Michael Cook
- Oct 19, 2021
- 1 min read

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late - Johnny Mathis & Deneice Williams (1978) 10/2021

One of the biggest stars of the late '50s and early '60s was Johnny Mathis.

Johnny scored several top 20 hits between 1956 to 1964. His first #1 was "Chances Are" in 1957, and his last Top 10 hit was "What Will Mary Say" in 1963.

Then Beatlemania happened, and although Johnny continued to release songs almost every year, it took him until 1978 to return to the Top 10.

And when he returned, he went straight to the top of the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Soul Charts with his "Great Duet of the '70s:" "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," featuring Deniece Williams.

Let's boil that down: 21 years between #1 songs and 15 years between Top 10 hits. I guess good things really do come to those who wait!

The song was written as a duet between a couple who have mutually decided their relationship is over, and they're calling it quits. Both Johnny and Deniece sang it with feeling, and it resonated with radio listeners in the US, Canada, and even the UK (where it reached #3 on the Top 40).

It was quite a comeback for Johnny, who went on to chart sporadically all the way up to 2013, when he went to #4 on the Adult Contemporary Chart with the Holiday song "Sending You a Little Christmas."

Deniece, of course, went on to more success with "Let's Hear It for the Boy" the worldwide hit from the "Footloose" soundtrack in 1984.

"Too Much, Too Little, Too Late:" a Great Song of 1978!