Early in the Morning (Vanity Fare song)

1969 single by Vanity Fare

"Early in the Morning"

Single by Vanity Fare
from the album  Early in the Morning
B-side| "You Made Me Love You"
Released| 20 June 1969
Recorded| 1969
Genre|

* Sunshine pop
* pop rock

Length| 2:52
Label| Page One
Songwriter(s)|

* Mike Leander
* Eddie Seago

Producer(s)|

* Des Champ
* Roger Easterby

Vanity Fare singles chronology
| "Highway of Dreams"
(1969)  | "Early in the Morning"
(1969)  | "Hitchin' a Ride"
(1969)

|
|

"Early in the Morning" is a song by British band Vanity Fare, released as a single in June 1969. It became an international hit and was awarded a gold disc for sales over one million. The song reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.[1] In the US it peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of January 31, 1970,[2] number 10 on Cash Box and number 4 on the Easy Listening chart.[1] In Canada it reached number 10 on RPM magazine's RPM100 chart and number 4 on the RPM Adult chart. In the Dutch Top 40, the single reached number 33.

## Release and reception

[edit]

"Early in the Morning" was the first song to be written by Mike Leander and Eddie Seago together. It was released with the B-side "You Made Me Love You", written by Vanity Fare's Barry Landeman. It was a non-album single in the UK and Europe, but was included on the North American and Australasian album Early in the Morning.[3] Despite its release in June, "Early in the Morning" did not enter the UK Single Chart until the week of 23 July, reaching it peak three weeks later.

Reviewing for New Musical Express, Derek Johnson wrote: "Take an invigorating gypsy hora dance, and slow it down to mid-tempo – and you'll get some idea of the rhythmic feel of this sparkling item. It's catchy and hummable, with an air of suppressed vitality and carefree abandon. Jogs along merrily and features an attractive vocal blend from Vanity Fare, while the acoustic guitars and clavioline emphasise the Balkan quality. Very easy listening, and a song that's very easy to assimilate".[4]

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (1969–70)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Go-Set)[5] | 18
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 25
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] | 10
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[8] | 4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] | 18
Germany (GfK)[10] | 26
Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 15
Japan (Oricon Singles Chart)[12] | 51
Malaysia (Radio Malaysia)[13] | 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] | 33
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 28
New Zealand (Listener)[16] | 14
Rhodesia (Lyons Maid)[17] | 6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] | 6
UK Singles (OCC)[19] | 8
US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 12
US Easy Listening (Billboard)[21] | 4
US Cash Box Top 100[22] | 10
US Record World 100 Top Pops[23] | 9

## Cliff Richard version

[edit]

"Early in the Morning"

Single by Cliff Richard
from the album  Tracks 'n Grooves
B-side|

* "Ooh La La" (Japan)
* "Take Action" (Australia)

Released| 15 August 1969
Recorded| 2 May 1969[24]
Studio| EMI Studios, London
Genre| Pop rock
Length| 2:16
Label|

* Columbia
* Odeon (Japan)

Songwriter(s)|

* Mike Leander
* Eddie Seago

Producer(s)| Norrie Paramor
Cliff Richard singles chronology
| "Big Ship"
(1969)  | "Early in the Morning"
(1969)  | "Throw Down a Line"
(1969)

|
|

Richard recorded two different songs both titled "Early in the Morning". The first was "Early in the Morning", written by Bobby Darin and Woody Harris, in 1958 for the album Jack Good's Oh Boy!.[25] In May 1969, Cliff Richard recorded a second one, which was a cover of "Early in the Morning" by Vanity Fare, arranged by and featuring the orchestra of Mike Vickers.[24] It was released as a single in various countries, becoming most successful in Japan, where it peaked at number 4 on the Oricon Singles Chart.[26] After its success in Japan, the song was added as the lead track to the Japanese release of Richard's fifteenth studio album Sincerely, released there in December 1969.[27] Elsewhere, it was included on Richard's following studio album Tracks 'n Grooves, released in November 1970.

### Release

[edit]

"Early in the Morning" was first released as a single in the Netherlands in August 1969, with the B-side "Shout", a cover of the Isley Brothers song and taken from Richard's album Don't Stop Me Now!.[28] Although it reached the "bubbling under" chart in September 1969, it didn't reach the Top 40. It was released in Australia and New Zealand in September with the B-sides "Take Action", from the album Sincerely, and "Twist and Shout", from Two a Penny, respectively.[29][30] It was also released in Japan in September with the B-side "Ooh La La" from the album Established 1958.[31] "Early in the Morning" was also released as a single in France, Italy and Spain with the B-sides "Baby I Could Be So Good at Loving You", "I Get the Feelin'" and "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)", respectively.[32][33][34] It was also released in South Africa and Rhodesia with the B-side "Rattler".[35]

Richard has said that he was "amazed" that his version was successful in Japan, "because I know that Vanity Fair [sic] had made by far the superior record, because I'm a sucker for vocal harmonies and things. And I hadn't really used harmonies too much on my version. But we sold about half a million copies over there and in fact, Vanity Fair [sic] didn't get a sale in Japan. And whenever I see them, I feel quite embarrassed".[24] Vanity Fare's version did actually get a release in Japan, selling over 23,000 copies and peaking at number 51 on the Oricon Singles Chart.[36][12]

### Track listings

[edit]

7" (Netherlands)

1. "Early in the Morning" – 2:16
2. "Shout" – 3:24

7" (Australia)

1. "Early in the Morning" – 2:16
2. "Take Action" – 2:08

7" (New Zealand)

1. "Early in the Morning" – 2:16
2. "Twist and Shout" – 2:38

7" (Japan)

1. "Early in the Morning" – 2:14
2. "Ooh La La" – 2:52

7" (France)

1. "Early in the Morning" – 2:16
2. "Baby I Could Be So Good at Loving You" – 3:09

7" (Italy)

1. "Early in the Morning" – 2:16
2. "I Get the Feelin'" – 2:17

7" (Spain)

1. "Early in the Morning" – 2:16
2. "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)" – 2:21

7" (South Africa and Rhodesia)

1. "Early in the Morning" – 2:16
2. "Rattler" – 2:47

|

### Charts

[edit]

#### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1969–70)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 55
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[37] | 2
Japan (Oricon Singles Chart)[26] | 4
Japan International (Oricon)[38] | 1
Rhodesia (Lyons Maid)[17] | 10

#### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1969)  | Peak
position

|

Japan Foreign Hits[39] | 15
Chart (1970)  | Peak
position

|

Japan Foreign Hits[40] | 13

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 269 & 287. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
2. ^ Billboard Hot 100, Week of January 31, 1970 - Billboard.com. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
3. ^ "Vanity Fare - Early In The Morning". Discogs. 1970. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
4. ^ "Top Singles" (PDF). New Musical Express. 5 July 1969. p. 6. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
5. ^ "Go-Set Australian charts - 8 November 1969". gosetcharts.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
6. ^ a b Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6103." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
8. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6119." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
9. ^ Lassila, Juha (1990). Mitä Suomi soittaa?: Hittilistat 1954–87 (in Finnish). Jyväskylän yliopisto. ISBN 95-168-0321-0.
10. ^ "Vanity Fare – Early in the Morning" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
11. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Early in the Morning". Irish Singles Chart.
12. ^ a b Okamoto, Satoshi (2011). Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2010 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 978-4-87131-088-8.
13. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 7 February 1970. p. 72. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Vanity Fare" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
15. ^ "Vanity Fare – Early in the Morning" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
16. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
17. ^ a b Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
18. ^ "Vanity Fare – Early in the Morning". Swiss Singles Chart.
19. ^ "Vanity Fare: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
20. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1994). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1993. Record Research. p. 623\. ISBN 9780898201048.
21. ^ "Adult Contemporary Chart – The week of December 27, 1969". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
22. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending February 7, 1970". Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
23. ^ "100 Top Pops" (PDF). Record World. 24 January 1970. p. 43. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
24. ^ a b c "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Early In The Morning)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
25. ^ "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Early In The Morning)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
26. ^ a b "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 3 January 1970. p. 51. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
27. ^ "Cliff Richard - Sincerely". Discogs. 1969. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
28. ^ "Cliff Richard - Early In The Morning". 45cat. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
29. ^ "Cliff Richard - Early In The Morning". 45cat. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
30. ^ "Cliff Richard - Early In The Morning". 45cat. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
31. ^ "Cliff Richard - Early In The Morning". 45cat. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
32. ^ "Cliff Richard – Early In The Morning (1969, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1969. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
33. ^ "Cliff Richard – Early In The Morning (1969, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1969. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
34. ^ "Cliff Richard & The Shadows – Early In The Morning (1969, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1969. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
35. ^ "Cliff Richard – Early In The Morning / Rattler (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
36. ^ "Vanity Fare – Early In The Morning / Highway Of Dreams (1969, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1969. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
37. ^ "Cliff Richard - Early In The Morning". Top40.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
38. ^ "Mr.Heartbreaker's Chart Liner_Japan #1 DISKS". www.hbr3.sakura.ne.jp. Archived from the original on 11 September 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
39. ^ "Foreign Hits in Japan 1960–1969" (PDF). Billboard. 19 December 1970. p. J-32. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
40. ^ "Foreign Hits in Japan 1960–1969" (PDF). Billboard. 11 December 1971. p. J-16. Retrieved 7 October 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Vanity Fare biography at Allmusic website
* Listen to "Early in the Morning" on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Cliff Richard

Albums (UK)|

| 1950s:|

* Cliff (1959, live)
* Cliff Sings (1959)

|

1960s:|

* Me and My Shadows (1960)
* Listen to Cliff! (1961)
* 21 Today (1961)
* 32 Minutes and 17 Seconds (1962)
* The Young Ones (1962, soundtrack)
* Summer Holiday (1963, soundtrack)
* When in Spain (1963)
* Wonderful Life (1964, soundtrack)
* Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1964, cast album)
* Cliff Richard (1965)
* When in Rome (1965)
* Love Is Forever (1965)
* Kinda Latin (1966)
* Finders Keepers (1966, soundtrack)
* Cinderella (1967, cast album)
* Don't Stop Me Now! (1967)
* Two a Penny (1968, soundtrack)
* Sincerely (1969)

1970s:|

* Tracks 'n Grooves (1970)
* Take Me High (1974, soundtrack)
* I'm Nearly Famous (1976)
* Every Face Tells a Story (1977)
* Small Corners (1978, gospel)
* Green Light (1978)
* Thank You Very Much (1979, live)
* Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile (1979)

1980s:|

* I'm No Hero (1980)
* Wired for Sound (1981)
* Now You See Me, Now You Don't (1982, gospel)
* Dressed for the Occasion (1983, live)
* Silver (1983)
* The Rock Connection (1984)
* Always Guaranteed (1987)
* Stronger (1989)

1990s:|

* From a Distance: The Event (1990, live)
* Together with Cliff Richard (1991)
* The Album (1993)
* Songs from Heathcliff (1995, stage show album)
* Real as I Wanna Be (1998)

2000s:|

* Wanted (2001)
* Cliff at Christmas (2003)
* Something's Goin' On (2004)
* Two's Company (2006)
* Love... The Album (2007)
* Reunited – Cliff Richard and The Shadows (2009)

2010s:|

* Bold as Brass (2010)
* Soulicious (2011)
* The Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll Songbook (2013)
* Just... Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll (2016)
* Rise Up (2018)

2020s:|

* Music... The Air That I Breathe (2020)
* Christmas with Cliff (2022)
* Cliff with Strings – My Kinda Life (2023)

EPs (UK)|

* Serious Charge (1959)
* Expresso Bongo (1960)
* Cliff's Silver Discs (1960)
* Dream (1961)
* Hits from the Young Ones (1962)

Compilations (UK)|

* Cliff's Hit Album (1963)
* 40 Golden Greats (1977)
* Love Songs (1981)
* Walking in the Light (1984, Gospel)
* Private Collection: 1979–1988 (1988)
* The Hit List (1994)
* At the Movies 1959–1974 (1996)
* The Whole Story: His Greatest Hits (2000)
* The Platinum Collection (2005)
* And They Said It Wouldn't Last: My 50 Years in Music (2008)
* The 50th Anniversary Album (2008)
* 75 at 75 (2015)
* Stronger Thru the Years (2017)

Related articles|

* Albums discography
* Singles discography
* Videography
* The Shadows

* v
* t
* e

Cliff Richard singles

1950s|

* "Move It" (1958)
* "High Class Baby" (1958)
* "Livin' Lovin' Doll" (1959)
* "Mean Streak" (1959)
* "Living Doll" (1959)
* "Travellin' Light" / "Dynamite" (1959)

1960s|

* "A Voice in the Wilderness" (1960)
* "Fall in Love with You" (1960)
* "Please Don't Tease" (1960)
* "Nine Times Out of Ten" (1960)
* "I Love You" (1960)
* "Theme for a Dream" (1961)
* "Gee Whizz It's You" (1961)
* "A Girl Like You" (1961)
* "What'd I Say" (1961)
* "When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart" (1961)
* "Forty Days" (1961)
* "Outsider" (1962)
* "The Young Ones" / "We Say Yeah" (1962)
* "Catch Me" (1962)
* "I'm Looking out the Window" / "Do You Want to Dance?" (1962)
* "Lessons in Love" (1962)
* "It'll Be Me" (1962)
* "Wonderful to Be Young" (1962)
* "The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" (1962)
* "Summer Holiday" (1963)
* "Lucky Lips" (1963)
* "It's All in the Game" (1963)
* "Don't Talk to Him" (1963)
* "Maria No Mas" (1963)
* "I'm the Lonely One" (1964)
* "I Only Have Eyes for You" (1964)
* "Constantly (L'Edera)" (1964)
* "On the Beach" (1964)
* "The Twelfth of Never" (1964)
* "I Could Easily Fall (In Love with You)" (1964)
* "The Minute You're Gone" (1965)
* "Angel" (1965)
* "On My Word" (1965)
* "The Time in Between" (1965)
* "Wind Me Up (Let Me Go)" (1965)
* "Blue Turns to Grey" (1966)
* "Visions" (1966)
* "Time Drags By" (1966)
* "In the Country" (1966)
* "It's All Over" (1967)
* "I'll Come Runnin'" (1967)
* "The Day I Met Marie" (1967)"
* "All My Love" (1967)
* "Congratulations" (1968)
* "I'll Love You Forever Today" (1968)
* "Wonderful World" (1968)
* "Marianne" (1968)
* "Don't Forget to Catch Me" (1968)
* "Good Times (Better Times)" (1969)
* "Big Ship" (1969)
* "Early in the Morning" (1969)
* "Throw Down a Line" (1969)
* "With the Eyes of a Child" (1969)

1970s|

* "The Joy of Living" (1970)
* "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha" (1970)
* "I Ain't Got Time Anymore" (1970)
* "Sunny Honey Girl" (1971)
* "Silvery Rain" (1971)
* "Flying Machine" (1971)
* "Sing a Song of Freedom" (1971)
* "Jesus" (1972)
* "Living in Harmony" (1972)
* "Power to All Our Friends" (1973)
* "Help It Along" (1973)
* "Take Me High" (1973)
* "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On" (1974)
* "Honky Tonk Angel" (1975)
* "Miss You Nights" (1976)
* "Devil Woman" (1976)
* "I Can't Ask for Anymore Than You" (1976)
* "Hey Mr. Dream Maker" (1976)
* "My Kinda Life" (1977)
* "When Two Worlds Drift Apart" (1977)
* "Green Light" (1979)
* "We Don't Talk Anymore" (1979)

1980s|

* "Carrie" (1980)
* "Dreamin'" (1980)
* "Suddenly" (1980)
* "A Little in Love" (1980)
* "Give a Little Bit More" (1981)
* "Wired for Sound" (1981)
* "Daddy's Home" (live) (1981)
* "The Only Way Out" (1982)
* "Little Town" (1982)
* "She Means Nothing to Me" (1983)
* "True Love Ways" (live) (1983)
* "Never Say Die (Give a Little Bit More)" (1983)
* "Please Don't Fall in Love" (1983)
* "Baby You're Dynamite" / "Ocean Deep" (1984)
* "Donna" (1984 US)
* "Two to the Power of Love" (1984)
* "Living Doll" (1986)
* "All I Ask of You" (1986)
* "Slow Rivers" (1986)
* "My Pretty One" (1987)
* "Some People" (1987)
* "Remember Me" (1987)
* "Two Hearts" (1988)
* "Mistletoe and Wine" (1988)
* "The Best of Me" (1989)
* "I Just Don't Have the Heart" (1989)
* "Lean on You" (1989)
* "Whenever God Shines His Light" (1989)

1990s|

* "Stronger Than That" (1990)
* "Silhouettes" (live) (1990)
* "From a Distance" (live) (1990)
* "Saviour's Day" (1990)
* "More to Life" (1991)
* "Scarlet Ribbons" (1991)
* "We Should Be Together" (1991)
* "This New Year" (1991)
* "I Still Believe in You" (1992)
* "Peace in Our Time" (1993)
* "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (live) / "Miss You Nights" (1994)
* "Can't Keep this Feeling In" (1998)
* "The Millennium Prayer" (1999)

2000s|

* "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"/"What a Wonderful World" (medley) (2001)
* "21st Century Christmas" / "Move It" (2006)
* "When I Need You" (2007)
* "Thank You for a Lifetime" (2008)
* "Singing the Blues" (2009)

2010s|

* "Rip It Up" (2013)
* "Since I Lost My Baby" (2014)
* "Roll Over Beethoven" (2016)
* "Blue Suede Shoes" (2017)

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