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If I Had My Wish Tonight

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"If I Had My Wish Tonight"
Single by David Lasley
from the album Missin' Twenty Grand
ReleasedMarch 1982 (1982-03)
GenrePop
Length3:33
LabelEMI America
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)David Lasley
David Lasley singles chronology
"One Fine Day"
(1973)
"If I Had My Wish Tonight"
(1982)
"Teamwork"
(1984)
Music video
"If I Had My Wish Tonight" on YouTube

"If I Had My Wish Tonight" is a song written by Randy Goodrum and Dave Loggins originally released in 1979 by Dave Loggins on his self-titled album. American singer-songwriter David Lasley covered the song on his Missin' Twenty Grand album, releasing it as the first single. The song debuted on March 13, 1982, and reached a peak position of 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1982.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

The song was produced by Lasley with strings arranged by Arif Mardin. Dave Iveland is credited as co-producer and recording engineer. Bonnie Raitt contributed background vocals.[8][9] It appears on Lasley's Back To Blue-Eyed Soul Collected Works released in 2001 and on EMI compilations Lost Hits of the 80s Vol. 2 and AOL Light Mellow: EMI Edition.[9]

Composition, lyrics and style

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Don Shewey for the Boston Phoenix described the performance and delivery of the lyrics "while the singer wails, a sort of Greek chorus led by Bonnie Raitt emblazons the wish on the back of the departing lover: "'Stead of walkin' away/You'd want me to stay/You would want me" (note the insistence of those "w" sounds)."

Credits and personnel

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Critical reception

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Don Shewey for the Boston Phoenix praised the song writing "the sumptuous semi-hit" calling Lasley's falsetto "so passionate that the second verse trails off midway (perhaps to allow the singer to break down a la James Brown)" declaring it "a mini-masterpiece, milked for every drop by Arif Mardin's superb string arrangement."[10]

References

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  1. ^ Holden, Stephen (July 11, 1982). "TWO DEBUT ALBUMS IN SEARCH OF AN AUDIENCE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  2. ^ Cashbox Magazine – New Faces To Watch (PDF). June 5, 1982. p. 8.
  3. ^ Billboard Magazine – New On The Charts (PDF). May 1, 1982. pp. 25, 27.
  4. ^ "The Hot 100: Week of May 8, 1982". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. ^ Billboard. April 3, 1982.
  6. ^ "US Top 40 Singles For The Week Ending March 13, 1982". Top40Weekly.com. March 13, 1982. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  7. ^ Billboard Magazine – First Time Around (PDF). March 20, 1982. p. 69.
  8. ^ Mims, Taylor (December 11, 2021). "David Lasley, Musician-Songwriter and Prized Backup Singer for Music Legends, Dies at 74". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  9. ^ a b If I Had My Wish Tonight – David Lasley | Song Info | AllMusic, retrieved January 19, 2022
  10. ^ Shewey, Don (June 15, 1982). "Street Corner Serenade: David Lasley leads us on". The Boston Phoenix.