Easy Loving
Encyclopedia
"Easy Loving" is a song composed by country music singer-songwriter Freddie Hart
. Released in the summer of 1971
, it became Hart's breakthrough hit and a country music standard.
, Columbia
and his then-current label, Capitol
. However, his hits were modest at best.
"Easy Loving," about deep commitment in a monogamous relationship, very nearly did not became a hit. Hart's previous single, "California Grapevine," had stalled at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles
chart, and Capitol Records
decided to drop Hart's contract.
In mid-1971, a disc jockey at Atlanta, Georgia
radio station WPLO began playing "Easy Loving" to great response. The song quickly caught on nationwide, and by that August, "Easy Loving" had broken into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles
chart. On September 11, it became his first No. 1 song, eventually spending three weeks atop the chart (interrupted between its first and second weeks for Tom T. Hall
's "The Year Clayton Delaney Died.")
"Easy Loving" also was a modest pop hit, reaching No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the fall of 1971.
Awards, he was named Top Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year, plus Single and Song of the Year; the album from which it came, Easy Loving, won the ACM's award that year, too.
The Country Music Association
bestowed Song of the Year honors upon "Easy Loving" in both 1971 and 1972.
"Easy Loving" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America
http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/search_results.asp, and was the No. 1 song of 1971 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart.
In addition to all of its awards and honors, "Easy Loving" sparked Hart's flagging career. After quickly being re-signed by Capitol Records, Hart went on to score five more consecutive No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart during the next two years, plus scored more than a dozen more top 10 hits through 1977.
Freddie Hart (musician)
Frederick Segrest , known professionally as Freddie Hart, is an American country musician and songwriter best-known for his No. 1 hit "Easy Loving," which won the Country Music Association Song of the Year award in 1971 and 1972....
. Released in the summer of 1971
1971 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1971.-No dates:*Seeking younger, more urban viewers, CBS cancels nearly all of its rural-themed programming...
, it became Hart's breakthrough hit and a country music standard.
Song history
Hart, a country music stalwart since the late 1950s, had a string of minor hits for several labels, including KappKapp Records
Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp . David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca Records and RCA Victor Records. Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK.In 1967, David Kapp sold his label to MCA Inc...
, Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and his then-current label, Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. However, his hits were modest at best.
"Easy Loving," about deep commitment in a monogamous relationship, very nearly did not became a hit. Hart's previous single, "California Grapevine," had stalled at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, and Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
decided to drop Hart's contract.
In mid-1971, a disc jockey at Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
radio station WPLO began playing "Easy Loving" to great response. The song quickly caught on nationwide, and by that August, "Easy Loving" had broken into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. On September 11, it became his first No. 1 song, eventually spending three weeks atop the chart (interrupted between its first and second weeks for Tom T. Hall
Tom T. Hall
Thomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100...
's "The Year Clayton Delaney Died.")
"Easy Loving" also was a modest pop hit, reaching No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the fall of 1971.
Awards
The success of "Easy Loving" won Hart numerous awards. For instance, during the 1972 Academy of Country MusicAcademy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
Awards, he was named Top Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year, plus Single and Song of the Year; the album from which it came, Easy Loving, won the ACM's award that year, too.
The Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
bestowed Song of the Year honors upon "Easy Loving" in both 1971 and 1972.
"Easy Loving" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/search_results.asp, and was the No. 1 song of 1971 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart.
In addition to all of its awards and honors, "Easy Loving" sparked Hart's flagging career. After quickly being re-signed by Capitol Records, Hart went on to score five more consecutive No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart during the next two years, plus scored more than a dozen more top 10 hits through 1977.
Chart performance
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 17 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 21 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 31 |