Page 32 Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles May 14, 1983 29, 5/7 29, Weeks On Chart 12
- ^ Cash Box, May 21, 1983 - Page 30 Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles May 21, 1983 30, 5/14 29, Weeks On Chart 13
- ^ Cash Box, June 18, 1983 - Page 26 Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles June 18, 1983 99, 5/11 95, Weeks On Chart 17
- ^ Billboard, April 2, 1983 - Page 20, Radio, New On The Charts, Diane Richards
- ^ MusicVF.com - Songs written by Billy Livsey, Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography, Diane Richards 3. 1983 Listen to Your Heart by Diane Richards
- ^ Cash Box, December 31, 1983 - Page 58 Singles Awards, New Female, 1. Diane Richards • Zoo York
- ^ Cash Box, December 31, 1983 - Page 59 Zoo York Recordz Congratulates Diane Richards
External links
edit- Discogs - Diane Richards – Listen To Your Heart
- nick j-blast music channel, Aug 21, 2015 - Diane Richards - Listen To Your Heart (Morales & Munzibai Mix)