Released September 1982 Recorded 1982 Length 3:26 | Format 7" (45 rpm) Genre Pop | |
B-side "Just Put Some Love in Your Heart" | ||
"Truly" is the title of the debut solo single by singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. Resuming where he left off with D-flat major tunes "Sail On" and particularly "Still" when he was lead for the Commodores, Richie wrote the song and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael.
Contents
Released as the first single from his self-titled debut album in 1982, "Truly" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on 9 October 1982 and climbed to No. 1 on 27 November – 4 December 1982. It also spent four weeks at No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart, and logged nine weeks at No. 2 on the R&B chart, behind Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing". In addition, "Truly" made the Top 10 in United Kingdom, where the song peaked at No. 6. The song won a Grammy Award for Richie in the category Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Music video
In the music video, Lionel Richie performs the song live on a piano.
Track listing
- "Truly"
- "Just Put Some Love in Your Heart"
Steven Houghton version
British singer and actor Steven Houghton released a cover version of "Truly" in March 1998 which reached the top 30 on the UK Singles Chart. While Houghton's cover of "Wind Beneath My Wings" was called lean, his cover of "Truly" is heavily influenced by pop music. The song was played in the series 10 finale of London's Burning.
Track listing
CD single
- "Truly" – 3:20
- "Wind Beneath My Wings" – 4:30