Songoftheday 10/28/12 - Your heart belonged to only me, but that was many tears ago, now your love is just a memory...

Linda Ronstadt - "I Knew You When"
from the album Get Closer (1982)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #37 (one week)
Weeks in the top-40: 3

Today's Song of the Day is by the rock goddess of the 70s, Linda Ronstadt. She closed out 1982 with a new album, and the title track "Get Closer" made the top-40. For the follow up single she recorded a cover of a song written by country-rock singer Joe South in the 60s called "I Knew You When". The retro-doowop tune was a top-20 hit for single Billy Joe Royal in 1965....

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In 1972, Donny Osmond had the most successful version of the song, peaking at #9...

Now Linda's version topped them all in the power of her voice matching the intensity of the song, and fit better with the girl-group vibe of the music...

"I Knew You When" reached both the pop and the adult-contemporary top-40 (so far her last solo pop top-40 hit), and even scraped the bottom of the country chart as well. It was also one of her few charting singles in Great Britain, peaking at #90.

Up tomorrow: Canadian rockers go astray...