Hello It's Me
{{Short description|1968 single by Nazz}}
{{for|the album by Lani Hall|Hello It's Me (album){{!}}Hello It's Me (album)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Hello It’s Me
| cover = Nazz - Hello It's Me.jpg
| alt =
| border = no
| caption = UK single label
| type = single
| artist = Nazz
| album = Nazz
| A-side = Open My Eyes
| released = {{Start date|1968|07}}
| recorded = {{Start date|df=yes|1968|04}}
| studio = Starfish Sound, Philadelphia/Hazleton, Pennsylvania
| genre = Pop
| length = 3:57
| label = SGC
| writer = Todd Rundgren
| producer =
- Michael Friedman
- Nazz
| prev_title = Open My Eyes
| prev_year = 1968
| next_title = Not Wrong Long
| next_year = 1969
}}
"Hello It's Me" is a song written by American musician Todd Rundgren. It was the first song he wrote, and was recorded by his group Nazz as a slow ballad, released as the B-side of the band's first single, "Open My Eyes", in 1968. A mid-tempo version of "Hello It's Me", recorded for Rundgren's 1972 solo album Something/Anything?, was issued as a single in 1973, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
History
"Hello It's Me" was the first song written by Todd Rundgren.[http://www.puremusic.com/todd2.html Bill DeMain, "A Conversation with Todd Rundgren", puremusic.com] Written in 1967 as a slow ballad about the breakup of a relationship,{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/todd-rundgren-recalls-the-breakup-behind-hello-its-me-1542898800|title= The Bad Breakup that Led to "Hello It's Me"|author= Marc Myers|author-link= Marc Myers|date= November 26, 2018|work= The Wall Street Journal}} it was released in October 1968 as the B-side of his band Nazz's debut single "Open My Eyes", and included on the debut album Nazz (1968). Although released as a B-side, it was picked up in preference to the A-side by Boston radio station WMEX, where it rose to No. 1, and was subsequently picked up by other stations. It entered the Billboard chart in February 1969, peaking at number 71, and re-entered the charts the following January, this time peaking at number 66. In Canada, it ranked number 41 in March 1969,{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5920.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - March 24, 1969}} and number 58 in February 1970.{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.3759.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - February 21, 1970}}
Rundgren's songs in this phase of his career were influenced by the work of Laura Nyro,{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/laura-nyro-mothers-spiritual/|work=ultimateclassicrock.com|title=Laura Nyro Releases Album Todd Rundgren Quit|author=Rob Smith|date= January 2019}} but in a 2005 interview he said that the basic structure of the song was adapted from the introduction of a Jimmy Smith recording:
{{blockquote|...the main influence for Hello It's Me was an eight bar intro that Jimmy Smith played on a recording of When Johnny Comes Marching Home. He had this whole sort of block chord thing that he did to set up the intro of the song. I tried to capture those changes, and those changes became what are the changes underneath Hello It's Me. I then had to come up with melody and words, but the changes are actually almost lifted literally from something that was, from Jimmy Smith's standpoint, a throwaway.|Todd Rundgren|puremusic.com }}
Todd Rundgren solo version
{{Infobox song
| name = Hello It’s Me
| cover = Helloitsme_rundgren.jpg
| alt =
| caption = 1974 France single picture sleeve
| type = single
| artist = Todd Rundgren
| album = Something/Anything?
| B-side = Cold Morning Light
| released = {{Start date|1972|11}} (1st release)
{{Start date|1973|08}} (2nd release)
| recorded = 1971
| studio =The Record Plant, New York City
| genre =
- Soft rock{{cite web|first= Stephen Thomas |last= Erlewine |author-link= Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title= Todd Rundgren – Great Classics |publisher= AllMusic. All Media Network |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/great-classics-mw0000767739 |access-date= 30 July 2016}}{{cite web|first= Lee |last= Zimmerman |title= Todd Rundgren, Emil Nikolaisen, Hans-Peter Lindstrom: Runddans |date= 4 May 2015 |work= PopMatters |url= http://www.popmatters.com/review/192428-todd-rundgren-emil-nikolaisen-hans-peter-lindstrom-runddans/ |access-date= 30 July 2016}}{{cite web|first= David |last= Greenwald |title= The top 10 '70s soft-rock seduction ballads (playlist) |date= 3 April 2014 |publisher= OregonLive.com |url= http://www.oregonlive.com/music/index.ssf/2014/04/the_top_10_70s_soft-rock_seduc.html |access-date= 30 July 2016}}
- pop{{cite book|author1=Don Breithaupt|author2=Jeff Breithaupt|title=Precious and Few: Pop Music of the Early '70s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMPCAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA44|access-date=26 October 2015|date=29 July 2014|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1-4668-7649-1|page=44}}{{cite book|author=SPIN Media LLC|title=SPIN|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P-WMLSbDQMEC&pg=PA53|access-date=26 October 2015|date=February 1993|publisher=SPIN Media LLC|page=53|issn=0886-3032}}
- soul{{cite journal|author=Vibe Media Group|title=Vibe|journal=Vibe Vixen|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_MSgEAAAAMBAJ|access-date=26 October 2015|date=October 1999|publisher=Vibe Media Group|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_MSgEAAAAMBAJ/page/n196 189]|issn=1070-4701}}
- blue-eyed soul{{cite book|first=Bob |last=Stanley|title=Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop|chapter= Progressive Rock (And Simpler Pleasures)|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9emZAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT7|date=13 September 2013|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=978-0-571-28198-5|page=368}}
| length =
- 3:31 (single)
- {{Duration|4:42}} (album)
| label = Bearsville
| writer = Todd Rundgren
| producer = Todd Rundgren
| prev_title = Couldn't I Just Tell You
| prev_year = 1972
| next_title = A Dream Goes On Forever
| next_year = 1974
}}
Rundgren recorded a more midtempo version of "Hello It's Me" for his 1972 solo album Something/Anything? It was released twice as a single, with the second issue in 1973 becoming Rundgren's only top ten pop hit, reaching No. 5 on the Hot 100. It also reached No. 17 on the Adult Contemporary chart.{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=208}}
=Personnel=
- Todd Rundgren – lead vocals, piano
- Mark "Moogy" Klingman – organ
- John Siomos – drums
- Stu Woods – bass guitar
- Robbie Kogale – guitar
- Randy Brecker – trumpet
- Michael Brecker – tenor sax
- Barry Rogers – trombone
- Hope Ruff – backing vocals
- Richard Corey – backing vocals
- Allan Nicholls – backing vocals
- Vicki Robinson – backing vocals
- Dennis Cooley – backing vocals
- Cecilia Norfleet – backing vocals[http://discog.fleetwoodmac.net/songs.php?sid=1869 Todd Rundgren- "Hello, It's Me" information @fleetwoodmac.net] Retrieved 1-15-2011.Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (1972) album- Liner notes.
Chart history
=Weekly charts=
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1973)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=9481&|title=Image : RPM Weekly|website=Library and Archives Canada |date=July 13, 2017}}
| style="text-align:center;"|139 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1974.htm Musicoutfitters.com]
| style="text-align:center;"|82 |
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1974)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| U.S. Cash Box {{Cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1974YESP.html |title=Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1974 |access-date=May 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009212559/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1974YESP.html |archive-date=October 9, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
| style="text-align:center;"|23 |
Popular culture
- In 2021 the song was used during a pivotal scene in the premiere episode of And Just Like That..., the TV sequel to the original Sex and the City on HBO.{{cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/todd-rundgren-hello-its-me/ |first1=Martin |last1=Kielty |title=The Heartbreak Behind Todd Rundgren's 'Hello It's Me' |website=ultimateclassicrock.com|date=10 December 2021 }} It was repeated at various points during the show's 2021–22 season.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
- Rundgren's version was sampled by indie pop band TV Girl in the song "If You Want It", previously from their 2010 self-titled EP. Their song attracted attention and was taken down by Warner Music Group.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Other versions
- A cover version of "Hello It's Me" was recorded by The Isley Brothers for their 1974 album Live It Up.{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r41384}}
- A version influenced by the Isley Brothers' cover was recorded by Groove Theory for their 1995 self-titled album.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/groove-theory-mw0000174460|work=AllMusic|publisher=Netaktion LLC|author=Stanton Swihart|title=Groove Theory}}
- Big Heavy Stuff recorded a version that appeared a B-side on their 2003 single "Mutiny" and was included as a bonus track on the 2023 vinyl reissue of their 2001 album Size of the Ocean.{{cite web | url=https://www.loveasfictionrecords.com.au/products/big-heavy-stuff-size-of-the-ocean-limited-edition-vinyl | title=Big Heavy Stuff - Size of the Ocean - Limited Edition Vinyl }}
- Todd Rundgren recorded a new "Latin" version in 1997 on his album With a Twist...
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://bestclassicbands.com/todd-rundgren-hello-7-31-177/ Todd Rundgren's "Hello, It's Me": Wild Success Story], Marc Nathan, August 13, 2015, Best Classic Bands
{{Todd Rundgren}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Bearsville Records singles
Category:The Isley Brothers songs
Category:Songs written by Todd Rundgren