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I Saw the Light (Todd Rundgren song)

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"I Saw the Light"
Song
B-side"Black Maria" / "Long Flowing Robe" (U.K.) "Marlene" (U.S.)

"I Saw the Light" is the opening track from Todd Rundgren's 1972 Something/Anything? double album. The song is a pastiche of 1960s pop songs and a homage to singer-songwriters Laura Nyro and Carole King.

In the liner notes to Something/Anything?, Rundgren states that he intended the song to be the hit of the album, and copied the Motown tradition of putting hit songs at the beginning of albums. Rundgren's version peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100[1] and #36 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] However, in the US at least, Something/Anything? actually contained a bigger hit than "I Saw The Light", as the album's third single "Hello It's Me" climbed to #5.[3]

Cover versions

The UK mod revival band Mood Six covered the song in 1987 on their EP "I Saw the Light". A video for the song made the rounds on MTV's "120 Minutes".

The UK band Workshy covered the song on their debut album, 1989's The Golden Mile.

The song was also covered on Terry Hall's (ex Specials) album Laugh and was released as a single in August 1997.

Lori Carson covered the song on her 1997 album Everything I Touch Runs Wild.

A cover version of "I Saw The Light" was released in 1998 by country music singer Hal Ketchum from his album I Saw the Light. It reached #36 on the US country charts, and #50 on the Canadian country charts.[4]

A live version by the Rundgren-fronted The New Cars appears on their 2006 album It's Alive.

Also covered by Bubba Hernandez on his 2008 release 'Dancing En Fuego'.

Japanese musician Yukihiro Takahashi covered the song on his 1985 solo album Once a Fool.

Japanese musician Hiroshi Takano covered the song on his 2011 solo album Kameleon Pop.

In 2012 Yo La Tengo recorded a version for a fund raising cd titled "Super Hits Of The Seventies" for radio station WFMU.[5]

References

  1. ^ "I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren". Billboard. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  2. ^ "Todd Rundgren - I Saw the Light". Chart Stats. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  3. ^ "Hello It's Me - Todd Rundgren". Billboard. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  4. ^ "RPM Country 100". Volume 67, No. 8. RPM. May 18, 1998. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  5. ^ Super Hits Of The 70's
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