Johnny Mathis - I'm Coming Home (1973) [2003, Remastered Reissue]

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Johnny Mathis - I'm Coming Home (1973) [2003, Remastered Reissue]

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Johnny Mathis - I'm Coming Home (1973) [2003, Remastered Reissue]

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"I'm Coming Home" is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 21, 1973, by Columbia Records and was mainly composed of material written by the songwriting team of its producer, Thom Bell, and Linda Creed. Unlike several of the Mathis albums before it, I'm Coming Home relied primarily on new songs and included only two covers of established chart hits, both of which were by The Stylistics ("I'm Stone in Love with You" and "Stop Look and Listen to Your Heart"). The album made its first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated November 17, 1973, and remained there for 22 weeks, peaking at #115. It also began an 11-week run on the UK album chart on March 8, 1975, during which time it made it to #18. On July 1, 1975, the British Phonographic Industry awarded the album with Silver certification for sales of 60,000 units. The title track was released as the first single from the album on July 27, 1973, and entered Billboard's list of the 50 most popular Easy Listening songs in the US the following month in the issue of the magazine dated August 25 to begin an 18-week stay that included a week at #1 - Mathis's first week in the top spot on that particular chart. The song entered the Hot 100 in the September 22 issue, reaching #75 over the course of 10 weeks, and gave him his first Soul chart entry in almost 10 years when it started a five-week run in the October 6 issue that took the song to #92. The second single released in the US, "Life Is a Song Worth Singing", made its first appearance on the Easy Listening chart in the issue dated December 22, 1973, and got as high as #8 during its 15 weeks there. The December 29 issue saw its debut on the Hot 100, which resulted in a 12-week stay and a peak position at #54, and its eight-week Soul chart run began in the January 26 issue and took it to #65. A third song from the album, "Sweet Child", began a five-week run on the Easy Listening chart that spring in the June 1 issue and got to #35. The only song from the album to make the UK singles chart, "I'm Stone in Love with You", started its 12 weeks there on January 25, 1975, and made it to #10. It also entered the Easy Listening chart in the US two months later, on March 29, and reached #16 during its nine weeks there. The album was released for the first time on compact disc on July 1, 2003. On March 10, 2015, Real Gone Music released "Life Is a Song Worth Singing: The Complete Thom Bell Sessions", a two-disc set featuring remastered editions of "I'm Coming Home" and Mathis and Bell's other LP collaboration, "Mathis Is...", along with bonus tracks on each disc.

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Johnny Mathis - I'm Coming Home (1973) [2003, Remastered Reissue]

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Johnny Mathis is teamed with producer, arranger, and writer Thom Bell and his cohort, lyricist Linda Creed. Both became very popular for their works with the Spinners, Stylistics, and others. On this outing, Bell applies his ubiquitous arrangements to the dulcet yet captivating vocals of Mathis. The album did spawn one single in the title track, "I'm Coming Home." It peaked on the Billboard R&B and pop charts at 92 and 75, respectively. Its flow is as beguiling as a cool summer's night. Mathis even provides his own renditions of the seldom heard "I'm Stone in Love with You," "Life Is a Song Worth Singing," and "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)." Mathis' articulation is just as precise as the Stylistics version, but with a classical feel. On the moderately paced "And I Think That's What I'll Do," Mathis blends right in with the dynamic string and horn arrangement that Bell has crafted. Most of these numbers have that Stylistics, Spinners, and even Temptations aura, and are good listening songs.

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Johnny Mathis - I'm Coming Home (1973) [2003, Remastered Reissue]

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Johnny Mathis - I'm Coming Home (1973) [2003, Remastered Reissue]

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