Emotion - Samantha Sang

ALL TIME GREATEST SINGLES - #978

EMOTION

Samantha Sang

(B. Gibb, R. Gibb) Private Stock PVT 11610

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Chart Entry: 19th December, 1977

Highest Position: #2

Points: 103,300

From the album "Emotion".

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There were plenty enough hits coming out of the 1977 film, Saturday Night Fever that Samantha Sang had to miss out featuring on one of the biggest soundtrack albums of all time. The Bee Gees could do no wrong with hit after hit grooving their way into the charts. Samantha Sang's "Emotion", also written by the Bee Gees' Barry and Robin Gibb, was picked up off the SNF cutting room floor and rescued for the less inspired Joan Collins vehicle, The Stud. Nevertheless, "Emotion" found success to rival any Saturday Night Fever release as it smooched its way towards the top of the charts worldwide.

What was seemingly a breakthrough hit for Samantha, "Emotion" was really the highlight of a career reborn after she had moved to England from Australia in 1969. It was at this time that Barry Gibb heard her sing and championed a signing by his manager, Robert Stigwood. She worked closely with Barry and the other members of the Bee Gees, recording a few European minor hits including "Love Of A Woman" and "Nothing In The World Like Love". Visa restrictions forced Samantha out of the UK and back to Australia but the tie with the Bee Gees was never severed, the guys keeping her in mind when "Emotion" needed a softer and sexier delivery.

Samantha Sang's 70's career was actually an extension of her former career as Cheryl Gray. During her initial chart success in Australia during the late 60's, she enjoyed moderately successful career highlighted by the #8 hit, "You Made Me What I Am". A 1967 Go-Set poll placed her third among the "Top Girl Singers" and further exposure on television kept her career afloat, but Cheryl felt there was more to achieved internationally prompting her trip to the UK. Unfortunately for Cheryl, it was her former success in Australia that was her most rewarding up to this point.

Samantha had returned to Australia for about two years before an invitation to visit the Bee Gees' Saturday Night Fever recording sessions in France came her way. They had a song for her called "Emotion" that would finally give her significant success, the promise fulfilled with a #2 hit in Australia. Worldwide attention was received with the single making its way to #3 on the US Billboard charts and a credible #11 peak in the UK. It seemed that Samantha had finally broken her dry spell, but as these things usually go, further success was limited forcing her back into relative obscurity once again.

The Bee Gees enjoyed a few hits as a songwriting team for other artists during their career, celebrating a handful of these tracks by recording them themselves later in the 90's. The extensive collection, Their Greatest Hits: The Record, released in 2001, brought both facets of their career together in one impressive collection. "Emotion" was one of the tracks given the Bee Gees treatment, but the original recording by Samantha has stood the test of time to become the true classic that it is.

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Chart Run: 95.93.93.57.36.26.26.9.13.8.6.4.2.3.4.6.7.8.8.10.14.16.21.29.32.42.55.56.68.76.91

(31 weeks) (Australian Music Report)