I Go Crazy (Paul Davis song)

"I Go Crazy" is a song written, composed, and recorded by American singer-songwriter Paul Davis. It was the first single released from his 1977 album Singer of Songs: Teller of Tales, and his second-highest peaking pop hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard chart in 1978. The song entered the Hot 100 on August 27, 1977 and began slowly climbing, peaking in March and April 1978, before dropping off the chart the week after May 27, 1978. Overall, it spent 40 weeks (nine months and one week) on the Hot 100, setting what was then the record for the longest run on that chart.

During the March 4, 1978 American Top 40 show, Casey Kasem said that Davis begged his studio to have the song presented to Lou Rawls, who he thought would make it a huge success. But when the studio saw how much faith he had in the chances of the song's success, it instead decided to release a lightly edited version of Davis's own studio demo version. (Rawls did release his cover version of the song two years later.)

Content

The lyrics describe the feelings of a man who has an unexpected meeting with a former girlfriend. Both have moved on from the relationship, and he had thought she was out of his life forever. Looking at her, however, rekindles his old affection and makes him "go crazy", at least inwardly. To his credit, he does not act on these feelings, though he does realize that he is not really over her.

Personnel

Instrumental credits taken from Mixonline.

Paul Davis – lead and backing vocals, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Crumar Univox Stringman
Alan Feingold – grand piano, ARP Odyssey
Kenny Mims – electric guitar
Bill Linnane - keyboard
Ed Seay – bass guitar, backing vocals
James Stroud – drums
Michael Zager – string arrangements

Covers

The song has been covered by several artists, including four whose versions were released as singles:

Lee Greenwood, on his 1989 album If Only for One Night; Greenwood's version was issued as a single that summer for the country music market
Will Downing, on his 1991 album A Dream Fulfilled; Downing's version was also a single
David D also covered this song in the early nineties
Barry Manilow, on his 1996 album Summer of '78
DHT, on their 2005 album Listen to Your Heart
Hong Kong singer Leon Lai covered it in Cantonese titled "心爱"

Chart performance

Paul Davis

Weekly charts

Chart (1977–1978)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Singles	4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	7
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening	25
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	7

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)	Rank
Canada	39
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	12
U.S. Cash Box	44

Lee Greenwood

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)	47
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)	55

Will Downing

Chart (1991)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	37

Barry Manilow

Chart (1997)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	30

DHT featuring Edmée

Chart (2006)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)	3
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)	15
France (SNEP)	76
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	56

References

"Song: I Go Crazy written by Paul Davis [US] | SecondHandSongs". SecondHandSongs.
Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (July 17, 2000). "The Linen: Soft Rock". Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-312-19821-3.
"Paul Davis - I Go Crazy / Reggae Kinda Way - Bang - USA - B-733". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
""I Go Crazy" singer Paul Davis dies". CNN. 2008-04-23. Archived from the original on 2008-05-30. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
"Classic Tracks: Paul Davis' "I Go Crazy"". October 2020.
"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
"Cash Box Top 100 4/01/78".
"Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
"Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
"Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1978". Archived from the original on 2012-10-27. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
"Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6559." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 23, 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
"Lee Greenwood Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
"DHT feat. Edmée – I Go Crazy" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
"DHT feat. Edmée – I Go Crazy" (in French). Ultratip.
"DHT feat. Edmée – I Go Crazy" (in French). Les classement single.
"DHT feat. Edmée – I Go Crazy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.

v t e Paul Davis
Studio albums	Cool Night
Singles	"A Little Bit of Soap" "I Go Crazy" "Sweet Life" "Do Right" "Cool Night" "'65 Love Affair" "Love or Let Me Be Lonely"
Related articles	"You're Still New to Me" "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love"

v t e Barry Manilow singles
1970s	"Mandy" (1974) "Sandra" (1974) "It's a Miracle" (1975) "Could It Be Magic" (1975) "I Write the Songs" (1975) "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" (1976) "This One's for You" (1976) "Weekend in New England" (1976) "Looks Like We Made It" (1977) "Daybreak" (1977) "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" (1977) "Can't Smile Without You" (1978) "Even Now" (1978) "Copacabana" (1978) "Ready to Take a Chance Again" (1978) "Somewhere in the Night" (1978) "Ships" (1979) "When I Wanted You" (1979)
1980s	"I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (1980) "Bermuda Triangle" (1980) "I Made It Through the Rain" (1980) "Lonely Together" (1981) "The Old Songs" (1981) "Somewhere Down the Road" (1981) "Let's Hang On!" (1982) "Stay" (1982) "Oh Julie" (1982) "Memory" (1982) "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" (1982) "Read 'Em and Weep" (1983) "When October Goes" (1984) "Run to Me" (1985) "I'm Your Man" (1986) "Keep Each Other Warm" (1989)
1990s	"If I Can Dream" (1990) "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" (1997) "I Go Crazy" (1997)
2000s	"River" (2003) "Unchained Melody" (2006) "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" (2006) "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (2007)
2010s	"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (2012)

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