Hard to Say I'm Sorry
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| “Hard to Say I'm Sorry” | |||||
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| Single by Chicago from the album Chicago 16 |
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| B-side | "Sonny Think Twice" | ||||
| Released | May 1982 | ||||
| Format | 7" single | ||||
| Recorded | 1982 | ||||
| Genre | Rock/Power ballad/Adult contemporary | ||||
| Length | 3:50 (Single Version)/5:04 (Album Version) | ||||
| Label | Full Moon/Warner Bros. | ||||
| Writer(s) | Peter Cetera & David Foster | ||||
| Producer | David Foster | ||||
| Chicago singles chronology | |||||
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"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is a ballad performed by the American rock group Chicago, written by band member Peter Cetera and producer David Foster from the album Chicago 16, released in 1982. The song hit Number 1 for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 11 of that year. It was their first top fifty hit since 1978's "No Tell Lover".
The song, as well as the album on which it is featured, was a marked departure from Chicago's traditional soft rock, horns-driven sound, taking on a more polished and modern feel. In fact, there were no horns featured on the track, instead being traded for layered synthesizers and heavier distorted electric guitars in a more updated 1980's fashion. This was done to revitalize the band that was considered by some to be past its commercial prime at the time.
The album version of "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" segued into a second song titled "Get Away," which was closer to the older horn-driven Chicago sound of the 1970s. Most Adult Contemporary radio stations at the time, however, did not play the entire album track, choosing to cut it off just before "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" segued into "Get Away." About half the Top 40 radio stations played the longer version with Get Away. Today the majority of airplay of this song takes place on Adult Contemporary radio stations, most of which play the shorter one. The music video itself used the album version, which was shot in Greece.
Deviating from Chicago's practice of having mostly band members playing on their albums, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" featured several session musicians. The song featured producer David Foster on the piano, as well as three members of the American rock band Toto: Steve Lukather on guitar, while David Paich and Steve Porcaro both contributed synthesizers.
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" was featured at the conclusion of the movie Summer Lovers (1982).
The song was recently used as the basis for a question in an Edexcel A-level listening paper.
| Preceded by "Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single September 11, 1982- September 18, 1982 |
Succeeded by "Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band |
[edit] Cover versions
In 1996, the R&B band Az Yet included a cover version on their self-titled debut album which reached #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, featuring a vocal cameo performance by Peter Cetera. The single reached platinum status and was nominated for a Grammy Award (Best Performance by an R&B Group or Duo).
In 2007, Westlife did a cover of this song. It was the B-side to their single Home which was the first single from their 9th album Back Home
The song was recently used as the basis for a question in an Edexcel A-level listening paper.
