B-side "Midnight Storm" Genre Pop Label 20th Century | Released May 1973 Length 2:14 | |
Writer(s) Joel Hirschhorn
Al Kasha | ||
"The Morning After" (also known as "The Song from The Poseidon Adventure") is a song written by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn for the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure. It won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 45th Academy Awards in March 1973. After the film's release, it was recorded by Maureen McGovern and became a hit single for her following its release in May 1973. It was a number-one hit in the US for two weeks during August 1973, and became a Gold record.
Contents
Beginnings
The song was written in March 1972 by 20th Century Fox songwriters Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, who were asked to write the love theme for The Poseidon Adventure in one night. The finished product was called "Why Must There Be a Morning After?" but changes by the record label resulted in the song's more optimistic lyric of "there's got to be a morning after". In the end titles of the film, it is called "The Song from The Poseidon Adventure", though it would become best known by the title of the single, "The Morning After".
The song is performed in the film by the character of Nonnie, played by Carol Lynley, but is actually sung by a vocal double, Renee Armand. It appears twice, during a warm-up rehearsal and then later during the New Year's Eve party early in the film. The lyrics relate to the themes of the film, as a band of passengers survive the capsizing of the ship SS Poseidon and have to escape the sinking wreck.
Beyond the film
When the film became a hit, Russ Regan, manager of 20th Century Records, suggested that Maureen McGovern, who had sent him a demonstration tape and was working at the time as a secretary, sing the song for the commercial release. He financed the recording with his own money and contracted her to his company. The recording was produced in Cleveland, Ohio, at Agency Recording Studios; produced by Carl Maduri and arranged by Joe Hudson. The song became a global hit.
The song was featured in the South Park episode "The Succubus," being sung by Chef's new girlfriend, who is later revealed to be the succubus mentioned in the episode's title.
McGovern's version was the only recording commercially available until 2010, when the complete film score, including the film versions of the songs, was released by La La Land Records.