"I Just Fall in Love Again" is a song written by Larry Herbstritt, with co-writers Steve Dorff, Harry Lloyd, and Gloria Sklerov. Herbstritt had composed the melody and chords for the chorus and a chord progression for the verse, which he took to his friend Steve Dorff. Harry Lloyd and Gloria Sklerov completed the lyrics. The song was originally recorded by the Carpenters and later covered by Dusty Springfield, and Anne Murray, who was unaware Springfield had recorded it just 6 months prior.
The Carpenters' version
The Carpenters' version was included on the duo's 1977 album Passage. On the Carpenters' official website, Richard Carpenter notes that he felt the song was perfect for his sister Karen's voice and felt their version had hit-single potential. However, A&M Records decided not to release it because it was considered too long for Top 40 radio stations to play at the time (just over 4 minutes) and could not be abridged.[1]
Recorded in summer 1978 and released in early 1979 on Springfield's Living Without Your Love album the same week her record label, United Artists Records, was sold, the track was subsequently never released as a single and went largely unnoticed by the listening public due to the success of Anne Murray's recording of the song, released not long after.
Canadian country singer Anne Murray was unaware Dusty Springfield had recorded "I Just Fall in Love Again" just 6 months prior. Springfield was one of Murray's favourite singers, and she has said "If I had known (Springfield) had released it as a single, I never would have recorded it" as Murray's version of the song largely overshadowed Springfield's. She released it in early 1979, on her platinum-selling album New Kind of Feeling.
It was the first of three successive number one Country hits and four consecutive number one Adult Contemporary hits during 1979 and 1980. Though Murray loves the song, she is quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits as saying she was surprised at its success on the Country charts, as she didn't feel the song sounded very "country". Nevertheless, Billboard ranked it as the number one Country hit of 1979. Murray included the song as a posthumous duet with Dusty Springfield on her own 2007 album Duets: Friends & Legends.
Personnel
Anne Murray – vocals
Pat Riccio Jr., Brian Gatto – keyboards
Jorn Anderson – drums
Peter Cardinali – bass
Aidan Mason, Brian Russell, Bob Mann – guitars
Bob Lucier – steel guitar
Rick Wilkins & Peter Cardinali – string arrangement
