RCA took its time with ‘Amazing Love’
This week in 1973: A government panel reported evidence of a Watergate cover-up by top Richard Nixon aides; Indians ended their occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota; the United States put Skylab into orbit from Cape Kennedy; and a singer from Sledge, Mississippi, had his 23rd charted song. A lot of hit songs were written in just a matter of a few minutes, while others took days or weeks or months or even years to complete. According to music publisher Tom Collins, Charley Pride’s 1973 No. 1– “Amazing Love,” went through almost a year of re-writes.
John Schweers wrote the song in the fall of 1972 but it was not titled “Amazing Love.” Schweers said that he did not remember the song’s original title and that “Amazing Love” was simply the hook in the song’s final verse.
Tom Collins suggested that Schweers retitle the song “Amazing Love,” along with some other changes. And to accommodate those changes, John spent an entire month and went through the process of writing more than 25 different verses before deciding on the final two.
And after all of that time and effort, RCA decided not to release “Amazing Love” as a single. In the meantime, producer Jack Clement stripped Pride’s master tape down to only Pride’s vocal and the drum track and brought in Charles Cochran to construct a completely new arrangement which included a change in chord structure.
Pride had recorded the song on April 17, 1973. RCA did release “Amazing Love” as a single on September 18 and it entered the charts October 13th. The RCA single was in the top slot on December 15th, becoming Charley Pride’s 23rd charted song and his 13th No. 1.
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