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Cherish (The Association song)

April 04, 2023

"Cherish" is a pop song written by Terry Kirkman and recorded by the Association.[3] Released in 1966, the song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in September of that year and remained in the top position for three weeks.[4] Billboard ranked the record as the No. 7 song of 1966, and later as No. 2, after a revision of the year-end charts. It was certified Gold by the RIAA in the US in 1966.[5] In Canada, the song also reached number one.[6]

"Cherish"
Single by the Association
from the album And Then... Along Comes the Association
B-side"Don't Blame It on Me"
ReleasedAugust 1966
Genre
Length
  • 3:25 (album)
  • 3:13 (single)
LabelValiant
Songwriter(s)Terry Kirkman
Producer(s)Curt Boettcher
The Association singles chronology
"Along Comes Mary"
(1966) 		"Cherish"
(1966) 		"Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies"
(1966)

Original version

Songwriting

Terry Kirkman wrote it in half an hour and put it into the live act of his group, the Association. He was looking for an emotional, slow tempo song in the same vein as the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Mike Whelan, from the New Christy Minstrels, liked it so much that he convinced the Minstrels to record a version of the song, and in fact their recording was almost released before the Association's.[7]

In the lyrics, the protagonist tells his love interest that he "cherishes" her, though he isn't sure if he actually loves her or only wants her. At the same time he's unsure the love interest is interested in him, because she is being courted by "a thousand other guys".[8][9]

Recording

The instrumentation of their debut, which includes this song, was recorded at a converted garage studio owned by Gary S. Paxton, who engineered the sessions along with Pete Romano, while the vocals of the group were recorded at Columbia studios.[10] Like most of Association hits, session musicians were called to do the instrumental track, including Mike Deasy on guitar, Jerry Scheff on bass and Jim Troxel on drums, with only Kirkman and Jules Alexander, as members of the band, participating on it.[11] Curt Boettcher added some vocals, most notably the high-pitched "told you" and "hold you" on the final verse.[citation needed]

The song is notable for having two bridge sections, the second leading to a modulation in which the key rises a whole step. The song ends with the words "cherish is the word," over a sustained vibrato electric guitar chord.

For the single released, the song was speeded up and one of the two "And I do cherish you" lines near the end was removed. This was done to hold the track to the three-minute mark, as AM radio programmers frowned on songs that went longer than that. However, even with the edit, the song still ran over. Instead of editing further, producer Curt Boettcher intentionally listed "3:00" on the label as the song's running time.[7][12]

Critical reception

In a retrospective review published on Stereogum in 2018, Tom Breihan wrote, "There are things about 'Cherish' that should be good — things that look nice on paper. The Association were singing in lush, Beach Boys–esque harmonies, and they were doing it over intricately layered guitars and banjos and horns. But 'Cherish' is a bloodless affair, a sickly-sweet melody backing up a somewhat creepy lyric about fixating too hard on a girl." In his conclusion, he wrote, "Songs like this — vaguely queasy pop songs with lush and lightly orchestral arrangements — would pretty much dominate pop music for a few years in the early ’70s. The Association got there first, but they don’t get any points for it."[9]

Conversely, Terry Watada states, "Cherish was wonderful, its sensual harmonies and simple sentiments produced the ideal dreamy atmosphere for a last dance."[13]

Aftermath

"Cherish" has become a staple in wedding ceremonies and slow dances, and is considered the 22nd most played song of the 20th Century by the BMI.[8]

In 2012, original Association member Jim Yester said the record label claimed the song sounded "too old and archaic", but quipped that the song's success "just showed we can have archaic and eat it, too."[14]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1966) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[6] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] 38

David Cassidy version

"Cherish"
Single by David Cassidy
from the album Cherish
B-side"All I Wanna Do Is Touch You"
ReleasedOctober 1971
GenrePop
Length3:46 (album)
LabelBell
Songwriter(s)Terry Kirkman
Producer(s)Wes Farrell
David Cassidy singles chronology
"Cherish"
(1971) 		"Could It Be Forever"
(1971)

David Cassidy recorded his own version as a single in October 1971 which later appeared on his album Cherish (1972). His version ended on the repeated phrase in the code: "And I do Cherish You", which fades out. His version reached number nine on the Hot 100 chart, and spent one week at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.[16] and peaked at number three in Canada and hit number one in both Australia and New Zealand.[citation needed] In the UK, it was issued as a double A-side with "Could It Be Forever", and peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. It was his debut hit single in that country.[17] The song was certified Gold by the RIAA in the US in December 1971.[18]

Charts

Chart (1971–72) Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set National Top 40)[19] 2
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] 3
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[21] 8
New Zealand (Listener Chart)[22] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[23] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 9
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[25] 1

Other versions

Other artists to have covered the song include Dizzy Gillespie (The Melody Lingers On album), The Lettermen, Nina Simone, Ed Ames, Petula Clark (Colour My World album), Rita Wilson (AM/FM album), The Four Tops (Reach Out album), Carla Thomas (Love Means... album), Jodeci, Barry Manilow, Pat Metheny, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, and Glee which incorporates elements from the Madonna song with the same title.

See also

References

  1. ^ Asakawa, Gil (1998). "The Association". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 46.
  2. ^ Bielen, Ken (2021). Portraying Performer Image in Record Album Cover Art. London: Lexington Books. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-7936-4073-4.
  3. ^ "Show 37 - The Rubberization of Soul: The great pop music renaissance. [Part 3] : UNT Digital Library" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. 1969. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
  4. ^ a b "The Association Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  5. ^ "American single certifications – The Association – Cherish". Recording Industry Association of America.
  6. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5726." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  7. ^ a b Songfacts. "Cherish by The Association - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  8. ^ a b O'Rourke, Sally. "It Was 50 Years Ago Today: "Cherish" by The Association". www.rebeatmag.com. Retrieved 2021-03-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b "The Number Ones: The Association's "Cherish"". Stereogum. 2018-09-19. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  10. ^ "The Association | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  11. ^ The Association - Cherish (Single Mix), archived from the original on 2021-12-13, retrieved 2021-03-21
  12. ^ "Today in 1966: The Association's "Cherish" Hits the Hot 100 | Rhino". www.rhino.com. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  13. ^ "Cherish is the Word". National Association of Japanese Canadians. 2 May 2015.
  14. ^ Steve Palisin, "The Association teams up with Long Bay Symphony," The Sun News, October 19, 2012.
  15. ^ "The Association Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  16. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 50.
  17. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 97. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  18. ^ "American single certifications – David Cassidy – Cherish". Recording Industry Association of America.
  19. ^ "Go-Set National Top 40". Go-Set charts. 19 February 1972.
  20. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5302." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7551." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  22. ^ "David Cassidy (search)". Flavour of New Zealand.
  23. ^ "David Cassidy: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  24. ^ "David Cassidy Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  25. ^ "David Cassidy Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.

External links

  • "Cherish/Windy" by Barry Manilow (duet with The Association) on YouTube

April 04, 2023
cherish, association, song, cherish, song, written, terry, kirkman, recorded, association, released, 1966, song, reached, number, billboard, september, that, year, remained, position, three, weeks, billboard, ranked, record, song, 1966, later, after, revision,. Cherish is a pop song written by Terry Kirkman and recorded by the Association 3 Released in 1966 the song reached number one on the U S Billboard Hot 100 in September of that year and remained in the top position for three weeks 4 Billboard ranked the record as the No 7 song of 1966 and later as No 2 after a revision of the year end charts It was certified Gold by the RIAA in the US in 1966 5 In Canada the song also reached number one 6 Cherish Single by the Associationfrom the album And Then Along Comes the AssociationB side Don t Blame It on Me ReleasedAugust 1966GenrePop 1 soft rock 2 Length3 25 album 3 13 single LabelValiantSongwriter s Terry KirkmanProducer s Curt BoettcherThe Association singles chronology Along Comes Mary 1966 Cherish 1966 Pandora s Golden Heebie Jeebies 1966 Contents 1 Original version 1 1 Songwriting 1 2 Recording 1 3 Critical reception 1 4 Aftermath 1 5 Personnel 1 5 1 The Association 1 5 2 Session musicians and production staff 1 6 Charts 2 David Cassidy version 2 1 Charts 3 Other versions 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksOriginal version EditSongwriting Edit Terry Kirkman wrote it in half an hour and put it into the live act of his group the Association He was looking for an emotional slow tempo song in the same vein as the Righteous Brothers You ve Lost That Lovin Feelin Mike Whelan from the New Christy Minstrels liked it so much that he convinced the Minstrels to record a version of the song and in fact their recording was almost released before the Association s 7 In the lyrics the protagonist tells his love interest that he cherishes her though he isn t sure if he actually loves her or only wants her At the same time he s unsure the love interest is interested in him because she is being courted by a thousand other guys 8 9 Recording Edit The instrumentation of their debut which includes this song was recorded at a converted garage studio owned by Gary S Paxton who engineered the sessions along with Pete Romano while the vocals of the group were recorded at Columbia studios 10 Like most of Association hits session musicians were called to do the instrumental track including Mike Deasy on guitar Jerry Scheff on bass and Jim Troxel on drums with only Kirkman and Jules Alexander as members of the band participating on it 11 Curt Boettcher added some vocals most notably the high pitched told you and hold you on the final verse citation needed The song is notable for having two bridge sections the second leading to a modulation in which the key rises a whole step The song ends with the words cherish is the word over a sustained vibrato electric guitar chord For the single released the song was speeded up and one of the two And I do cherish you lines near the end was removed This was done to hold the track to the three minute mark as AM radio programmers frowned on songs that went longer than that However even with the edit the song still ran over Instead of editing further producer Curt Boettcher intentionally listed 3 00 on the label as the song s running time 7 12 Critical reception Edit In a retrospective review published on Stereogum in 2018 Tom Breihan wrote There are things about Cherish that should be good things that look nice on paper The Association were singing in lush Beach Boys esque harmonies and they were doing it over intricately layered guitars and banjos and horns But Cherish is a bloodless affair a sickly sweet melody backing up a somewhat creepy lyric about fixating too hard on a girl In his conclusion he wrote Songs like this vaguely queasy pop songs with lush and lightly orchestral arrangements would pretty much dominate pop music for a few years in the early 70s The Association got there first but they don t get any points for it 9 Conversely Terry Watada states Cherish was wonderful its sensual harmonies and simple sentiments produced the ideal dreamy atmosphere for a last dance 13 Aftermath Edit Cherish has become a staple in wedding ceremonies and slow dances and is considered the 22nd most played song of the 20th Century by the BMI 8 In 2012 original Association member Jim Yester said the record label claimed the song sounded too old and archaic but quipped that the song s success just showed we can have archaic and eat it too 14 Personnel Edit The Association Edit Terry Kirkman lead vocals Russ Giguere harmony vocals Jules Alexander backing vocals possible lead guitar Jim Yester backing vocals Brian Cole backing vocals Ted Bluechel backing vocals Session musicians and production staff Edit Mike Deasy Lee Mallory Ben Benay guitars Jerry Scheff bass guitar Doug Rhodes or Butch Parker celesta Jim Henderson piano Toxey French vibraphone Jim Troxel drums Curt Boettcher backing vocals producer Gary S Paxton Pete Romano engineers Charts Edit Chart 1966 PeakpositionCanada Top Singles RPM 6 1US Billboard Hot 100 4 1US Adult Contemporary Billboard 15 38David Cassidy version Edit Cherish Single by David Cassidyfrom the album CherishB side All I Wanna Do Is Touch You ReleasedOctober 1971GenrePopLength3 46 album LabelBellSongwriter s Terry KirkmanProducer s Wes FarrellDavid Cassidy singles chronology Cherish 1971 Could It Be Forever 1971 David Cassidy recorded his own version as a single in October 1971 which later appeared on his album Cherish 1972 His version ended on the repeated phrase in the code And I do Cherish You which fades out His version reached number nine on the Hot 100 chart and spent one week at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart 16 and peaked at number three in Canada and hit number one in both Australia and New Zealand citation needed In the UK it was issued as a double A side with Could It Be Forever and peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart It was his debut hit single in that country 17 The song was certified Gold by the RIAA in the US in December 1971 18 Charts Edit Chart 1971 72 PeakpositionAustralia Go Set National Top 40 19 2Canada Top Singles RPM 20 3Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 21 8New Zealand Listener Chart 22 5UK Singles OCC 23 2US Billboard Hot 100 24 9US Adult Contemporary Billboard 25 1Other versions EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Other artists to have covered the song include Dizzy Gillespie The Melody Lingers On album The Lettermen Nina Simone Ed Ames Petula Clark Colour My World album Rita Wilson AM FM album The Four Tops Reach Out album Carla Thomas Love Means album Jodeci Barry Manilow Pat Metheny Kenny Rogers and The First Edition and Glee which incorporates elements from the Madonna song with the same title See also EditList of RPM number one singles of 1966 List of Hot 100 number one singles of 1966 U S List of number one adult contemporary singles of 1972 U S References Edit Asakawa Gil 1998 The Association In Graff Gary Durchholz Daniel eds MusicHound Rock The Essential Album Guide Detroit Visible Ink Press p 46 Bielen Ken 2021 Portraying Performer Image in Record Album Cover Art London Lexington Books p 107 ISBN 978 1 7936 4073 4 Show 37 The Rubberization of Soul The great pop music renaissance Part 3 UNT Digital Library audio Pop Chronicles Digital library unt edu 1969 Retrieved 2011 04 14 a b The Association Chart History Hot 100 Billboard American single certifications The Association Cherish Recording Industry Association of America a b Top RPM Singles Issue 5726 RPM Library and Archives Canada a b Songfacts Cherish by The Association Songfacts www songfacts com Retrieved 2021 03 21 a b O Rourke Sally It Was 50 Years Ago Today Cherish by The Association www rebeatmag com Retrieved 2021 03 21 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link a b The Number Ones The Association s Cherish Stereogum 2018 09 19 Retrieved 2021 03 21 The Association Biography Albums Streaming Links AllMusic Retrieved 2021 03 21 The Association Cherish Single Mix archived from the original on 2021 12 13 retrieved 2021 03 21 Today in 1966 The Association s Cherish Hits the Hot 100 Rhino www rhino com Retrieved 2021 03 21 Cherish is the Word National Association of Japanese Canadians 2 May 2015 Steve Palisin The Association teams up with Long Bay Symphony The Sun News October 19 2012 The Association Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard Whitburn Joel 2002 Top Adult Contemporary 1961 2001 Record Research p 50 Roberts David 2006 British Hit Singles amp Albums 19th ed London Guinness World Records Limited p 97 ISBN 1 904994 10 5 American single certifications David Cassidy Cherish Recording Industry Association of America Go Set National Top 40 Go Set charts 19 February 1972 Top RPM Singles Issue 5302 RPM Library and Archives Canada Top RPM Adult Contemporary Issue 7551 RPM Library and Archives Canada David Cassidy search Flavour of New Zealand David Cassidy Artist Chart History Official Charts Company David Cassidy Chart History Hot 100 Billboard David Cassidy Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard External links Edit Cherish Windy by Barry Manilow duet with The Association on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cherish The Association song amp oldid 1135510406, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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