I'm Gonna Be Strong

For the Gene Pitney album, see It Hurts to Be in Love and Eleven More Hit Songs.

"I'm Gonna Be Strong" is a song written by the famed songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.[1] It was first recorded by Frankie Laine in 1963 and released as a single on Columbia Records. However, the song did not become a major hit until 1964, when Gene Pitney released his version as a single. It was also a single released by the 1980 band Blue Angel, with lead vocals provided by future star Cyndi Lauper. This release was prior to Lauper's solo career; however, Lauper re-recorded the track and released it as a single in 1994. The song was also featured on 1982's Quiet Lies album by Grammy winner Juice Newton. Though Newton never released the song as a single, her remake was later added as a bonus track to her first Greatest Hits collection.

Gene Pitney version

"I'm Gonna Be Strong"
Single by Gene Pitney
from the album It Hurts to Be in Love and Eleven More Hit Songs
B-side "E Se Domani (If Tomorrow)"
Released 1964 (1964)
Format 7" single
Recorded 1964 (1964)
Genre Pop
Length 2:16
Label Musicor
Writer(s) Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Gene Pitney singles chronology
"It Hurts to Be in Love"
(1964)		 "I'm Gonna Be Strong"
(1964)		 "I Must Be Seeing Things"
(1965)

This version became a top ten hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. The song is Pitney's biggest UK solo hit, with only his duet version of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" with Marc Almond peaking higher.

Chart performance

Country Peak
position
United Kingdom 2
United States 9

Blue Angel version

"I'm Gonna Be Strong"
Single by Blue Angel
from the album Blue Angel
B-side "Just the Other Day"
Released 1980 (1980)
Format 7" single
Genre Pop
Length 2:50
Label Polydor
Producer(s) Roy Halee
Blue Angel singles chronology
"You Make Loving Fun"
(1977)		 "I'm Gonna Be Strong"
(1980)		 "I Had a Love"
(1980)

It was also the most successful single released by the 1980 band Blue Angel from their album also called Blue Angel. The vocals were provided by Cyndi Lauper. Like the album, the only country the single charted in was the Netherlands, where it reached #37 on the charts.

The artwork and track listing for the single varied depending on the country of origin. An Italian promotional 7" vinyl single with the same catalogue number and track listing as the German version was released with alternate artwork. The original 1980 Dutch release was re-released with identical packaging in 1984 after Lauper's solo success.

Track listing

7" vinyl (Netherlands)

Length: 5:32

  1. "I'm Gonna Be Strong" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) – 2:50
  2. "Just the Other Day" (Cyndi Lauper, John Turi) – 2:42

7" vinyl (Germany)/Italian promo 7" vinyl

Length: 6:44

  1. "I'm Gonna Be Strong" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) – 2:50
  2. "Maybe He'll Know" (Cyndi Lauper, John Turi) – 3:54

7" vinyl (Australia and UK)

Length: 6:47

  1. "I'm Gonna Be Strong" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) – 2:50
  2. "Anna Blue" (Cyndi Lauper, John Turi) – 3:57

Cyndi Lauper version

"I'm Gonna Be Strong"
Single by Cyndi Lauper
from the album Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some
B-side "I'm Gonna Be Strong", "A Part Hate"
Released October 10, 1994
Recorded 1994 (1994)
Genre Pop
Label Epic
Writer(s) Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Cyndi Lauper singles chronology
"Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)"
(1994)		 "I'm Gonna Be Strong"
(1994)		 "Come On Home"
(1995)

Because "I'm Gonna Be Strong" was the most successful single of Lauper's early band Blue Angel, she went on to re-record the track for her greatest hits album Twelve Deadly Cyns...and Then Some, and subsequently a new single was released in 1994. The song shows off Lauper's singing ability, containing a challenging arrangement and notes. It peaked in the top 40 on the UK chart. This single was not commercially released in the US where it was only released as a promo.

Chart performance

Chart (1994) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 37

Other versions

Jackie DeShannon covered the song on her 1965 album This is Jackie DeShannon. Del Shannon covered this song on his 1965 album One Thousand Six Hundred Sixty One Seconds[2] and Juice Newton included the song on her albums Quiet Lies (1982) and Greatest Hits (1987).

Dutch singer Glennis Grace covered the song in 1994, peaking at 13 on the Dutch Top 40.[3]

Buddy Miller covered the song on his 1999 album Cruel Moon, with Joy Lynn White on backing vocals.

References

  1. ↑ Aquila, Richard (2000-09-14). That Old-time Rock & Roll: A Chronicle of an Era, 1954-1963. University of Illinois Press. p. 270. ISBN 9780252069192. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  2. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Del-Shannon-One-Thousand-Six-Hundred-Sixty-One-Seconds/master/439166
  3. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Glennis Grace - I'm Gonna Be Strong". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2011-09-26.

External links

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