Single:
Orchard Road entered the Australian singles chart* on 23 May 1983 and peaked at #17.
Album:
The song is on Have You Ever Been in Love which entered the Australian albums chart* on 12 December 1983 and peaked at #20.
Songwriters:
Leo Sayer, Alan Tarney
Producer:
Alan Tarney
Record label of Australian release:
Chrysalis
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
The original 1983 version of Orchard Road had a soft synth-pop sound, typical of the era. In later years it has been performed with a fuller band sound, as in this concert video featuring Leo with his Australian band at the Melbourne Athenaeum, 29 November 2019. Leo moved from the UK to Australia in 2005 and officially became an Australian citizen in 2009:
Wikipedia – the song:
According to Sayer, the lyrics are based on an all-night phone conversation out in a public telephone booth he had with his then-wife, Janice, pleading for her return from her flat and forgiveness after a lapse of judgement in their 7-year marital life. In reality, his wife had moved to Churchfield Road, Acton in Greater London.
The name “Churchfield Road” “didn’t sing very well”, so it was changed to “Orchard Road”, the name coming from the shopping area in Singapore, as Sayer had recently performed there.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard_Road_(song)
Wikipedia – the recording:
The music for Orchard Road was composed by Alan Tarney, with the lyrics by Sayer. It was originally recorded in one take as a demo, with Tarney playing a Fairlight synthesiser. Sayer said he “made up the words as we recorded it, with Alan playing to my hand signals”. However, the demo became the final version with the slightly unpolished guide vocal kept because of how it felt. Tarney then overdubbed backing vocals, guitar, bass guitar and drum machine. Trevor Spencer added drums.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard_Road_(song)
Lyrics:
To tell the truth, it′s really such a sad affair
Standing here and waiting in the cold night air
But I’ve got to make this call
′Cause my heart is breakin’
Click for full lyrics
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