Songoftheday 2/3/21 - I'll be your dream I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy, I'll be your hope I'll be your love be everything that you need...

 

 

"Truly Madly Deeply" - Savage Garden

from the album Savage Garden (1997)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (two weeks)

Weeks in the Top-40: 52

 

Today's song of the day comes from the Australian pop duo Savage Garden, whose self-title debut album had scored a top ten hit in America with "I Want You" as well as a top-40 follow-up with "To The Moon And Back". The third single from the record would be a ballad, "Truly Madly Deeply". Written by the group's Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones and produced by Charles Fisher, the song was a gentle and lullaby-like love song that relies on the less is more adage. While the lyrics aren't flourished, Hayes' delivery is sweet and direct, and the late electro-pop production is pristine enough to not interfere. The track caught on like wildfire (sorry, Australia) and raced to the top of the pop charts around the world...

 

 "Truly Madly Deeply" landed Savage Garden their first #1 pop hit in the U.S. in January of 1998, going on to spend a record-breaking year in the top-40. The song spent eleven weeks at the top of Billboard magazine's Adult Contemporary radio chart, also setting a record for most weeks on the list at 123 (only to be beat by themselves later), and took six weeks at #2 on their Adult Top-40 format tally. Internationally, the single topped the charts in Canada and Australia, and made the top ten in Ireland (#2), Sweden (#2), Austria (#2), Norway (#2), Poland (#2), the UK (#4), Italy (#4), Belgium (#4F/#5W), Switzerland (#7), the Netherlands (#8), Iceland (#8), France (#9), and Greece (#9). (It just missed the mark in Germany at #11.) 

The fourth single from their debut was "Break Me Shake Me", which name checks (and sounds a little like) Michael Jackson. It wasn't promoted in America or Britain, but made the top ten in Greece (#5), Australia (#7), and New Zealand (#8) (the latter a better reception than "Truly..."). After that, the duo scored a fifth top-40 hit in Australia (#26) and New Zealand (#25) with the dreamy pop of "Universe". Lastly, the dance-rock track "Tears Of Pearls" went top-40 in Sweden (#32). 

 

(8/10)

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There was a different video for when the single was originally released in their native Australia, with Darren sporting a different look as he and Daniel serenade people on a couch...

Next up, performing at the World Music Awards in 1998...

This is the group in concert in their homeland...

In 2006, German Eurodance group Cascada covered "Truly Madly Deeply" for their Everytime We Touch album. Released as a single, their hi-NRG version reached the top ten in Ireland (#3), Hungary (#3), the UK (#4), and Belgium (#10F/#25W), while appearing on Billboard's Dance Radio Airplay chart in America at #14...

Finally, back to Jones and Hayes with their MTV Unplugged performance...

Up tomorrow: This "American" singer is through with you.