Friends And Lovers

Album

Gloria Loring

Label

Carrere Records

Genre

Rhythm & Blues

Composer(s)

Jay Gruska;Paul Gordon

Entered Chart

Jul 5, 1986

Peak Date

Sep 27, 1986

Released

1986

Recorded

1985

Catalog #

USA Carrere 4-06122

B-Side

You Always Knew (Loring)

This is a rare chart hit for Glora Loring, who is best remembered for her recurring role as Liz Curtis on the Soap Opera Days of Our Lives. Originally her duet partner was to be Al Jarreau, who she performed with occasionally on the show, but he was busy. Then she saw Carl Anderson the stage and screen as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar and they signed him on. Written by Jay Gruska and Paul Gordon, on Days Of Our Lives this was the theme song for the popular characters Kim and Shane, who struggle on the show to be both friends and lovers. Other songs that got a big bump from Soap Opera play were "Baby, Come To Me" and "Think Of Laura." This first appeared on Carl Anderson's self-titled album, which because of this song's success was later retitled "Friends and Lovers." Anderson was also known for performing duets with various singers including Nancy Wilson, and he appeared on Weather Report's "Can It Be Done," the first time the group used a vocalist. Sadly he passed away in Feburary 2004 from leukemia. Gloria Loring included the song on her 1985 album, also called Friends and Lovers, which was rereleased in 2001. >> Loring was married to the actor Alan Thicke from (1970-1983). Together they wrote the theme songs for the TV shows Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life (which Loring also sang). In 1986, this became a Country hit when Eddie Rabbitt and Juice Newton recorded it as "Both to Each Other." The white soul singer-songwriter Robin Thicke, who had an international hit in 2007 with "Lost Without U," is the son of Gloria Loring and her ex husband Alan Thicke. Loring knew this song had hit potential and she shopped the song to every label with no success. When it was finally released on a French label it sold 100,000 singles in the first two weeks, which attracted the attention of Atlantic. However there were some legal problems as Loring told American Songwriter magazine January/February 1988. She explained: "The interesting thing was they, the people at Carrere (the French label), released the record before they bothered to get me to sign a contract. So when the record was released and started to make a lot of noise I got a call from Doug Morris at Atlantic Records and when he found out I didn't have a contract, he called someone and said 'I want her and I want this record.' Then we had an enormous legal battle because the papers hadn't been signed and there was so much craziness we started calling the record 'Friends and Lawyers.' So my advice to songwriters is to get your contracts signed before your record is released."

Oooooh

What would you think if I told you
I've always wanted to hold you?
I don't know what we're afraid of
Nothing would change if we made love

So I'll be your friend
And I'll be your lover
'Cause I know in our hearts we agree
We don't have to be one or the other
Oh no, we could be both to each other

Yes, it's a chance that we're taking
And somebody's heart may be breaking
Ooh, but we can't stop what's inside us
Our love for each other will guide us

So I'll be your friend
And I'll be your lover
'Cause I know in our hearts we agree
We don't have to be one or the other

I've been through you and you've been through me
Sometimes, a friend is the hardest to see
Mm, we always know when it's laid on the line
Nobody else is as easy to find

So I'll be your friend
(I'll) And I'll be (be) your lover
'Cause I'll be, I'll be your friend
(I'll) And I'll be (be) your lover
'Cause I know in our hearts we agree
We don't have to be one or the other
Oh no, we could be both to each other