Songoftheday 2/12/18 - Do you feel what I feel can we make it so that's part of the deal, I gotta hold you in these arms of steel...
from the album Vagabond Heart (1991)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #20 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 14
Today's song of the day comes from Rod Stewart, whose organic rock album Vagabond Heart had spun off two top ten pop hits in the U.S. with "Rhythm Of My Heart" and "The Motown Song". Also he had a big international hit with Tina Turner with "It Takes Two" off the album that reached #5 in the UK. The third American single from the record, like these three, would also be a remake. "Broken Arrow" first appeared on the first solo album from the leader of "The Band", Robbie Robertson, who wrote the western-tinged rock song. That Robbie Robertson album reached #38 on the albums chart and was one of the top sellers of 1987-88, but the song wasn't released to radio until Rod remade it for Vagabond Heart. His version was produced by Patrick Leonard, who was more known for working with the likes of Madonna at that time...
"Broken Arrow" became Rod's third top-40 pop hit from Vagabond Heart in America in January of 1992. The song also spent three weeks at #3 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart. Internationally, the single peaked at #2 for a week in Canada, and made the top-40 in Ireland (#21) and New Zealand (#26). It initially stalled out at #54 in the UK in 1991, but when it was re-released as a "double A-Side" with Rod's cover of Elton John's "Your Song", it reached #41.
(Click below to see the rest of the post)
Here's the original from writer Robbie Robertson from 1987...
and here's Rod singing "Broken Arrow" live in concert in 1992...
The Grateful Dead also incorporated "Broken Arrow" in their live shows, with Phil Lesh singing lead...
Finally, Rod in Vegas in 2017...alluding to the fact that the song just missed the top-40 in his native Britain...
Up tomorrow: This diva won't detach.
Comments