Part-Time Love
| "Part-Time Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard artwork | ||||
| Single by Elton John | ||||
| from the album A Single Man | ||||
| B-side | "I Cry at Night" | |||
| Released | 13 October 1978[1] | |||
| Recorded | January–September 1978 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock, disco | |||
| Length | 3:16 | |||
| Label | MCA (U.S.) Rocket (UK) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Elton John, Gary Osborne | |||
| Producer(s) | Elton John, Clive Franks | |||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Part-Time Love" is a song written by English musician Elton John with lyrics by Gary Osborne. It is the sixth track off his 1978 album, A Single Man. It is also the opening track of side two. It proved to be one of the most popular singles the pair wrote, along with 1982's "Blue Eyes" and the 1980 US million seller "Little Jeannie". It was banned in the Soviet release of the album along with another song, "Big Dipper". The single reached No. 15 in the UK and peaked just outside the Top 20 in the US at No. 22.
Lyrical meaning
In the 29 September 1979 edition of the Ann Landers advice column, one writer going by the title "Want A Better Environment For Our Youth" alleged that these lyrics of this song dealt with adultery: "You've been seen running around...Don't tell me what to do when you've been doing it too."[2]
Release
While the lyrics on the A-side were written by Gary Osborne, those on the B-side, "I Cry at Night", were written by Bernie Taupin. It is one of the few singles John released with different lyricists on each side.
The song appeared on his compilation The Very Best of Elton John in 1990 and the deluxe edition of his 2017 compilation Diamonds.
Reception
Cash Box praised the "Fine singing, rhythm textures, big chorus, perky beat and nice arrangement."[3] Record World called it a "solid pop/rock offering with a bouncy beat and full vocal hook."[4]
Chart performance
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Personnel
- Elton John - piano, vocals
- Tim Renwick - guitars
- Clive Franks - bass
- Steve Holley - drums
- Ray Cooper - percussion
- Vicki Brown - backing vocals
- Joanne Stone – backing vocals
- Stevie Lange – backing vocals
- Gary Osborne – backing vocals
- Chris Thompson – backing vocals
- Davey Johnstone – backing vocals, lead guitar
- Paul Buckmaster – orchestral arrangement
References
- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 70.
- ^ Landers, Ann (29 September 1979). "Some Rock Lyrics Are Offensive". The Dispatch (Lexington, N.C.). p. 6. Some newspapers published this column on 1 October.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 4 November 1978. p. 26. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 4 November 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Kent Music Report No 288 – 31 December 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 10 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
- ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Part-Time Love". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ "NZ Listener chart statistics for Part Time Love". Flavour of New Zealand. 4 March 1979. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965 – March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "Elton John Chart History | officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. 23 January 1971. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 436.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 128.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 12/30/78". cashboxmagazine.com. 30 December 1978. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
