Hard to Say I'm Sorry

"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is a song written by bassist Peter Cetera, who also sang lead on the track, and producer David Foster,[3] for the group Chicago. It was released on May 16, 1982, as the lead single from the album Chicago 16. The song reached No. 1 for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 11 of that year.[4][5] It was the group's second No. 1 single.[6] It was their first top 50 hit since "No Tell Lover" in 1978 and it spent twelve weeks in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[7] The single was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal,[8] and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in September of the same year.[9] Songwriter Cetera, a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), won an ASCAP Pop Music Award for the song in the category, Most Performed Songs.[10]

"Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
Artwork for Italian release
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago 16
B-side"Sonny Think Twice"
ReleasedMay 16, 1982 (1982-05-16)
Recorded1982
Genre
Length5:06 (Album Version, with "Get Away")
3:42 (Single Version)
LabelFull Moon/Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)David Foster
Chicago singles chronology
"Song for You"
(1980)		 "Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
(1982)		 "Love Me Tomorrow"
(1982)

History

The song, as well as the album on which it is featured, was a marked departure from Chicago's traditional soft rock, horn-driven sound, taking on a polished and modern feel. With minimal horns, the track instead featured more layered synthesizers and heavier distorted guitar in a contemporary 1980s styling. A second movement of the song, "Get Away", does prominently feature the Chicago horns, and it was co-written by Robert Lamm.[11]

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, including Steve Lukather on guitar and David Paich and Steve Porcaro both contributing synthesizers. The song's vocals were performed by Peter Cetera. The only other member of Chicago besides Cetera that played on the track was drummer Danny Seraphine.

The song was also featured as the ending theme in the movie and soundtrack for Summer Lovers,[12] a 1982 film written and directed by Randal Kleiser, starring Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah and Valerie Quennessen, and filmed on location on the island of Santorini, Greece.[13]

Music video

Chicago made a music video for the song. According to Cetera, the videos for "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Love Me Tomorrow" were shot on the same day.[14] The band appears in a black colored room with diamonds on the wall.

Personnel

Chart performance

Az Yet version
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
Single by Az Yet featuring Peter Cetera
from the album Az Yet
ReleasedFebruary 3, 1997 (1997-02-03)
Recorded1996
GenreR&B, adult contemporary
Length3:17
Label
Songwriter(s)Peter Cetera and David Foster
Producer(s)Babyface
Az Yet singles chronology
"Last Night"
(1996)		 "Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
(1997)		 "You're the Inspiration"
(1997)

In 1996, the R&B group Az Yet included a cover version on their self-titled debut album. The song, later released as a single on February 3, 1997, was produced by Babyface.[34] A remix by David Foster[35] features vocals from Peter Cetera.[35][36] Foster won a BMI Pop Award for this version.[37] The song peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.[38] It reached platinum status[39] and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Performance by an R&B Group or Duo with Vocal.[40][41]

Track listing

CD-single

  1. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (David Foster Remix featuring Peter Cetera) 3:18
  2. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Album Version) 3:14
  3. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Acappella) 3:14
  4. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Chase Extended Mix) 5:14

Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[42] 5
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[43] 26
Germany (Official German Charts)[44] 72
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[45] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[46] 3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[47] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[48] 59
UK Singles (OCC)[49] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[50] 8
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[51] 20
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[52] 9
Year-end charts
Chart (1997) Position
Australia (ARIA)[53] 31
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[54] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[55] 28
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[56] 13

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[57] Platinum 70,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[58] Platinum 10,000*
United States (RIAA)[59] Platinum 1,100,000[60]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Other cover versions
  • In 1982, The Three Degrees covered the song on "Album of Love".[61]
  • In 2003, the Canadian boy band b4-4 recorded a cover version included as a bonus track on the "limited edition" of their second album In Your Face.
  • In 2007, Irish boy band Westlife covered the song on the B-side to their single "Home" from the band's seventh UK #1 album Back Home. The song charted itself without being properly released as a single.
  • In 2008, Barry Manilow covered the song on his album The Greatest Songs of the Eighties.
  • In 2015, country music star Tim McGraw released a "behind-the-scenes" video of him and his band performing "Hard to Say I’m Sorry" as a warm-up for his show in Chicago. At the end of the song he turns to the camera and says, "Hello, Chicago."[62]
  • After interviewing Peter Cetera while he was in Lucerne, Switzerland to perform at the Retro Festival in 2016, Swiss interviewer and musician, Phil Dankner, performed the song for Cetera.[63][64]
  • In January 2017, Roger Federer tweeted a video of him singing the song with fellow professional tennis players, Tommy Haas and Grigor Dimitrov, with David Foster at the piano, while at the Australian Open. Haas is the son-in-law of Foster.[65]

Sampling
  • German Eurodance group Aquagen sampled the verses of the song (omitting the chorus) on their song with the same title, from the 2002 album Weekender.

See also

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Chicago – The Collection". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
  2. Go, Justin (February 1, 2012). "Jazz-rock-fusion group Chicago reflects on a 45-year career". National Post. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
  3. Chicago 16 (audio CD liner notes). Rhino Entertainment Company. 2006. R2 74090. This album was first issued as Full Moon/Warner Bros. #23689 (5/26/82)
  4. "The Hot 100 - 1982 Archive | Billboard Charts Archive". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  5. "Chicago – Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  6. Grein, Paul (January 19, 1985). "Chart Beat: Springsteen's 'U.S.A.' returns to the top following Purple Reign". Billboard. Vol. 97 no. 3. New York, NY: Billboard Publications, Inc. p. 6. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  7. https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1982-08-07 through http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1982-10-16
  8. "Chicago". GRAMMY.com. 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  9. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA: Artists: Chicago". RIAA. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  10. Dobrin, Gregory (May 19, 1984). "ASCAP Celebrates 70th Anniversary With First Pop Awards Dinner, Gala" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XLVI no. 50. George Albert. pp. 14, 29. Retrieved March 5, 2019 – via AmericanRadioHistory.com.
  11. Fortes, Michael (29 March 2013). "The Popdose Guide to Chicago". www.popdose.com. PopDose. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  12. DeKNOCK, JAN (1986-08-01). "Cetera At No. 1 With 'Glory Of Love'". tribunedigital-sunsentinel. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  13. "AFI: Summer Lovers". www.afi.com. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  14. Grein, Paul (January 26, 1985). "Record of the Year: Chicago Sustaining Comeback Momentum". Billboard. Vol. 97 no. 4. New York, NY: Billboard Publications, Inc. pp. 6, 79. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  15. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. "Chicago – Hard to Say I'm Sorry – Austriancharts.at". Austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  17. "Ultratop.be – Chicago – Hard to Say I'm Sorry". Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
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  30. Swiss Year-End Charts, 1982
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  35. Taylor, Chuck (July 12, 1997). "For Former Chicago Crooner Cetera, Making Hits Is A Hard Habit To Break". Billboard. BPI Communications, Inc. p. 85. Retrieved August 16, 2017 – via Google Books.
  36. Bronson, Fred (1997-10-25). "Chart Beat: Jackson Lassoes No. 1 With 'Rope'". Billboard. 109 (43). p. 102 – via Google Books.
  37. "ASCAP Honors Gordy; BMI Throws 46th Pop Awards Fete". Billboard. Howard Lander. June 27, 1998. p. 55. Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via Google Books.
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  40. "Az Yet". GRAMMY.com. 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  41. "Babyface leads nominees for 40th annual Grammy Awards". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Associated Press. January 7, 1998. p. E6. Retrieved 2017-08-16 – via Newspapers.com.
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  45. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 16, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  46. "Dutchcharts.nl – Az Yet feat. Peter Cetera – Hard To Say I'm Sorry" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  47. "Charts.nz – Az Yet feat. Peter Cetera – Hard To Say I'm Sorry". Top 40 Singles.
  48. "Swedishcharts.com – Az Yet feat. Peter Cetera – Hard To Say I'm Sorry". Singles Top 100.
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  59. "American single certifications – Az Yet – Hard to Say I". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  60. "Best-Selling Records of 1997". Billboard. BPI Communications Inc. 110 (5): 76. January 31, 1998. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
  61. https://www.discogs.com/The-Three-Degrees-Album-Of-Love/master/1358824
  62. Parton, Chris (2015-08-10). "See Tim McGraw's Backstage Jam of Classic Chicago Hit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  63. "Dankner Music & Talk - Webisodes: Peter Cetera (Original Member of CHICAGO )". www.phildanknermusic.com. June 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  64. "Peter Cetera - My Musical Journey". YouTube. Dankner Music and Talk. June 9, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  65. Katzowitz, Josh (2017-01-21). "Roger Federer tweets video that proves maybe he shouldn't start a boy band". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
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