The Morning After (Maureen McGovern song)

{{Infobox song

| name = The Morning After

| image = The morning after by maureen mcgovern US single side-A.png

| alt = side-A label

| caption = Side A of the US single

| type = single

| artist = Maureen McGovern

| album = The Morning After

| B-side = Midnight Storm

| released = May 1973

| format =

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = 2:14

| label = 20th Century

| writer = Joel Hirschhorn
Al Kasha{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 136}}

| producer = Carl Maduri

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = I Won't Last a Day Without You

| next_year = 1973

}}

"The Morning After" is a song written by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn for the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, winning Best Original Song at the 45th Academy Awards. Following this success, Maureen McGovern recorded a single version that became a No. 1 hit in the US for two weeks during August 1973, with Gold record sales.{{cite web|url=http://tsort.info/music/yr1973.htm |title=Songs from the Year 1973 |website=Tsort.info |access-date=2016-10-08}} Billboard ranked it as the No. 28 song for 1973.

Beginnings

The song was written in March 1972 by 20th Century Fox songwriters Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, who were asked to write the love theme for The Poseidon Adventure in one night. The finished product was called "Why Must There Be a Morning After?" but changes by the record label resulted in the more optimistic lyric "there's got to be a morning after".

In the film the song is performed by the character of Nonnie, played by Carol Lynley, but actually sung by the vocal double Renee Armand. It appears twice: during a warm-up rehearsal and then later during the New Year's Eve party early in the film, before the passengers must escape the sinking wreck. The title appears in the end credits as "The Song from The Poseidon Adventure".

Personnel

Maureen McGovern - lead and backing vocals
Joe Hudson - arrangement, conductor
Bob Fraser - guitar
Bill Severance - drums, percussion

Chart performance

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1973) !Peak position
Argentina{{Cite web\|title=Cash Box - International Best Sellers\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1973/Cash-Box-1973-07-21.pdf\|website=worldradiohistory.com\|publisher=Cash Box. 21 July 1973. p. 39.}} \|align="center"\|5
Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web\|author=Steffen Hung \|url=http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 \|title=Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) \|website=Australian-charts.com \|access-date=2016-10-08}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
Australia (Go Set){{cite web\|url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/19730728.html \|title=Go-Set Australian charts - 28 July 1973 \|website=Poparchives.com.au \|date=1973-07-28 \|access-date=2016-10-08}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|2
Canada (RPM) AC / "Pop Music Playlist"{{cite web\|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4888.pdf\| title=RPM AC / Pop Music Playlist - September 8, 1973}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|3
Canada (RPM) Top Singles{{cite web\|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4878.pdf\| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - September 22, 1973}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|4
South Africa (Springbok){{cite web\|url= http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(M).html \|title= South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M) \|publisher= Rock.co.za \|access-date= 8 September 2018}} \|align="center"\|4
US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - {{ISBN\|0-89820-089-X}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary{{cite book\|first= Joel \|last= Whitburn \|author-link= Joel Whitburn \|year= 1993 \|title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 \|publisher= Record Research \|page=159}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|6

class="wikitable sortable"

Chart (1973)

!Peak
position

Argentina{{Cite web|title=Cash Box - International Best Sellers|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1973/Cash-Box-1973-07-21.pdf|website=worldradiohistory.com|publisher=Cash Box. 21 July 1973. p. 39.}}

|align="center"|5

Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 |title=Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) |website=Australian-charts.com |access-date=2016-10-08}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

Australia (Go Set){{cite web|url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/19730728.html |title=Go-Set Australian charts - 28 July 1973 |website=Poparchives.com.au |date=1973-07-28 |access-date=2016-10-08}}

| style="text-align:center;"|2

Canada (RPM) AC / "Pop Music Playlist"{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4888.pdf| title=RPM AC / Pop Music Playlist - September 8, 1973}}

| style="text-align:center;"|3

Canada (RPM) Top Singles{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4878.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - September 22, 1973}}

| style="text-align:center;"|4

South Africa (Springbok){{cite web|url= http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(M).html |title= South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M) |publisher= Rock.co.za |access-date= 8 September 2018}}

|align="center"|4

US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

US Billboard Adult Contemporary{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=159}}

| style="text-align:center;"|6

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
align="left"\|Chart (1973) ! style="text-align:center;"\|Rank
Australia Kent Music Report \| style="text-align:center;"\|16
Australia Go Set{{cite web\|url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/top1973.html \|title=Go-Set Australian charts - Top Records for the Year of 1973 \|website=Poparchives.com.au \|access-date=2016-10-08}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|17
Canada Top Singles{{cite web\|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.100214.pdf\| title=RPM Top 100 Singles of '73 - December 29, 1973}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|33
US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web\|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1973.htm \|title=Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973 \|website=Musicoutfitters.com \|access-date=2016-10-08}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|28

class="wikitable sortable"

align="left"|Chart (1973)

! style="text-align:center;"|Rank

Australia Kent Music Report

| style="text-align:center;"|16

Australia Go Set{{cite web|url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1973/top1973.html |title=Go-Set Australian charts - Top Records for the Year of 1973 |website=Poparchives.com.au |access-date=2016-10-08}}

| style="text-align:center;"|17

Canada Top Singles{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.100214.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles of '73 - December 29, 1973}}

| style="text-align:center;"|33

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1973.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=2016-10-08}}

| style="text-align:center;"|28

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|title=The Morning After|artist=Maureen McGovern|type=single|relyear=1973|certyear=1974|region=Australia|award=Gold|certref={{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-10-25.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|title=GOLD MORNING AFTER UNDER|via=World Radio History|page=45|date=October 25, 1975|access-date=November 15, 2021}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Maureen McGovern|title=The Morning After

|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1973|certyear=1973|access-date=August 15, 2024}}