You Light Up My Life (song)
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| “You Light Up My Life” | |
|---|---|
| Vocal side of the US single | |
| Single by Kasey Cisyk (credited to Original Cast) | |
| from the album You Light Up My Life: Original Soundtrack | |
| A-side | “You Light Up My Life”(instrumental) |
| Released | August 16, 1977 (Charted the week of September 3) |
| Recorded | 1977 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 3:29 |
| Label | Arista |
| Songwriter(s) | Joe Brooks |
| Producer(s) | Joe Brooks |
“You Light Up My Life” is a ballad written by Joseph Brooks, and originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the soundtrack album to the 1977 film of the same title. The song was lip synced in the film by its lead actress, Didi Conn. The best-known cover version of the song is a cover by Debby Boone, the daughter of singer Pat Boone. It held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks in 1977 and topped Record World magazine’s Top 100 Singles Chart for a record 13 weeks.
Original film version
Cisyk’s original soundtrack recording was included in the film’s soundtrack album. It was then later released as a single to bolster sales of the soundtrack album after Debby Boone included her version on her first solo album (also titled You Light Up My Life). Although the soundtrack album was certified Gold, peaking at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, it never included Boone’s hit single version of the song.
Cisyk’s single was credited to “Original Cast”, not to Cisyk herself, and even though Brooks is listed on the A-side of the single, the “Original Cast” B-side charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and only reached No. 80. Brooks also released an instrumental version of the song from the soundtrack as a promotional single, but that version failed to chart.
Following the success of Boone’s version, the song earned Brooks a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) award.
Track listing
7″ vinyl single
- “You Light Up My Life” (Instrumental) — 3:02
- “You Light Up My Life” (Original Cast) — 3:29
Chart performance (Original Cast single)
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 80 |
The Joseph Brooks controversies
In a 2013 biographical essay about Cisyk, Cisyk’s second husband, Ed Rakowicz (who worked as a sound engineer, but not for this song), wrote that songwriter Brooks was initially pleased with Cisyk’s recording of the song with orchestra (and her version appeared in the movie and soundtrack) but “tried to evade payment by false promises and by asking her to be an incidental actor in his film, implying huge rewards yet to come…” Rackowicz claimed that Brooks made improper advances toward Cisyk, that after being rebuffed, he refused to speak directly to her again, and that he continued to evade payments to her while commissioning another recording with Debby Boone.
According to Rackowicz, “Besides wanting Boone to copy Kacey’s [sic] iconic hit reading of his songs, Brooks needed to cover up Kacey’s vocal leakage in the microphones in the piano recorded at the original demo session on which was overdubbed the orchestral track used in the film. Brooks didn’t want to pay to re-record the piano and orchestra again.” In 2003, Boone admitted, “I had no freedom whatsoever. Joe told me exactly how to sing it and imitate every inflection from the original recording.” in an interview with Entertainment Weekly Magazine. Cisyk later retained a lawyer and sued Brooks for the fees she had earned for her work on the record and for credit on the soundtrack, which she later received.
Debby Boone version
| “You Light Up My Life” | |
|---|---|
| Side A of the US single | |
| Single by Debby Boone | |
| from the album You Light Up My Life | |
| B-side | “Hasta Mañana” (US & selected territories)”He’s a Rebel” (performed by the Boones; selected countries) |
| Released | August 16, 1977 |
| Recorded | April 1977 |
| Genre | Soft rock |
| Length | 3:35 |
| Label | Warner Bros.–Curb |
| Songwriter(s) | Joe Brooks |
| Producer(s) | Joe Brooks |
| Debby Boone singles chronology | |
| “You Light Up My Life“ (1977)”California” (1978) | |
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In 1977, Debby Boone, Pat Boone‘s daughter, recorded the song under the guidance of Curb Records executive Mike Curb and songwriter Joseph Brooks. Boone recorded her vocals over a pre-existing instrumental track that Brooks already had developed for the film’s soundtrack. The song was released as both a Warner-Curb Records single and as the title track to her first solo album, You Light Up My Life, which she released on Warner Bros. Records, Curb Records’ parent label.
Cash Box said that “Ms. Boone builds it to a powerful emotional peak as a massive string section lends support.”
The single became the biggest single of the 1970s in the United States, setting a new Billboard Hot 100 record for most weeks spent at number one. Elvis Presley‘s double-sided hit “Don’t Be Cruel/
then recognized as the longest-running number one song of the rock era, spent eleven weeks atop the Billboard Best Sellers chart in 1956, before the 1958 debut of the Hot 100.
The previous Hot 100 record was held by Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife“,
Percy Faith‘s recording of “Theme from A Summer Place” (1960)
and the Beatles‘ “Hey Jude” (1968),
all three of which remained at No. 1 for nine weeks. The ten-week record was matched in 1982 by Olivia Newton-John‘s “Physical“, but was not surpassed until a 1991 change in chart methodology allowed songs to achieve longer reigns at No. 1.
In 1992, “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men would set the new record with 13 weeks.
Besting her chart performance in Billboard, Boone’s “You Light Up My Life” single topped Record World‘s Top 100 Singles Chart for an unbroken record of 13 weeks. On Billboard‘s chart, Boone was unseated from No. 1 by the Bee Gees, with “How Deep Is Your Love“, the first of three No. 1 singles from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
On Record World‘s chart, Boone kept the Bee Gees out of the number-one spot. In Cash Box magazine, “You Light Up My Life” managed only an eight-week stay at the top of the chart, before being dethroned by Crystal Gayle‘s “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue“.
Its least-lengthy run was on the Radio and Records chart, with six weeks at No. 1 before relinquishing the spot to the Bee Gees; it had knocked Carly Simon‘s “Nobody Does It Better” out of the top spot after only one week.
The single, which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), also hit No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and reached No. 4 on the Country chart.
The single peaked at No. 48 on the UK Singles Chart. Boone’s hit single led to her winning the 1978 Grammy Award for Best New Artist, with additional Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Record of the Year. Boone also won the 1977 American Music Award for Favorite Pop Single.
Decades after its release, the Debby Boone version is still considered one of the top ten Billboard Hot 100 songs of all time. In 2008, it was ranked at No. 7 on Billboard‘s “Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs” list (August 1958 – July 2008). An updated version of the all-time list in 2013 ranked the song at No. 9.
Although it was written by Brooks as a love song, the devout Boone interpreted it as inspirational and proclaimed that it was instead God who “lit up her life.” This fact was later alluded to when the song appeared in The Simpsons episode “I Married Marge”, Season 3, Episode 12.
Track listing
- 7″ vinyl single
- “You Light Up My Life”* – 3:35
- “Hasta Mañana“** – 3:12
* Note: Produced and arranged by Joe Brooks.
** Note: Produced by Mike Curb and arranged by Al Capps.
Chart performance (Debby Boone single)
Weekly charts
| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report | 7 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 6 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 12 |
| South African Singles Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 48 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Country Singles | 4 |
| US Cashbox Top 100 Singles | 1 |
| US Record World Singles Chart | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1977) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 30 |
| Brazil | 3 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Chart (1977 and 1978) | Rank |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 (1978) | 3 |
| US Cashbox Magazine (1977) | 1 |
| US Record World (1977) | 1 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening (1978) | 46 |
All-time charts
| Chart (1958–2018) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 11 |
LeAnn Rimes version
| “You Light Up My Life” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by LeAnn Rimes | |
| from the album You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs | |
| B-side | “I Believe“ |
| Released | August 26, 1997 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 3:37 |
| Label | Curb |
| Songwriter(s) | Joe Brooks |
| Producer(s) | Mike Curb Chuck Howard Wilbur C. Rimes |
| LeAnn Rimes singles chronology | |
| “How Do I Live“ (1997)”You Light Up My Life“ (1997)”On the Side of Angels“ (1998) | |
LeAnn Rimes released her own version of “You Light Up My Life” as a single in 1997, 20 years after Boone’s version was released, and on the same record label, the Warner Bros. Records label’s Curb Records label. Her version fared modestly by comparison to the original at radio (No. 34 Pop, No. 48 Country). However, her single was certified gold and was the title track to her No. 1 pop and country album, You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs.
Track listing
- US CD single
- “You Light Up My Life”* – 3:37
- “I Believe“** – 2:22
* Note: Produced by Wilbur C. Rimes, Chuck Howard and Mike Curb.
** Note: Produced by Wilbur C. Rimes.
Chart performance (LeAnn Rimes single)
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM) | 57 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 34 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) | 48 |
Other versions
Many artists have covered “You Light Up My Life” since 1977.
- Perry Como performed it on Bob Hope’s TV special in 1977 (then recorded for CD in 2000).
- Johnny Mathis recorded the song and named his 1978 album after the song.
- Engelbert Humperdinck also recorded “You Light Up My Life” in 1978, including it on his album “Last of the Romantics”.
- Valeria Lynch recorded the song covered “Tú me haces feliz” for her 1979 album Yo soy tu canción….
- Japanese singer Yuki Saito recorded it (in English) for her 1994 album Moi.
- Whitney Houston recorded the song for her 2002 album Just Whitney….
- The Irish pop band Westlife recorded a cover of the song and made it to their The Love Album album in 2006 which went straight to No. 1 in UK Albums Chart and performed it live subsequently.
- A French rendering entitled “Tu remplis ma vie” was recorded by Anne Renée in 1977.
- America’s Got Talent season 1 winner Bianca Ryan covered the song for her 2006 debut album.
- Patti Smith performed the song on the ABC television program Kids Are People Too, accompanied by Brooks on piano.
- Mexican pop singer, Yuri recorded the song cover “Tú iluminas mi vida” for her first album released in 1978.
- Dave Monk – You Light Up My Life
- Tom Jones – You Light Up My Life
- Matt Monro – You Light up My Life
- Roger Whittaker – You Light Up My Life
- The Moonlight Orchestra – You Light Up My Life
- Frank Chacksfield Orchestra – You Light Up My Life
- The Romantic Strings Orchestra – You Light Up My Life
- Bruno Bertone Orchestra – You Light Up My Life
- You Light Up My Life (Romantic Instrumental + lyrics) HD
- Kim Hart – You Light Up My Life
- The X Factor – The Quarter Final Act 2 (Song 2) – JLS | “You Light Up My Life”
- Yvonne Louise “Du bringst mir das Licht”
- Carol Burnett Show outtakes – “You Light Up My Life”
- True Blood – You Light Up My Life
In other media
The song features as a running joke in an episode of Girlfriends, titled “Can’t Stan Ya!”
You Light Up My Life (film)
| You Light Up My Life | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Joseph Brooks |
| Written by | Joseph Brooks |
| Produced by | Joseph Brooks |
| Starring | Didi Conn Joe Silver Michael Zaslow Stephen Nathan Melanie Mayron |
| Cinematography | Eric Saarinen |
| Edited by | Lynzee Klingman |
| Music by | Joseph Brooks |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date | August 31, 1977 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $8.5 million |
You Light Up My Life is a 1977 American romantic drama film written and directed by Joseph Brooks and starring Didi Conn, Joe Silver, and Michael Zaslow. Laurie (Conn), a talented singer and songwriter, feels obligated to follow her father’s borscht belt comedian career. She struggles to get small time acting work in advertising and children’s shows with her fellow acting friends in Hollywood and shows marginal talent in standup comedy (mostly set up using her father’s connections). Her happenstance meeting with a young director will set the stage for a series of conflicts with her fiancé, father and career decisions.
Plot
Laurie Robinson (Didi Conn) is a young woman who earns a living by performing in commercials and hosting a children’s show on public television, but she would rather concentrate on songwriting and singing than doing comedy with her small-time comedian father Si (Joe Silver). One night, Laurie goes to a restaurant where she meets a young film director, Chris Nolan (Michael Zaslow); she drives him back to his apartment and they spend the night together. The next morning, Laurie confesses to Chris that she is engaged and has to be at her wedding rehearsal. He asks if the previous night was just a final fling before marriage, and she says she cannot see him anymore.
Laurie later meets with her fiancé, Ken Rothenberg (Stephen Nathan), and attends a recording session where she records her song, then sings background vocals and directs the musicians during overdubs. From there, she goes to the wedding rehearsal where Si has arranged an elaborate setup with an old friend who owns the Wedding Palace. The next day, Laurie auditions for a film that needs a singing voice for the leading lady. The director, she discovers, is Chris, who is as surprised as she is. Chris asks to see the songs in her portfolio. Laurie’s voice and the orchestra’s performance of her song “You Light Up My Life” impresses everyone, and Chris asks her if she would be interested in auditioning for the lead in his movie.
Later, Chris sings “You Light Up My Life” for Laurie at his piano, giving it a more subdued treatment, then takes her for a walk along the beach. Laurie visits her best friend Annie (Melanie Mayron) to confess that she loves Chris, and adds that she may have the lead in his film. Meanwhile, when Laurie meets with Ken to call off the wedding, Chris auditions another girl for his movie and tells her she has the part, then gives his assistant the job of calling Laurie with the bad news. When Laurie asks why Chris did not call himself, the assistant explains that Chris has been in meetings all afternoon, and when she calls Chris’s office, the receptionist tells her he is probably at home because he does not have any meetings. Laurie arrives at Chris’s apartment as he and his new leading lady are leaving for dinner with friends. He apologizes and tells her she is special enough to get other roles.
Later that night, when Laurie and Si perform at the Family Komedy Hour, her routine falls flat, tears flood her eyes and she walks off. In the dressing room, Laurie tells Si she hates the act because she is not funny, all she wants to do is sing and that Columbia Records is interested in her. She gives Si a cassette tape of her songs and tells him he has to let go of her, because she needs to depend on herself; she is going to New York City alone. They hug and kiss goodbye, and Laurie drives away. Sometime later, Laurie’s song “You Light Up My Life” climbs the music charts and reaches number one.
Cast
- Didi Conn as Laurie Robinson
- Joe Silver as Si Robinson
- Michael Zaslow as Chris Nolan
- Stephen Nathan as Ken Rothenberg
- Melanie Mayron as Annie Gerrard
- Jerry Keller as Conductor
- Lisa Reeves as Carla Wright
- John Gowans as Charley Nelson
- Simmy Bow as Mr. Granek
- Bernice Nicholson as Mrs. Granek
- Ed Morgan as Account Executive
- Joseph Brooks as Creative Director (credited as Joe Brooks)
- Amy Letterman as Laurie
- Marty Zagon as Mr. Nussbaum
- Martin Gish as Harold Nussbaum
- Ken Olfson as 1st Commercial Director
Production
The film was picked up by Columbia who spent $10,000 on shooting a new, more positive ending, and $2.8 million on marketing.
Reception
The film was widely panned by critics, garnering a 20% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Some cited Didi Conn’s sensitive portrayal and the title song as its most worthwhile features.
Accolades
| Award | Category | Song Title | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Original Song | “You Light Up My Life“ | Joseph Brooks | Won | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song | Won | |||
| Grammy Awards | Record of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Song of the Year | Won | ||||
| Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special | Nominated |
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2004: AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs:
- “You Light Up My Life” – Nominated
Soundtrack
| You Light Up My Life: Original Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Joseph Brooks and Kasey Cisyk | |
| Released | October 1977 |
| Recorded | 1977 |
| Studio | A&R Recording Studios New York City |
| Genre | Pop, Film score |
| Length | 26:18 |
| Label | Arista |
| Producer | Joe Brooks |
| Singles from You Light Up My Life | |
| “You Light Up My Life“ Released: October 1977 | |
The film soundtrack was composed, arranged and produced by Joseph “Joe” Brooks with lead vocals provided by Kasey Cisyk and released in October 1977 by Arista Records.
Originally released on LP, cassette and 8-track tape, the soundtrack album peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart in November 1977, was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special.
The title song “You Light Up My Life“, performed by Kvitka Cisyk for the film’s soundtrack and later recorded by Debby Boone, received the Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song as well as the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. In the film, the song was lip synched by actress Didi Conn. Kvitka Cisyk also has a small part in the film as a wedding attendant.
Cisyk’s original soundtrack recording of “You Light Up My Life” was included on the soundtrack album which was rush-released by Arista Records after Boone included her version on her first solo album (also entitled You Light Up My Life) and within less than three weeks, the soundtrack album was certified Gold by the RIAA, making it one of the fastest-breaking records in the label’s history at that time.
Boone’s single reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a then record-setting 10 consecutive weeks while Cisyk’s version of the song was released simultaneously as a single to bolster sales of the soundtrack album. Cisyk’s single was credited to “Original Cast”, not to Cisyk herself, and although Brooks is listed on the A-side, the “Original Cast” B-side charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and only reached #80. Brooks also released an instrumental version of the song from the soundtrack as a promotional single, but that version failed to chart.
Following the huge success of Boone’s hit version of the song (which was not included on the soundtrack album) and with sales of over five million copies of the single, “You Light Up My Life” ultimately became the biggest hit of the 1970s.
Track listing
Side 1:
- “You Light Up My Life” (Kasey Cisyk) – 3:35
- “The Morning Of My Life” (Kasey Cisyk) – 1:50
3. “It’s A Long Way From Brooklyn” (Kasey Cisyk) – 1:38
4. “Phone Call” – Joe Brooks (1:47)
5. “You Light Up My Life” (instrumental) (Joe Brooks) – 3:02
Side 2:
- “Rolling The Chords” (Kasey Cisyk) – 2:52
- “Do You Have A Piano” (Kasey Cisyk) – 3:32
3. “Ride To Chris’ House” (Joe Brooks) – 0:59
4. “California Daydreams” (Kasey Cisyk and Joe Brooks) – 3:28
5. “You Light Up My Life” (Kasey Cisyk) – 3:35
Personnel
- Composed, Arranged, Produced By – Joe Brooks
- Lead Vocalists – Kasey Cisyk, Joseph Brooks
- Background Vocalists – Jerry Keller, Lesley Miller, Kenny Karen, Kasey Cisyk, Ron Dante
- Recorded At – A&R Recording Studios, New York City
- Engineer [A&R Recording Studios] – Malcolm Addey
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1977/78) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 94 |
| United States (Billboard 200) | 17 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1978) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Billboard Top Soundtrack Albums | 10 |
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