The Air That I Breathe

For other uses, see The Air That I Breathe (disambiguation).

"The Air That I Breathe" is a ballad written by the British-Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Albert Hammond and the English songwriter Mike Hazlewood. It was initially recorded by Hammond on his debut album, It Never Rains in Southern California (1972).^[3] After being covered by Phil Everly in 1973, it was a major hit for the Hollies in early 1974, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart. It was the Hollies' last major hit.^[4] The English rock band Radiohead reused the chord progression and melody of "The Air That I Breathe" for their 1992 song "Creep".

"The Air That I Breathe"
Side A of UK single
Single by the Hollies
from the album Hollies
B-side	"No More Riders"
Released	UK: January 1974 US: March 1974
Recorded	15 & 22 November 1973^[1]
Studio	EMI Studios, London
Genre	Rock^[2] pop^[2]
Length	4:13 (album version) 3:45 (single version)
Label	UK: Polydor 2058435 US: Epic 5-11100
Songwriter(s)	Albert Hammond, Michael Hazlewood
Producer(s)	Ron Richards and the Hollies
The Hollies singles chronology
"The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam Mcgee" (1973) "The Air That I Breathe" (1974) "Son of a Rotten Gambler" (1974)
Alternative release
Side A of US single (Epic)

Recording

The audio engineering for "The Air That I Breathe" was done by Alan Parsons. In an interview, Parsons mentioned that Eric Clapton said the first note of "The Air That I Breathe" had more soul than anything he had ever heard.^[5]

Release

"The Air That I Breathe" was a hit for the Hollies in early 1974, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart. In mid-1974, it reached number six in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on the Adult Contemporary chart.^[6] In Canada, the song reached number five on the RPM magazine charts. This version featured a string orchestra arrangement, which also featured a horn section. Record World said that "the potent material gets a super interpretation."^[7]

"Creep"

The English rock band Radiohead reused the chord progression and melody of "The Air That I Breathe" for their 1992 song "Creep".^[8][9] After Rondor Music, the publisher of "The Air That I Breathe", took legal action, Hammond and Hazlewood received cowriting credits and a percentage of the royalties. Hammond said Radiohead were honest about having reused the composition, and so he and Hazlewood accepted only a small part of the royalties. Radiohead later sued singer Lana Del Rey for allegedly plagiarizing "Creep" in her 2017 song "Get Free." The copyright dispute was settled, and the writing credits on "Get Free" were not changed as a result.^[10][11]

Personnel

Credits from Richard Buskin and engineer Alan Parsons.^[12]

The Hollies

• Allan Clarke - lead, harmony, and backing vocals
• Tony Hicks - harmony and backing vocals, electric lead guitar; acoustic rhythm guitar (uncertain)
• Terry Sylvester - harmony and backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
• Bobby Elliott - drums, additional overdubbed tom-toms
• Bernie Calvert - bass

Additional musicians and production staff

• The Hollies - producers
• Ron Richards - producer
• Alan Parsons - engineer
• Chris Gunning - orchestral arrangements
• unknown - 40-piece orchestra (including brass and strings)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1974) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)^[13] 2 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 3 Canada Top Singles (RPM) 5 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[14] 5 Ireland (IRMA)^[15] 6 Netherlands (Gfk Top 100 Singles) 1 New Zealand (Listener)^[16] 1 South Africa (Springbok)^[17] 1 UK Singles (OCC) 2 US Billboard Hot 100 6 US Easy Listening (Billboard)^[18] 3 US Cash Box Top 100 7 West Germany (Official German Charts) 4 Chart (1988) Peak position Ireland (IRMA)^[15] 30

Year-end charts Chart (1974) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)^[19]^[13] 26 Canada^[20] 69 Netherlands^[21] 15 South Africa^[22] 9 US Billboard Hot 100^[23] 50 US Cash Box Top 100^[24] 66

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[25]	Silver	250,000^^
United States (RIAA)^[26]	Gold	1,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Simply Red version

"The Air That I Breathe"
Single by Simply Red
from the album Blue
Released	10 August 1998 (1998-08-10)
Length	4:24
Label	EastWest
Songwriter(s)	Albert Hammond Mike Hazlewood
Producer(s)	AGM
Simply Red singles chronology
"Say You Love Me" (1998) "The Air That I Breathe" (1998) "Ain't That a Lot of Love" (1999)
Music video
"The Air That I Breathe" on YouTube

British soul and pop band Simply Red released a cover of "The Air That I Breathe" on their sixth album, Blue (1998).^[27] It peaked at number five in Scotland, number six in the UK and number 17 in Austria. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 35. A music video was also produced to promote the single.

Critical reception

Gene Armstrong from Arizona Daily Star declared the Simply Red version as "a sexy version".^[28] J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun felt "his Marvin Gaye-like" take on the track "is wonderfully audacious".^[29] Larry Flick from Billboard viewed it as "an inspired, groove-laden interpretation", remarking that "Hucknall brings his signature soul to the track, vamping with glee while the band pumps a mild, jeep-styled beat that is hard enough for R&B listeners but soft enough to tickle the fancy of AC and triple-A radio listeners." He added, "Popsters will soon be treated to a bevy of remixes by Sean "Puffy" Combs and Stevie J., which should make top 40 punters quickly sit up and take notice."^[30] A reviewer from Daily Record commented, "You'll be looking for a breath of fresh air after hearing Mick Hucknall's middle-of-the-road reworking of this song which was originally a hit for The Hollies. The band desperately need a dose of originality."^[31]

Track listings

• CD single, Europe (1998)

1. "The Air That I Breathe" – 4:24
2. "The Air That I Breathe" (Reprise) – 4:35
3. "So Many People" (Live) – 5:44
4. "Never Never Love" (Live) – 4:34

• CD single CD1, UK (1998)

1. "The Air That I Breathe" – 4:24
2. "Tu Sei Dentro Di Me (Someday In My Life)" – 4:02
3. "Lives And Loves" (Live) – 3:32

• CD single CD2, Europe and UK (1998)

1. "The Air That I Breathe" (Reprise) – 4:35
2. "The Air That I Breathe" – 4:24
3. "Love Has Said Goodbye Again" (Rae & Christian Mix) – 5:14

Charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[32]	17
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)^[33]	15
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[34]	35
Germany (Official German Charts)^[35]	66
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[36]	82
Scotland (OCC)^[37]	5
UK Singles (OCC)^[38]	6

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref(s).
United States	28 April 1998	Rhythmic contemporary radio	EastWest	^[39]
	5 May 1998	Contemporary hit radio		^[40]
	11 May 1998	Adult contemporary radio		^[41]^[42]
United Kingdom	10 August 1998	CD cassette		^[43]

Other cover versions

• Phil Everly on his 1973 album Star Spangled Springer.^[44]
• Olivia Newton-John on her 1975 album Have You Never Been Mellow and later on her Deluxe Edition 2022-issued Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits.
• Rex Allen Jr. in 1983; this version was released for the country music market. Allen's version peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in December 1983.^[45]
• Julio Iglesias in 1984 on his album 1100 Bel Air Place which established him as a star in the English-speaking entertainment industry.
• Alien on their self-titled 1989 album.
• Judy Collins on her 1990 album Fires of Eden.
• k.d. lang on her 1997 album Drag, which featured cover songs with a smoking motif.
• Semisonic on their "Singing in my Sleep" single in 1998.
• The Mavericks on their self-titled 2003 album.^[46] Their version peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
• A remixed version was used in the trailer for Saw X.^[47]

References

1. . Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
2. Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (October 15, 1996). "Love American Style: Ballads". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 166. ISBN 031214704X.
3. "The Air That I Breathe (original) - Albert Hammond 1972.wmv". YouTube. 13 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
4. "CLASSIC TRACKS: The Hollies 'The Air That I Breathe'". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
5. "CLASSIC TRACKS: The Hollies 'The Air That I Breathe'". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
6. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 117.
7. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. April 6, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
8. Nichols, Natalie (Fall 1993). "Creeping into the Limelight". Fender Frontline. 11. The Phelps Group.
9. Locker, Melissa. "11 Suspiciously Sound-Alike Songs". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
10. "Lana Del Rey sued by Radiohead for allegedly copying Creep". The Telegraph. 8 January 2018. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
11. Savage, Mark (March 26, 2018). "Lana Del Rey and Radiohead 'settle copyright dispute'". BBC. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
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13. Steffen Hung. . Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
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16. . Flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
17. "SA Charts 1965 - 1989". Retrieved 17 January 2018.
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20. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
21. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1974" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
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24. . Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
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27. "Blue - Simply Red | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
28. Armstrong, Gene (13 June 1998). "Tracks". p. D. Arizona Daily Star.
29. Considine, J.D. (12 June 1998). "New On Record". The Baltimore Sun. p. Scene 7. Retrieved 8 January 2023 – via Gainesville Sun.
30. Flick, Larry (25 April 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 69. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
31. "Chart Slot". Daily Record. 21 August 1998.
32. "Simply Red – The Air That I Breathe" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
33. "Simply Red – The Air That I Breathe" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
34. "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 29 August 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
35. "Simply Red – The Air That I Breathe" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
36. "Simply Red – The Air That I Breathe" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
37. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
38. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
39. "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1245. 24 April 1998. p. 94.
40. "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1246. 1 May 1998. p. 49.
41. "Simply Red: The Air That I Breathe". Radio & Records. No. 1247. 8 May 1998. p. 76. Impacting mainstream AC on May 11.
42. "Simply Red: The Air That I Breathe". Gavin Report. No. 2205. 8 May 1998. p. 21. Impacting mainstream AC on May 11.
43. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 8 August 1998. p. 31.
44. Phil Everly - Star Spangled Springer Album Reviews, Songs & More
45. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
46. "The Mavericks [2003] - The Mavericks | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
47. "SAW X (2023) Official Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved 2 November 2023.