“Love Me” (album) by Yvonne Elliman (1977)
Release Date: 1977
Produced by Freddie Perren
Chart Positions: #68 (US)
Certifications: N/A
Singles: “Love Me” (US #14, US Adult Contemporary #5, UK #6, New Zealand and South Africa #3, Ireland #9, Canada #11, Australia #15, Netherlands #16, Belgium #30), “Hello Stranger” (US #15, US Adult Contemporary #1, US R&B #57, UK #26, New Zealand #12, Canada #13, Netherlands #20), “I Can’t Get You Outta My Mind” (US Adult Contemporary #19, UK #17)
Yvonne Elliman performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar. She scored a number of hits in the 1970s and achieved a US #1 hit with "If I Can't Have You". After a long hiatus in the 1980s and 1990s, during which time she dedicated herself to her family, she made a comeback album as a singer-songwriter in 2004.
Hawaiian born Yvonne Elliman first made it big in 1971 as a cast member of the stage show “Jesus Christ Superstar.” A single from the cast album “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” was released and became a Top 30 US and Canada hit as well as charting throughout Europe. Over the next five years Yvonne released three albums that failed to chart. Finally in 1977 she released the album “Love Me” which charted only in the US but spawned two singles that charted throughout the North America, Europe and Zealandia.
Producer Freddie Perren worked primarily with Motown artists such as Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Jermaine Jackson, The Miracles. By the mid seventies he branched out to other artists such as Tavares, The Sylvers, Minnie Riperton, Peaches and Herb, Gloria Gaynor and other.
There were three singles from the album the first was the title track which was a written by the Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb. The Bee Gees recording of “Love Me” appeared on their 1976 album “Children of the World.” The song was a huge hit for Yvonne and lead to several other hits in the next two years.
"Love Me"
The second single was “Hello Stranger” a remake of Barbara Lewis’ 1963 top 3 hit. Yvonne Elliman and producer Freddie Perren deliberately sought to capture the sound of the original. "Hello Stranger" was similar in chart action to her previous "Love Me" and reached #15 on the US charts; the song also charted R&B at #57 and was most successful on the Adult Contemporary chart where it was #1 for four weeks.
The third single, “I Can Get You Outta My Mind” went almost unnoticed but managed to make it to #19 on the US Adult Contemporary chart as well as making it to #17 on the UK chart. This was Elliman’s third consecutive top 30 hit in the UK. Many fans have always felt this song should have reached a higher position on the charts.
Other album highlights include “Good Sign” a reggae-calypso influenced tune written by Carole Bayer Sager, David Wolfert and Melissa Manchester. We all know Melissa Manchester from her string of hits from the 70s and 80s including “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” “Midnight Blue” and “You Should Hear How She Talks About You.” During this point in time Carole Bayer Sager was becoming a well sought after songwriter with songs being recorded by Leslie Gore, The Mindbenders, Jackie DeShannon, Frankie Valli, Melissa Manchester, Helen Reddy, Tony Orlando and Dawn, Anne Murray, Leo Sayer, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, John Travolta and a treasure chest of others. “Good Sign” was used as the b-side to Yvonne Elliman’s worldwide #1 hit “If I Can’t Have You.”
Yvonne Elliman (1977)
YVONNE ELLIMAN
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