Reminiscing

In 2005, Goble spoke of his inspiration and recording of the song, saying "I loved watching old black and white movies, and I always also loved the music of Glenn Miller and Cole Porter, that whole era of writing, and it was my attempt to write a song to depict the romantic era. It came out very quickly, I wrote it in about half an hour. Even though a lot of people think it sounds complicated, on the guitar it's very simple to play. It nearly never got recorded – when the time came to record it, the keyboard player I wanted to use, Peter Jones, was out of town, so we cut the band track with a different keyboard player. It didn't work. A few days later when we tried it again with a different keyboard player, again it didn't work, and the band was losing interest in the song. Just before the album was finished, Peter Jones came back into town, the band and I had an argument because I wanted to give Reminiscing a third chance. Peter played on it, we cut it, and finished it, and sent the album to Capitol. Capitol said that they couldn't hear any singles on the album, and didn't know what to release. Five weeks later, someone at Capitol's New York office said 'You're all crazy, Reminiscing is a smash.' Capitol put it out, and it just immediately caught on fire, and became our highest chart hit."Miller, Chuck (2005) [http://www.chuckthewriter.com/lrb.html Born in the Sign of Water] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923203128/http://www.chuckthewriter.com/lrb.html |date=23 September 2015 }} Goldmine, 4 February 2005. Retrieved on 14 January 2007. Goble added "It's quite staggering; you don't realise you've written something like that until it happens, until it's history."Kruger, Debbie (2005) Songwriters Speak, Limelight Press, ({{ISBN|0-9757080-3-1}}).

Record World called it "a highly danceable ballad" and praised the lead vocal performance.{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=July 15, 1978|accessdate=2023-02-13|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/78/Record-World-1978-07-15.pdf}}

The song was a huge hit in the US, peaking at #3, but did not achieve the same success in the band's home territory, as it only barely made the Australian top 40, peaking at #35. Nevertheless, at the Australian 1978 King of Pop Awards, the song won Australian Record of the Year.{{Cite web | url = http://users.ncable.net.au/~ronjeff/top40/oz_king.htm | title = Australian Music Awards | publisher = Ron Jeff | access-date = 16 December 2010 }}

"Reminiscing" was given a BMI Five Million-Air award for five million plays on US radio—the highest achievement ever for any Australian popular song.{{Cite web|date=2014-02-15|title=Graeham Goble's BMI Award For His Little River Band Hit, 'Reminiscing'|url=https://shorrockbirtlesgoble.com/graeham-gobles-bmi-award-for-reminiscing/|access-date=2021-07-18|website=Shorrock, Birtles & Goble|language=en-AU}}

According to Albert Goldman's biography, John Lennon named "Reminiscing" as one of his favourite songs. May Pang, erstwhile girlfriend of Lennon, said "Oddly, with all the fantastic music he wrote, "our song" was 'Reminiscing' by the Little River Band."{{cite web|title=Marvelous May...|url=http://web.ncf.ca/fl512/beatles/interviews/2003-09-23.htm|website=ncf.ca|access-date=19 January 2015|date=23 September 2003|archive-date=19 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119033310/http://web.ncf.ca/fl512/beatles/interviews/2003-09-23.htm|url-status=live}}

; Australian 7" (EMI 11738)

:A. "Reminiscing" - 4:11

:B. "Take Me Home" (Recorded Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London)

; New Zealand 7" (EMI 1043)

:A. "Reminiscing" - 3:26

:B. "So Many Paths" - 4:22

; North American 7" (Harvest 4605)

:A. "Reminiscing" - 3:26

:B. "So Many Paths" - 4:22

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{{Infobox song

| name = Reminiscing

| cover = Reminiscing.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Madison Avenue

| album = The Polyester Embassy

| released = {{start date|2001|3|5|df=y}}{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/issue575.PDF|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020220130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue575.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-date=2002-02-20|title=The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 5th March 2001|publisher=ARIA|page=24|date=5 March 2001|access-date=1 October 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Dance, house

| length = 3:35

| label = EMI International

| writer = Graeham Goble

| producer = Andy Van Dorsselaer

| prev_title = Everything You Need

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

Australian group Madison Avenue covered the song and released it as a single in March 2001. Their version was certified gold by the ARIA.

Australian CD single

1. "Reminiscing (Da Classic Remix - Edit)" – 3:31
2. "Reminiscing (Original Mix - Edit)" – 3:24
3. "Everything You Need (Olav Basoski Remix)" – 7:32
4. "Reminiscing (Da Classic Remix)" – 5:06
5. "It's Alright (Album Mix)" – 5:12

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=2001|certyear=2001|access-date=31 August 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

• In July 1978, Shorrock recorded a Spanish-language version of the song, titled "Recordando", using the original backing track and backing vocals.{{cite web |title=Little River Band – Recordando |url=https://shorrockbirtlesgoble.com/little-river-band-recordando/ |website=Shorrock Birtles Goble |date=18 July 1978 |access-date=19 September 2020}}
• Thumbs Carllile recorded a jazz cover on his 1979 album Guitar Wizard.{{cite web |url=http://www.thumbscarllile.com/ |title=Thumbs Carllile special limited edition CDs |website=Thumbscarllile.com |date=2004-06-22 |access-date=2016-10-13 |archive-date=7 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207024835/http://www.thumbscarllile.com/ |url-status=live }}
• Barry Manilow covered the song for his 1996 album Summer of '78.
• Tommy Emmanuel's covered the song for his 1998 album Collaboration featuring Shorrock.
• Goble, Shorrock and Beeb Birtles, three of the original members of Little River Band, who reformed under the name Birtles Shorrock Goble, recorded "Reminiscing" for their 2003 CD and DVD Full Circle.
• Carl Riseley included a jazz cover of the song on his 2008 album The Rise.
• k.d. lang recorded the song for the Australian version of her 2011 album Sing It Loud.
• Shorrock rerecorded "Reminiscing" for his 2019 album Glenn Shorrock Sings Little River Band.{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Glenn-Shorrock-Sings-Little-River-Band-is-Out-Today-20190308|title='Glenn Shorrock Sings Little River Band' is Out Today|first=TV News|last=Desk|website=BroadwayWorld.com}}

Biz Markie sampled the song for his song "Throwback" on the album Weekend Warrior.

• During American Idol's 2007 broadcast of Idol Gives Back, Ben Stiller jokingly threatened to sing the song nonstop until $200 billion in donations was achieved.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFKFzUIVOTE|title=American Idol - Ben Stiller singing|last=BenStillerTube|date=4 March 2008|via=YouTube|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=20 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120110140/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFKFzUIVOTE|url-status=live}}
• The song is featured in the Freaks and Geeks episode "Kim Kelly Is My Friend."{{cite web|url=https://www.what-song.com/Tvshow/27/Freaks-and-Geeks/e/661|title=Freaks and Geeks - S1E4 "Kim Kelly is My Friend" Music and List of Songs|website=What-song|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116084911/https://www.what-song.com/Tvshow/27/Freaks-and-Geeks/e/661|url-status=live}}
• The song is featured in the film Monsters vs. Aliens.{{Cite web |url=https://www.what-song.com/Movies/Soundtrack/502/Monsters-vs-Aliens |title=Monsters vs Aliens Soundtrack (2009) & Complete List of Songs |access-date=13 August 2018 |archive-date=13 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813080256/https://www.what-song.com/Movies/Soundtrack/502/Monsters-vs-Aliens |url-status=live }}
• The song is heard playing in the background during a scene in Knocked Up with Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd at a Las Vegas hotel room.{{cite web|url=https://tidal.com/browse/track/31940369|title=Reminiscing (From|website=tidal.com|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116135319/https://tidal.com/browse/track/31940369|url-status=live}}
• The song was used in the 2010 film The Other Guys{{cite news|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jOFqv6P6ZRG0uTSZzwyuxKpKDldg|title=Review: 'The Other Guys' goofs on buddy-cop movie cliches, and it actually works|last=Lemire|first=Christie|date=4 August 2010|work=The Canadian Press|access-date=29 August 2010}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} and "Little River Band" credited by Will Ferrell's character before the CD is trashed by Mark Wahlberg's character. The Other Guy was the title of another LRB hit.
• The song was used in the episode of The Middle titled Taking Back The House.{{Citation|title="The Middle" Taking Back the House (TV Episode 2011) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1627768/trivia/|access-date=2021-12-13}}
• The song is featured in the HBO series Divorce.{{Cite web|title=HBO's Divorce skillfully captures the painful absurdities of a failed marriage|url=https://theweek.com/articles/654618/hbos-divorce-skillfully-captures-painful-absurdities-failed-marriage|access-date=2021-12-13|website=The Week|language=en}}
• The song was used as a bumper for Tom Hatten's Family Film Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=17680|title=Reminiscing by Little River Band Songfacts|website=www.songfacts.com|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116081120/http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=17680|url-status=live}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Little River Band}}

{{Madison Avenue}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1978 songs

Category:1978 singles

Category:2001 singles

Category:Little River Band songs

Category:Madison Avenue (band) songs

Category:APRA Award winners

Category:Song recordings produced by John Boylan (record producer)

Category:EMI Records singles

Category:Harvest Records singles

Category:Songs written by Graeham Goble

Category:Songs about nostalgia