"Hello It's Me" is a song composed, recorded, and performed by Todd Rundgren, released in late 1972, that reached #5 on the Billboard charts.
Hello It's Me was the first original song by Todd Rundgren. It was first recorded in 1968 by Rundgren's band Nazz and was included on their self-titled debut album. Although released as the B-side of the group's debut single "Open My Eyes" it was picked up in preference to the A-side by Boston radio station WMEX, where it rose to #1, and was subsequently picked up by other stations. It first charted in 1968 at #66 on the U.S. charts.
Rundgren's songs in this early phase of his career were heavily influenced by the work of Laura Nyro, but in a 2005 interview he revealed that the basic structure of the song was adapted from the introduction of a Jimmy Smith recording:
...the main influence for Hello It's Me was an eight bar intro that Jimmy Smith played on a recording of When Johnny Comes Marching Home. He had this whole sort of block chord thing that he did to set up the intro of the song. I tried to capture those changes, and those changes became what are the changes underneath Hello It's Me. I then had to come up with melody and words, but the changes are actually almost lifted literally from something that was, from Jimmy Smith's standpoint, a throwaway.
Rundgren recorded an uptempo version of Hello It's Me on his 1972 solo album Something/Anything?. Although a remake of the original, this new version became widely popular and has since become a staple of the classic rock genre. An edit of this version was released as a single in 1973 and became Rundgren's only Top Ten pop hit, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Todd Rundgren – lead vocals, piano
Mark "Moogy" Klingman – organ
John Siomos – drums
Stu Woods – bass
Robbie Kogale – guitar
Randy Brecker – trumpet
Michael Brecker – tenor sax
Barry Rogers – trombone
Hope Ruff – backing vocals
Richard Corey – backing vocals
Vicki Robinson – backing vocals
Dennis Cooley – backing vocals
Cecilia Norfleet – backing vocals
In the pilot of the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, the song was first mentioned Jackie Burkhart and it also played over the ending scene in which Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti were lying on the Vista Cruiser. In addition, The end credits featured Eric and the gang joyfully singing "Hello It's Me" in the car while on their way to a Todd Rundgren concert. This scene was used again during the end credits of the show's series finale.
Paul Giamatti's character in the 2000 film Duets performs this song in a karaoke bar.
Rundgren performed this song on the show The Midnight Special in 1973.
The single was used in a 2009 Tums advertisement.
The song is used in the movie The Virgin Suicides.
Rundgren's version is used in the 2011 movie Paul.
A cover version of "Hello It's Me" was recorded by The Isley Brothers for their 1974 album Live It Up.
A version influenced by the Isley Brothers' cover was recorded by Groove Theory for their 1995 self-titled album.
Mary J. Blige recorded a version produced by Mark Ronson that appears on the Japanese and iTunes editions of her 2007 album Growing Pains.
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs included their take of the song on their album Under the Covers, Vol. 2.
Lani Hall, Herb Alpert's wife, recorded this on her album, Hello It's Me, in 1975.
Gerald Levert recorded a cover with Lil' Mo, which was used in the soundtrack for the movie The Mod Squad.
John Legend recorded the song for a Gap-sponsored disc called "Favorite Songs."
The Grip Weeds recorded the song on the album Strange Change Machine in 2010.
San Diego based Indie Duo T.V Girl samples the intro of this song on their track 'If You Want It'
Todd Rundgren recorded a new "Latin" version in 1997 on his album With a Twist...
Erykah Badu recorded a version influenced by the Isley Brothers' cover on her 2015 mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone, as a duet with André 3000.
