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There's a good chance you've never heard of today's Great Song of 1979...or if you have, you might not remember it until you click the link below.
"I Never Said I Love You" by Orsa Lia, (and yes, that's her real name), was actually a #1 hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart...and it has a solid pedigree behind it.
It was written and produced by Hal David, who, by that time, had teamed up with Burt Bacharach to write a whole bunch of great songs like 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose" for Dionne Warwick, and "Close to You" by The Carpenters.
In 1976, he teamed up with songwriter Archie Jordan, and country singer Barbara Mandrell, who recorded "I Never Said I Love You" for her "Midnight Angel" album. It was not released as a single.
Orsa Lia was an advertising jingle singer from Virginia who, in 1979, had just signed with Infinity Records and and was looking for songs to include on her debut album. She came across "I Never Said I Love You," and the rest is history.
Sort of.
Although the song reached #1 on the AC Chart, it peaked at only #84 on the Hot 100, and it didn't chart anywhere else in the world... making Orsa Lia a true One-Hit-Wonder (and pretty much a one-chart wonder as well!
All things considered, the song is better than you might think--and it might have done a lot better on the charts...but right after the single's release, Infinity Records went broke and sold out to MCA, who closed up shop and declined to promote or support the song in any way. Very disappointing.
So...was "I Never Told You I Love You" a "Great Song of 1979? You be the judge!
Barbara Mandrell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpUVHOx4xCU
Tomorrow: Back to the '80s...
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