"Take Me Down" is a song recorded by American country music band Alabama. It was released in May 1982 as the second single from Alabama's album Mountain Music.[2]
| "Take Me Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Alabama | ||||
| from the album Mountain Music | ||||
| B-side | "Lovin' You Is Killin' Me" | |||
| Released | May 6, 1982 (U.S.) | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Genre | Country rock[1] | |||
| Length | 3:43 (single edit) 4:53 (album version) | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville 13210 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Mark Gray, J.P. Pennington | |||
| Producer(s) | Harold Shedd and Alabama | |||
| Alabama singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Written by Exile band members Mark Gray and J.P. Pennington, the song was originally recorded by Exile in 1980. The Exile version was released as a single, but failed to become a major hit, although it reached number 102 on the US Bubbling Under chart[3] and number 11 in South Africa.[4]
However, it was not until Alabama released the song that it was the group's seventh number one on the country chart.[5] In addition to its success on the country charts, the song fared modestly well on pop radio, reaching No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6]
Single and album edits
editThe single edit to "Take Me Down," released for retail sale and radio airplay, is about 1:10 shorter than the full-length album version. Excised from the single version:
- The second refrain; the song immediately proceeds from the second verse into the bridge.
- An earlier fade during the ending harmony part (about 30 seconds earlier than the album version).
"B" side
editThe B-side to "Take Me Down" is a song titled "Lovin' You Is Killin' Me," a re-recording of one of Alabama's earliest songs. "Lovin' You Is Killin' Me" originally appeared as the B-side to the band's first charted single, 1977's "I Wanna Be With You Tonight."
Charts
editExile
edit| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Africa (Springbok)[7] | 11 |
| US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100[8] | 102 |
Alabama
edit| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 18 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[10] | 5 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] | 1 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1982) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[12] | 18 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] | 32 |
Cover version
editThe song was covered in by soul singer Johnny Bristol the same year and released as the first single off his Free to Be Me album.[1]
References
edit- ^ Patton, Alli (December 13, 2022). "10 Alabama Essentials". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Roland, Tom, "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits" (Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0-82-307553-2)
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 18.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 22.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". 21 June 1980. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004
- ^ "Alabama Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Alabama Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Alabama Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
Works cited
- Morris, Edward, "Alabama," Contemporary Books Inc., Chicago, 1985 (ISBN 0809253062)
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