You Could Have Been with Me (song)
Encyclopedia
"You Could Have Been with Me" is a 1981 single by Sheena Easton
from her album of the same name
. The single reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100
, while its Adult Contemporary
peak was number 6.
The song was composed by Lea Maalfrid who had considerable success in her native land New Zealand
as frontwoman for the mid-70s acid
glam rock
band Ragnarok. Maalfrid came to London
at the behest of Elton John
with whom she'd toured Australia
. After plans for Maalfrid to record for John's Rocket Records
fell through she shopped her demos
- including that for "You Could Have Been with Me" - & caught the interest of producer Christopher Neil
although his involvement with Easton meant postponing his recording of Maalfrid. Eventually Neil had Easton cut two of Maalfrid's songs: "You Could Have Been With Me" & "Trouble in the Shadows". Maalfrid had little awareness of Easton & "wasn't too bothered [ie. interested]" re Easton's cutting her songs as she confided to a record company receptionist who responded: "You will be when you get the money." Soon afterwards Maalfrid abandoned her own singing career in favor of songwriting.
http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/8/pi_articleid/417
"You Could Have Been With Me" peaked at #15 - #12 in Cash Box http://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19820227.html - the week of the 1982 Grammy Broadcast (February 25) on which Easton received the Best New Artist Award
http://www.popculturemadness.com/Trivia/Grammies/Top-1981-G.html, the single's moderate peak indicating that in fact Easton's prospects as a strong chart presence were uncertain. After the follow-up "When He Shines" peaked at #30 Easton would be absent from the Top 40 until the end of January 1983 when both she and Kenny Rogers
would consolidate their faded popularity via their duet of "We've Got Tonight" which would reach #6.
"You Could Have Been With Me" had little chart impact in the UK (#54), evincing that Easton's career prospects were stronger in the U.S. than in her native land. "You Could Have Been With Me" also charted in the Netherlands (#17), in Belgium (#23 on the Dutch charts) and in Japan (#46 with sales of 48,000).
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
from her album of the same name
You Could Have Been with Me
You Could Have Been with Me is Sheena Easton's second album, released in 1981 on EMI.- Background :Released in late 1981, the album peaked at #47 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums, spending a whole year on the chart, eventually certified Gold by the RIAA, and also peaked at UK #33 . The biggest hit...
. The single reached number 15 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...
, while its Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
peak was number 6.
The song was composed by Lea Maalfrid who had considerable success in her native land New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
as frontwoman for the mid-70s acid
Acid rock
Acid rock is a form of psychedelic rock, which is characterized with long instrumental solos, few lyrics and musical improvisation. Tom Wolfe describes the LSD-influenced music of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Cream,...
glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
band Ragnarok. Maalfrid came to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the behest of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
with whom she'd toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. After plans for Maalfrid to record for John's Rocket Records
Rocket Records
The Rocket Record Company was a record label founded by Elton John, with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon and Steve Brown among others, in 1972. The name is from the hit, "Rocket Man"...
fell through she shopped her demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
- including that for "You Could Have Been with Me" - & caught the interest of producer Christopher Neil
Christopher Neil
Christopher Neil is a British record producer, songwriter, singer and actor.He has worked with Celine Dion, a-ha, Dollar, Paul Nicholas, Kim Criswell, Morten Harket, Mike + The Mechanics, Johnny Logan, Marillion, The Moody Blues, The Other Ones, Paul Carrack, Rod Stewart, Gerry Rafferty, Cher,...
although his involvement with Easton meant postponing his recording of Maalfrid. Eventually Neil had Easton cut two of Maalfrid's songs: "You Could Have Been With Me" & "Trouble in the Shadows". Maalfrid had little awareness of Easton & "wasn't too bothered [ie. interested]" re Easton's cutting her songs as she confided to a record company receptionist who responded: "You will be when you get the money." Soon afterwards Maalfrid abandoned her own singing career in favor of songwriting.
http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/8/pi_articleid/417
"You Could Have Been With Me" peaked at #15 - #12 in Cash Box http://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19820227.html - the week of the 1982 Grammy Broadcast (February 25) on which Easton received the Best New Artist Award
http://www.popculturemadness.com/Trivia/Grammies/Top-1981-G.html, the single's moderate peak indicating that in fact Easton's prospects as a strong chart presence were uncertain. After the follow-up "When He Shines" peaked at #30 Easton would be absent from the Top 40 until the end of January 1983 when both she and Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
would consolidate their faded popularity via their duet of "We've Got Tonight" which would reach #6.
"You Could Have Been With Me" had little chart impact in the UK (#54), evincing that Easton's career prospects were stronger in the U.S. than in her native land. "You Could Have Been With Me" also charted in the Netherlands (#17), in Belgium (#23 on the Dutch charts) and in Japan (#46 with sales of 48,000).