Peak
1
Weeks
24
Score
4,871
Chart Year
1982
This song marked a resurgence for Chicago, who had been dropped from their longtime label, Columbia Records, and picked up by the Full Moon label, distributed by Warner Bros. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" was their first single on Full Moon, providing an instant return for the label when the song went to #1 in America and even became a rare UK hit for Chicago, reaching #4 (it also went to #1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart). To find this hit sound, the band turned to the same formula that brewed up their first #1 hit, "If You Leave Me Now": A ballad with lead vocals by Peter Cetera. Chicago was one of the first rock bands of the '60s and '70s to take on a softer, more keyboard-driven sound in the '80s, downplaying their famous horn section. They were followed by Yes ("Owner Of A Lonely Heart"), Van Halen ("Jump") and Heart ("These Dreams") onto the charts with this new sound. Chicago vocalist Peter Cetera wrote this with David Foster, who also played piano on the track. The song finds Cetera trying desperately to hold on to a relationship that has fizzled out, promising to make up for his indiscretions and playing the "we've been through so much" card. Foster worked on a similarly themed song for Earth, Wind & Fire a few years earlier in "After The Love Has Gone ." Steve Lukather (guitar), David Paich (synthesizer) and Steve Porcaro (synthesizer), all played on this track. These guys were top studio musicians as well as members of Toto. Bringing them in caused plenty of friction in the band, which didn't like the idea of other musicians playing their parts. But David Foster knew exactly what he wanted, and was willing to bring in the guys who could achieve it. Bill Champlin, who joined the band in 1981 and suggested they use Foster, explained in a Songfacts interview: "Foster would just as soon call the A players and bring them in, and I really don't blame him. Real major players that can get this stuff for you in a minute. They really eyeball with the producer once and give it to him on take one." A version customized for the 1982 Daryl Hannah movie Summer Lovers plays at the conclusion of the film. Chicago completed the song while the movie was being made, and pitched it to the filmmakers, who incorporated it into the movie. The song was included on the soundtrack, which also included "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode and two songs by Tina Turner. Despite its musical pedigree, the film was a critical and commercial failure. Typical of a David Foster composition, there is lots of variation in this track. The song really has two different choruses: the "hold me now" parts and the "after all that we've been through" sections. The verses take up very little of the song, which leaves plenty to the imagination ("Why does she need time away?"). Around 2:45, the song builds, with Cetera's third repetition of the "after all that we've been through" part, which is followed by a brief guitar solo that is answered by a quick keyboard riff. It ends with Cetera singing a line that comes out of nowhere: "You're gonna be the lucky one," leaving even more to the imagination. The string section was arranged by Jeremy Lubbock, who would later win a Grammy for his arrangement on Chicago's "Hard Habit To Break." He also co-wrote the song "The Best Of Me," which was a minor hit for David Foster & Olivia Newton-John in 1986. The single version of this song runs 3:48, but the album version has another section called "Get Away," which brings in the Chicago horn section. This full version is what the band usually play in concert. The R&B group AZ Yet recorded a new version of this song in 1997, taking it to #8 in the US. This version was produced by David Foster and Babyface, and featured vocals from Peter Cetera. The song is officially credited to "Az Yet with Peter Cetera."
"Everybody needs a little time away" I heard her say From each other Even lovers need a holiday Far away from each other Hold me now It's hard for me to say I'm sorry I just want you to stay After all that we've been through I will make it up to you I promise to And after all that's been said and done You're just a part of me I can't let go Couldn't stand to be kept away Just for the day From your body Wouldn't wanna be swept away Far away from the one that I love Hold me now It's hard for me to say I'm sorry I just want you to know Hold me now I really wanna tell you I'm sorry I could never let you go After all that we've been through I will make it up to you I promise to And after all that's been said and done You're just a part of me I can't let go After all that we've been through I will make it up to you I promise to You're gonna be the lucky one
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 5, 1982 | 75 | 51 |
| 2 | Jun 12, 1982 | 65 | 61 |
| 3 | Jun 19, 1982 | 54 | 72 |
| 4 | Jun 26, 1982 | 38 | 88 |
| 5 | Jul 3, 1982 | 34 | 92 |
| 6 | Jul 10, 1982 | 26 | 100 |
| 7 | Jul 17, 1982 | 15 | 111 |
| 8 | Jul 24, 1982 | 11 | 115 |
| 9 | Jul 31, 1982 | 6 | 120 |
| 10 | Aug 7, 1982 | 5 | 121 |
| 11 | Aug 14, 1982 | 5 | 121 |
| 12 | Aug 21, 1982 | 5 | 121 |
| 13 | Aug 28, 1982 | 5 | 121 |
| 14 | Sep 4, 1982 | 3 | 123 |
| 15 | Sep 11, 1982 | 1 | 125 |
| 16 | Sep 18, 1982 | 1 | 125 |
| 17 | Sep 25, 1982 | 3 | 123 |
| 18 | Oct 2, 1982 | 3 | 123 |
| 19 | Oct 9, 1982 | 3 | 123 |
| 20 | Oct 16, 1982 | 4 | 122 |