Cold Wind Across My Heart- “Deep Cut- 1979”
Songwriters are constantly, one could say obsessively looking for song titles. In Nashville for instance, it’s almost impossible to get through any conversation without someone saying-“Hey, that’s good title”- in response to some remark. (Meals are particularly tough to get through down there.) Film dialogue is another target rich environment, especially in overwrought romantic dramas. In the case of “Cold Wind Across My Heart” I got the title from watching the 1939 classic film version of “Wuthering Heights” (Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon).
From AMC’s Filmsite synopsis page: “With a troubled look on her face after the marriage ceremony, Cathy feels Heathcliff’s (Olivier) cold and dark presence: ‘A cold wind went across my heart just then. A feeling of doom. (To Edgar/David Niven) You touched me and it was gone.’
Aha, we have a winner! I was off and running to the piano with my pencil and a note pad. Thank you Emily Bronte!
The song was recorded in 1979 by the group “Night”, featuring Chris Thompson (of Manfred Mann’s “Blinded By The Light” fame) on lead vocals , for Richard Perry’s new label, Planet Records and produced by Richard. Never a hit it still catches my ear.
This was one of the few times I worked without a collaborator so I take full responsibility/blame for the words and music.
As an aside, my favorite part of the song is the moving counter line to the bass note in the chorus.
Hope you enjoy.
Click here to listen
Hey Tom,the pencil in hand did a good job. I Like! By the way offer grats to you and the Saturday team for making the playoffs and good luck on going to the finals. Lou
Thanks, Lou. As always you’re the first to chime in! Hope to see you at MCC soon!
I really hear your voice at the beginning of the song (I know it’s not you—but the timbre, the enunciation, the emotion—I’ll bet that beginning is very close to the demo. Of course, he takes off into his own rock anthem voice for the chorus. Very interesting song. Nicely collaboration with yourself!
Thanks, Tim. Just heard from my sister who agrees with you about the vocal similarity at the top of the tune. I like your descriptive term “rock anthem voice”… Chris has the real thing!
Tom!!! How wonderful to hear a song of yours that is new to me. You have ALWAYS been my favorite heart composer. Nothing sexier than a Snow melody. But the combo of words AND music is a creme brulee for the ears.
Thank you!
Amanda
Thanks, Amanda! Big compliment coming from you!
You didn’t mention Yvonne Elliman’s version on RSO from her seminal “Yvonne” album. Dr. John is on that album, also some great session players and songs like Alan Tarney’s “Green Light” and a little known pretty John Phillips song “Rock Me Slowly”. Like the guitar in this, and the vibe(s). “And it worries me so because I’ve seen that look before. . .”
Ah, my swiss cheese memory! Actually I remember Yvonne’s cut. Do you know where I can find it? Thanks Scott. Always good to hear from you. I appreciate the time you take to listen and respond. Cheers, Tom
That album “Yvonne” (she has wet hair on the cover, a Norman Seeff shot, I believe) isn’t on cd for some reason and it also has one of her biggest hits “Love Pains”. I’m not sure if it’s on iTunes because I don’t like downloads! I still have my vinyl copy.
Wow Tom! I feel SO ashamed! I’m really a H-U-G-E fan of the vocalist Chris Thompson and have followed him nearly always around in all his different projects over the years, and I am very well familiar about this Night-project with Chris Thompson (as well as the marvelous other vocalist in the group Night: Female vocalist Stevie Lange/Vann!!! Wow! what a voice she got!), and I have both their albums which I have listen to very much over the years. But I wasn’t familiar with that this great song is “one of Your babies”! Excuse me, Tom! Hats of! Congratulations!
Hey Tom,
I had no idea that you wrote that song. I use to listen to that LP all that time. I do remember the song your talking about. It was a great song, thank you for writting it. Just thinking about were I was then. I was in my early 20s just getting started. Working for a rack-jober in Chicago, JL Marsh. Putting records in Zayres and K-mart and driving all over Indiana. Can’t say I miss living there, it was a long ways from Ca.
Take care,
Mark