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This article is about the Helen Reddy song. For the documentary about the HIV/AIDS crisis, see No Sad Songs.
"No Sad Song"
German 7-inch single cover
Single by Helen Reddy
from the album Helen Reddy
B-side"More than You Could Take"
ReleasedNovember 1971
Recorded1971
StudioCapitol Studios, Los Angeles
Length3:00
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Larry Marks
Helen Reddy singles chronology
"Crazy Love"
(1971) 		"No Sad Song"
(1971) 		"I Am Woman"
(1972)

"No Sad Song" is a song written in 1971 by Carole King and Toni Stern. It was recorded by Australian singer-songwriter Helen Reddy, appearing on her album Helen Reddy, released in November 1971. The single peaked at number 62 in January 1972 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[1] staying on the chart for eight weeks. "No Sad Song" showed up on the Easy Listening (Adult Contemporary) chart for 4 weeks, rising to number 32.[2] It also reached number 51 on the pop chart in Canada's RPM magazine.[3]

Village Voice critic Robert Christgau described "No Sad Song" as a minor hit for Reddy, and a missed chance for King to have a "tougher" song on one of her own albums.[4] Stern's lyrics for "No Sad Song" describe the history and the death of a ladies' man, "stabbed in his bed" where he had brought so many women.[5] The New Yorker called the song "Brecht-and-Weillian", referring to Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, famous for the murder-minded song "Mack the Knife". "No Sad Song" was called a "ballad about the unlamented murder of a rake."[6]

"No Sad Song" was released in North America on 7-inch, 45 rpm vinyl with Reddy's own "More than You Could Take" on the B-side. In early 1972, several European printings of the single were released. Reddy recorded a French-language version of "No Sad Song" translated to "Plus de Chanson Triste", making it available in both languages in France.[7] French singer Sheila recorded this French version as "Plus de Chansons Tristes" (making it plural "Songs") for her 1972 album Poupée de Porcelaine (Porcelain Doll). Pierre Delanoë wrote the French lyrics about a "suburban Don Juan".[8]

The song is one of two low-performing singles that Reddy put out in 1971, the other being her version of "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison, which rose to number 51 in September 1971. Reddy's first big success was "I Don't Know How to Love Him" which hit number 12 in June 1971, so the next two singles were considered disappointments. It was not until 1972's "I Am Woman" that Reddy hit the top of the charts, the song appearing in frustrating fits in June and September charts then finally breaking through to number 1 in December.[9] Reddy said later to Ms. magazine's Susan Lydon that "No Sad Song" was too antagonistic: "it never took off because it put down men too much."[10]

Anni-Frid Lyngstad cover

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Anni-Frid Lyngstad recorded one of her last songs under EMI: a Swedish-language version,

"Kom Och Sjung En Sång"
Single by Anni-Frid Lyngstad
from the album Frida 1967-1972
LanguageSwedish
English titleCome And Sing A Song
A-side"Vi Är Alla Bara Barn I Början"
Released29 February 1972
Recorded10 January 1972
StudioEMI studios, Stockholm
Length3:43
LabelEMI / Colombia
Songwriter(s)Carole King, Toni Stern, Stig Anderson
Anni-Frid Lyngstad singles chronology
"En Gång Är Ingen Gång / Min Egen Stad"
(1971) 		"Kom Och Sjung En Sång"
(1972) 		"Man Vill Ju Leva Lite Dessemellan"
(1972)

titled "Kom Och Sjung En Sång" (translation: Come And Sing A Song), released as a B-side to her final EMI single "Vi Är Alla Bara Barn I Början".

Background and release

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Reddy’s version was released as a single in November 1971[11][12] and Stig Anderson wrote a Swedish-language rendition[13][14]. Lyngstad recorded "Kom Och Sjung En Sång" and "Vi Är Alla Bara Barn I Början" on 10th January 1972[11]. The songs were recorded after the success of "Min Egen Stad" where the song hit the No.1 spot in the Svensktoppen in November 1971[14], but the single did not acheive the same success. The single was released in 29 February 1972[11] in a company sleeve under EMI / Columbia (4E 006-34576)[13]. Although this B-side, “Kom Och Sjung En Sång” had charted in 14th place on 2nd April 1972[15], appearing in the Toppentipset chart (comparable to a bubbling under Svensktoppen chart). Both songs are notable due to the appearance of all four ABBA members.[14] Around the time of this song’s appearance in the Toppentipset, on 29 March 1972, all four ABBA members, including Lyngstad had recorded "People Need Love", recognised as the first ABBA single[11]. The quartet were credited as Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid. In the summer of 1972, after five years with EMI Sweden, Lyngstad’s contract had ended and Lyngstad signed on to the Polar Music label[11]. Due to rarity, the single is sought after by collectors and ABBA fans.[13]

Charts

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Chart (1972) Peak
position
Sweden (Toppentipset) 14

References

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  1. ^ "Chart History: Helen Reddy". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006. Record Research Inc. pp. 226, 805. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
  3. ^ "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. 1972-01-22.
  4. ^ "Carole King: Five Million Friends". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2020. First appeared in November 1972 in Newsday.
  5. ^ "Songs: No Sad Song". Carole King. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  6. ^ "Review". The New Yorker. Vol. 49, no. 111. 1972. p. 138.
  7. ^ Reddy, Helen (2006). The Woman I Am. Penguin. p. 102. ISBN 9781440649868. Archived from the original on 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  8. ^ Quinonero, Frédéric (2018). Sheila, une histoire d'amour (in French). City Edition. pp. 197–199. ISBN 9782824630434. Archived from the original on 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  9. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard Books. p. 334. ISBN 9780823076772. Archived from the original on 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  10. ^ Lydon, Susan (July 1973). "And Now Here's... Helen Reddy". Ms. Vol. 2. p. 28.
  11. ^ a b c d e Remko, van Drongelen (2022). Frida Beyond ABBA. RvD. pp. 192–193. ISBN 978-90-9035304-3.
  12. ^ Helen Reddy - No Sad Song, 1971, retrieved 2024-12-11
  13. ^ a b c Anni-Frid Lyngstad - Vi är Alla Bara Barn I Början, 1972, retrieved 2024-12-11
  14. ^ a b c "English translation of liner notes". web.archive.org. 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  15. ^ biblioteket, Kungliga. "AFTONBLADET 1972-04-03". Svenska tidningar (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-12-11.
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