Canadian songbird Anne Murray brings us today’s classic song of the day, “Shadows in the Moonlight.” Released as a single in May of 1979, this soft rock number rose to #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went all the way to #1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. It also hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. In her native Canada, “Shadows in the Moonlight” hit #10 on the RPM Top Singles chart and #1 on RPM’s Country Tracks and Adult Contemporary tracks charts.
“Shadows in the Moonlight” was written by Charlie Black and Rory Bourke. Black was a pro songwriter in the country vein, with tracks for Earl Thomas Conley, Johnny Paycheck, and Phil Vassar under his belt. Same with Bourke, who wrote tunes for Lynn Anderson, Billy Crash Craddock, and Elvis Presley. Bourke’s biggest hit was “The Most Beautiful Girl” for Charlie Rich. He also co-wrote “I Know a Heartache When I See One” for one of my favorite singers, Jennifer Warnes.
While I think of it more as a typical late-70s soft rock tune, Anne Murray’s recording of “Shadows in the Moonlight” targeted the country market and was one of nine of her singles to top the country charts. Her other country number ones were “I Just Fall in Love Again,” “Broken Hearted Me,” “Could I Have This Dance,” “Blessed Are the Believers,” “A Little Good News,” “Just Another Woman in Love,” “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” (with Dave Loggins), and “Now and Forever (You and Me).” She had a sole number-one tune on the U.S. mainstream charts with 1978’s “You Needed Me.”
For today’s daily bonus video of the day, here’s Anne Murray lip synching “Shadows in the Moonlight” on some television show in 1978. This is really a nice little tune.
