Songoftheday 10/6/13 - Even though I'm in love sometimes I get so afraid I'll say something so wrong just to have something to say...

Billy Joel - "Leave A Tender Moment Alone"
from the album An Innocent Man (1983)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #27 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 7

Today's Song of the Day was the fifth hit single from Billy Joel's landmark retro-pop album An Innocent Man. After he hit #1 with the first release "Tell Her About It", he them won Christie Brinkley's heart with "Uptown Girl". After that he made the top-10 with the title track, before scoring with the a-cappella nugget "The Longest Time". His next single was an easy-going ballad that gleans from the soul ballad tradition of Ray Charles, and "Leave A Tender Moment Alone", written by the singer and produced by Phil Ramone, followed them all to the top-40. With the most recognizable harmonica solo from the 80s not done by Stevie Wonder, performed by Toots Thielmans...

"Leave A Tender Moment Alone" reached the top-40 in August of 1984, while going to #1 on the adult-contemporary (easy-listening) format, his fourth from the album and sixth overall. It also made the top 40 on the singles chart in Britain, and in Ireland it made it to #16...

I especially like the mature, thoughtful lyrics on this realistic song about love.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


...and here's Billy live with "Leave A Tender Moment..."

Up tomorrow: an evening-time rock band goes to sleep.