From FRIENDS IN LOVE
Written by David Foster, Jay Graydon & Bill Champlin
The fact that this record didn’t sell a million copies and reach the top of the charts is a true musical crime cause we’re talking about some of the classiest and most elegant music ever created. Here every note is perfectly played, everything is so well arranged, an incredible examples of quality pop at his absolute best. The title track is a beautiful ballad co-written by the usual suspects a.k.a. Graydon, Foster & Champlin. Dionne Warwick sings it with Johnny Mathis as Foster and Graydon set the sophisticated atmosphere with their piano and guitar playing but check also out the sweet strings and horns and the voices of Champlin and Richard Page helping out on the backing vocals.
There’s another duet with Mathis entitled, “Got You Where I Want You” always with Foster at the piano and rhodes but the true showstopper here is a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love” that is too good to be explained here, you just have to listen to it. Other gems are “For You” written by Graydon with Richard Page and John Bettis and Stevie Wonder’s “With A Touch” with Wonder himself playing the piano but, as we already stated, there’s not a weak track on the whole album, it is a spectacular work of art. It is hard to believe that Warwick rocketed to the top of the charts with the sloppy “Heartbreaker” around the same period of time, while “Friends In Love” only had its title track barely reaching the top 40.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/Friends_In_Love.mp3|titles=FRIENDS IN LOVE|artists=Dionne Warwick – Johnny Mathis]
Lead Vocals: Dionne Warwick & Johnny Mathis
Drums: Mike Baird
Piano: David Foster
Bass: Mike Porcaro
Guitars: Jay Graydon
Percussion: Victor Feldman
Back Vocals: B. Champlin, Richard Page & Vennette Gloud
Strings arranged by David Foster & Jeremy Lubbock
Horns Arranged by Jerry Hey
Produced and arranged by Jay Graydon
Lyrics
Sometimes, lonely nights turn into sunny days.
I never thought I’d feel this way.
I never knew that you and I
were meant to be in love.
Oh, darling, you’ve always been around
to see me through.
How was I to know
you’d make my dreams come true?
Time and time again before, always on our own,
but now we’re friends in love.
Hoping that we’ll always
still be friends in love.
It’s dawn and we’re together.
Darling, now we got forever and day.
Don’t you go away.
Remember everytime you cried,
you came to me.
Much to my surprise, I found someone to see.
Even nights of loneliness,
you were always there for me.
We’re friends in love.
You turned around, looked my way.
I can’t say that it hasn’t crossed my mind.
I’ve loved you all along.
Ah now we’re leavin’ yesterday behind,
we’ll never be alone.
We’re friends in love.