Photograph (Ed Sheeran song)
"Photograph" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran from his second studio album, "×" (2014). Sheeran wrote the song with Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid, who had a piano loop from which the composition developed. After recording several versions with other producers, Sheeran eventually solicited help from Jeff Bhasker; the collaboration generated a version that Bhasker further enhanced for months. The ballad derives its music primarily from an acoustic guitar, piano and programmed drums. With visually descriptive lyrics, it discusses a long-distance relationship inspired by Sheeran's own experience of being away from his then-girlfriend while he was on tour.
The song received generally supportive commentary from critics, who noted the lyrics and Sheeran's use of love for all people. "Photograph" served as the fifth and final single from the album. It reached the top five on the main singles charts in more than five countries. In the US, where it peaked at number ten, "Photograph" became the third single from the album to have reached within the top ten. In the UK, it reached number fifteen and has since been certified quadruple platinum. The single has also been certified double platinum in Australia and Canada, and platinum in New Zealand and Italy.
The single's release on 23 June 2014 followed the premiere of the music video on 9 May 2015. The video is a montage of real home footage of Sheeran's infancy, childhood and adolescence, providing insight on his private early life, such as his inclination to playing music instruments and fondness of Lego. The video was nominated for Best Video at the 2016 Brit Awards. Sheeran performed the song on television shows and on his x Tour, which ran from 2014 to 2015.
Background and composition.
Ed Sheeran wrote "Photograph" in May 2012 with Johnny McDaid, instrumentalist and background vocalist of the Irish band Snow Patrol. Sheeran toured with the band as a support act in select North American dates. McDaid had a three-note piano loop that became the basis of "Photograph". The song's development began when Sheeran, while in a hotel room in Kansas City, was humming "loving can hurt, loving can hurt" to the loop that was playing on McDaid's laptop. Sheeran recalled: "I started humming, and then [McDaid] put a beat behind it."
They developed ideas for the song while Sheeran was building a Lego and McDaid was working on his laptop. After four hours, Sheeran picked up a guitar and they began properly structuring the composition. According to Sheeran, they ended up composing the song "within about half an hour". Both realized what had transpired only after listening back to the song the following day; they then decided on recording it. Sheeran completed writing the song while in Denver, Colorado.
Sheeran credited "Photograph" as the first record "properly" completed for his second studio album. According to him, he had "probably" recorded 60 to 70 versions of the song; these varied from live to that with piano accompaniment. Aside from the earlier versions he made with McDaid, Sheeran had recordings with songwriter-producer, Jake Gosling, who produced much of Sheeran's debut album, and producer, Rick Rubin, who was involved in other tracks from the follow-up album. However, Sheeran thought these versions "never fit" and he eventually solicited help from producer, Jeff Bhasker. This particular collaboration generated a version that Bhasker continued to enhance for several months. Emile Haynie was credited on the album's liner notes for his additional production. On 24 January 2015, Sheeran recalled the backstory of "Photograph" for the VH1 Storytellers.
Music, lyrics and inspiration.
An acoustic pop ballad, "Photograph" derives its music from an acoustic guitar, piano, strings, organ, electric and bass guitar, and programmed drums. The melody builds up with the guitar strums and piano keys; the drums, strings, organ etc. then follow. It has a tempo of 108 beats per minute and the originally published key is in E major. "Photograph" features a chord progression that is common in popular music.
The lyrics to the song chronicle a long-distance relationship. It contains detailed imagery such as the protagonist remembering his girlfriend kissing him "under the lamppost, back on 6th street", and keeping a picture of him "in the pocket of [her] ripped jeans". These lyrics were inspired by Sheeran's own experience on a long-distance relationship. He dated Nina Nesbitt, a Scottish singer/songwriter, for more than a year. While in this relationship, Sheeran spent five months away from Nesbitt: three months while on a concert tour with Snow Patrol and further two months on his own tour. At his concert in Kansas City on 27 June 2017, Sheeran noted that he wrote "Photograph" at Kansas City's Intercontinental Hotel during a previous tour.
Release.
In February 2013, Sheeran played a demo version of "Photograph" to a German radio station. This performance was not recorded in film or audio. Sheeran played the song again pre-release at a show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on 14 July 2014. Taylor Swift was seen at the concert, notably, the only person in the crowd who knew the lyrics to this unreleased song." Sheeran favoured the song as one of the best in the album and claimed: "I think ["Photograph"] will be the one that will change my, kind of, career path." He also asserted that "Photograph" would serve as the "collateral" song that could "sell [the album]" even if the rest of the tracks would not prove appealing.
The song was released as an "instant grat" digital download to the iTunes Store on 20 June 2014; it served as the final of seven promotional singles from his second studio album, × (2014). On 22 April 2015, through his Twitter account, Sheeran announced that "Photograph" would be the next single off "×". It was released on 11 May 2015 to hot adult contemporary format, and the following day to contemporary hit radio in the US. On 12 June 2015, "Photograph" was released to the German market in CD format with the B-side, "I Will Take You Home". The latter track was featured in the American television sitcom, "Cougar Town".
"Photograph" served as the fifth and last single released from the album. Of the five singles, preceded by two upbeat songs such as the lead single, "Sing", "Photograph" was the second mellow track released from "×". The first was "Thinking Out Loud", the third single, which is a blue-eyed soul record produced by Gosling. According to Sheeran, no one from his label wanted "Thinking Out Loud" as a single release; they favoured "Photograph" as the "big song". "Photograph" was supposed to be the main single, but when "Thinking Out Loud" spent several weeks within the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart albeit not in radio rotation, the latter song was kept as the third single.
Critical reception.
Upon the album's release, critical response to "Photograph" was generally positive. In his track-by-track review of "x" for "Billboard" magazine, Jason Lipshutz suggested that the line "Loving can hurt sometimes/But it's the only thing that I know" in "Photograph" was the "lynchpin line of the whole album". Sarah Rodman of "The Boston Globe" had the same sentiment; she called the song "haunting" and felt it "[crept] up on you with [its] tunefulness". Jamieson Cox of "Time" described Sheeran's use of "detail and powerful imagery" in the lyrics as "smart"; Cox opined that it "[brought the song] to life".
Neil McCormick of "The Daily Telegraph" deemed the track "soulful balladry" and felt it showcased that Sheeran "can slip smoothly through the gears" on the album. Lipshutz described his singing as being "restrained" over "hesitant" acoustic guitar strum before the "arena drums kick in". Paul Cantor of "Vibe" picked "Photograph" as one of the standouts from the album, and noted that the song's "brooding arrangement is an emotional roller coaster". Kitty Empire of "The Observer" called "Photograph" a "swelling ballad", and suggested that Sheeran's writing was "particularly calculated". In his review for MusicOMH, John Murphy also felt that "Photograph" was "calculated and a bit cynical, almost as if it's been written specifically as a soundtrack to a particularly emotional scene in a US television series".
On her analysis of the lyrical content of the album, Annie Zaleski of "The A.V. Club" expressed that Sheeran's "self-awareness extends to the rest" of the album by tackling homesickness in "Photograph", for instance. Meanwhile, Carolyn Menyes of the Music Times wrote in her review of the song that "in the grander scheme of x, 'Photograph' doesn't quite seem to line up lyrically", and noted that most of the album's songs explored "the feelings of a lover scorned, cheating exes and a little bit of the excess life". She also said: "Simply put: 'Photograph' is one of Sheeran's more simplistically beautiful songs."
McDaid's involvement in the song was noted by a few critics. Kevin Harly of "The Independent" wrote: "If you didn’t know Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid produced the ballad 'Photograph', its stolid plod through clichés about how lovin' 'can hurt' and 'heal' should tell you". Meanwhile, Dave Hanratty of "Drowned in Sound" remarked: "... the cloying 'Photograph' ... is co-written and produced by a member of Snow Patrol should surprise nobody, given that it follows their heartstring-tugging script so resolutely. At least it moves." "The Herald"'s Alan Morrison felt that "Photograph" was "identikit Snow Patrol".
Chart performance.
"Photograph" and the rest of the album's tracks entered the UK Singles Chart due to high streaming rates. The single debuted at number 44 on the chart week ending 5 July 2014, ten months prior to the single's release. It peaked at number 15, and has spent 50 weeks on the chart as of the week ending 5 November 2015. On 17 March 2017, the British Phonographic Industry certified the single quadruple platinum for combined sales of 2.4 million units. As of September 2017, the song has accumulated 386,000 copies in actual sales, and with 96 million streams, it has a combined total of 1,347,000 units.
In the US, the single reached number 10 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and marked the third top 10 from the album. With "Photograph", Sheeran also became the ninth male solo artist since 2010 to spawn four top 20 hits from a single album, excluding deluxe editions. In specific formats such as the Mainstream Top 40, the single reached the top 10 on the week ending 29 August 2015; it gave the album four that have achieved the threshold. The single was first certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on 21 July 2015, double platinum on 29 February 2016 and triple platinum on 16 August 2017. As of June 2016, the song has sold 1,551,000 copies in the US. Elsewhere, the single reached top five in Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Slovakia, and South Africa.
In April 2015, commercial streaming company Spotify released a report of the most streamed tracks worldwide under the category sleep. "Photograph" placed at number 18; it joined Sheeran's other six songs ranked in the top 20. Sleep is one of the company's most popular categories that, according to Spotify, "people also use for general relaxation and to help themselves unwind". "The Guardian" columnist Tim Dowling suggested that the report was an indication of "very popular, slightly mellow songs that keep cropping up on sleep playlists" but not a list of a "carefully curated journey to unconsciousness".
Controversy.
On 9 June 2016, it was reported that Sheeran was being sued by songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard, writers of Matt Cardle's 2011 single "Amazing", for $20 million for copyright infringement. The lawsuit says: "Given the striking similarity between the chorus of Amazing and Photograph, (the) defendants knew when writing, publishing, recording, releasing, and distributing Photograph that they were infringing on a pre-existing musical composition." The lawsuit was privately settled in April 2017, with no admission of guilt.
In March 2022, while in court for a separate lawsuit over his song "Shape of You", Sheeran said that he settled the "Photograph" complaint on the advice of his lawyers, as the case was "more trouble than it was worth". He later also said he was on tour at the time, and was advised that the culture around copyright claims meant that he "probably would lose". He thought that settling the case opened a floodgate of claims, and led to the "Shape of You" lawsuit. After he won the "Shape of You" case, he said he regretted settling the claim for "Photograph", not because of the money involved, but because it changed his relationship with the song. He said: "I didn't play 'Photograph' for ages after that. I just stopped playing it. I felt weird about it, it kind of made me feel dirty."
Music video.
An accompanying music video for "Photograph" was released on 9 May 2015. The video is a montage of real home footage. Sheeran sourced the clips from his father, who was then compiling it into DVDs for their family Christmas present. He initially intended the clips for inclusion in a documentary that was being produced around that time; but looking through the collection, he thought it might work for a music video. Sheeran also admitted he could not attend to an actual video shoot, hence he opted for the montage. Emil Nava, who had previously worked with Sheeran on his other promotional music videos, directed "Photograph". Editor Ellie Johnson worked with Sheeran's father while in central London. According to Johnson, they spent a weekend gathering the clips used in the montage.
The montage chronicles Sheeran's infancy, childhood and adolescence (1990s and 2000s). It features Sheeran playing various music instruments (including piano, cello, bass, acoustic guitar and drums), suggesting that he was musically inclined at a young age. He is also shown displaying his skill in Bodhrán, an Irish frame drum. Other footage depicts a teen Sheeran busking in Galway, Ireland. In another clip before the final, Sheeran is shown performing to a crowd at a festival. Daniel Kreps of "Rolling Stone" noted that the clips also revealed Sheeran's "lifelong obsession with Legos", an object the latter referenced on his 2011 single "Lego House". Another clip shows Sheeran as a toddler in the bathtub with a toy that appears to be of Thomas the Tank Engine.
According to Ryan Book of the Music Times, the media form utilized in the montage contradicted the song's title. Kreps stated that the video was reminiscent of "", a documentary film about Nirvana front man and 1990s rock icon Kurt Cobain. According to Kreps, the private life of both artists in their youth were revealed through real home videos.
Live performances and usage in media.
"Photograph" was performed on television prior to its commercial release. On 13 December 2014, Sheeran appeared on "The X Factor UK", where he gave his first televised performance of the song. This performance contributed to the song's first ascent inside the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart. Sheeran also performed the song for various US television shows such as on "Good Morning America", "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", and "Undateable", at Canada's Much Music Video Awards, and at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival. The song was part of the setlist in Sheeran's x Tour; the concert tour ran from 2014 to 2015.
English singer Foxes covered the song for the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.
Other recordings.
The song was recorded by Jordan Feliz, for his debut studio album, "Beloved", released by Centricity Music. A critic says the acoustic rendition shows, "his falsetto shining", while another writes it is an "incredible" cover song, on a track meant to convey the temporal nature with which worldly mortal relationships have compared to one with God's son Jesus Christ. Jessica Mauboy covered the song on her 2016 album, "".
In 2021, The Portraits (an alt-folk duo, Jeremy and Lorraine Millington, previously known for a 2020 cover of "Together in Electric Dreams" with their daughter, which they said was similar to the 2021 John Lewis advert song) released a cover of "Photograph" with their 15-year-old daughter, Ciara Mill, on lead vocals again and a Somerset choir called the Skylarks backing them, alongside The Somerset County orchestra. Picked as one of the Official Charts Company's Christmas No 1 Contenders, the record has been recorded as a charity release for Cruse Bereavement Support and Mental Health Ireland and comes with a video which features 300 photos of people who lost their lives during the Covid pandemic.
It was performed by Trace Adkins and Iñigo Pascual on the second episode of the country music drama series "Monarch".
Credits and personnel.
Credits adapted from the album liner notes.
Charts.
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References.
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Thinking Out Loud
2014 single by Ed Sheeran
"Thinking Out Loud" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran recorded for his second studio album, "×" (2014). It was written by Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge, and produced by frequent collaborator Jake Gosling. It was released in the US on 14 August 2014 as the album's third single.
In the UK, the song spent 19 weeks within the top 40 before peaking at number one in early November 2014; it became Sheeran's second number-one single there. The single has also reached the top spot in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, the Netherlands, Slovakia and South Africa, and peaked at number two on both the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100. It was Sheeran's highest-charting single in North America until "Shape of You" topped the charts in both countries in 2017.
In June 2015, "Thinking Out Loud" became the first single to spend a full year in the UK top 40. In September 2015, it also became the seventh single to have achieved triple platinum certification in the UK during the 21st century. In October 2015, the song became the first to be streamed over 500 million times on Spotify, is also one of the most streamed songs in the UK and has been viewed more than 3.8 billion times on YouTube as of February 2025.
"Thinking Out Loud" received nominations for Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 58th Grammy Awards, winning the latter two.
Background and writing.
Sheeran wrote "Thinking Out Loud" with Amy Wadge, a Wales-based singer-songwriter. He met Wadge when he was 17 years old and they had since written several songs together. Of these, five songs composed the extended play "Songs I Wrote with Amy", which Sheeran independently released on 4 April 2010. Wadge also co-wrote the song "Gold Rush", a track on the deluxe version of Sheeran's debut album, "+" (2011).
In February 2014, Wadge visited Sheeran at home for a "chilling-out time". Around that time, Sheeran's second studio album, "×", was nearly completed. Wadge revealed that her visit was not supposed to be a songwriting session. While Sheeran was taking a shower, Wadge played a few chords on a guitar. The tune caught the attention of Sheeran and he ran downstairs. Sheeran suggested working with the tune, but only after returning home from dinner, work began. The melody developed from a simple riff. According to Sheeran, he composed the melody on a guitar in a manner which was "very Van-like", referring to Van Morrison. The Irish musician has been an inspiration to Sheeran since a young age, and Sheeran wanted to capture that vibe when he composed the song.
In the kitchen, Sheeran and Wadge began writing the song at 2:00am on 4 February 2014, and completed it in 20 minutes. According to Wadge, the lyrical content resulted from her and Sheeran's talking about "everlasting love", inspired by the circumstances relevant at that time. Sheeran also revealed that the lyrics were inspired by his then-girlfriend, Athina Andrelos, whom Sheeran met in early 2014. Sheeran would later explain that he wrote the song "in a relationship at a really, really happy point". Sheeran revealed that he also had his grandparents in mind and maintaining love in old age ("'til we're 70" in the lyrics), and the early version of the chorus was "I'm singing out now" before it became "I'm thinking out loud". Immediately after writing, Sheeran recorded the song on his phone. He was keen to include "Thinking Out Loud" on the second album. He properly recorded the song the following day at the Sticky Studios, a recording facility located in the small Surrey village of Windlesham, and informed Wadge of its inclusion on the album. It became the last song recorded for the album. For "Thinking Out Loud", Sheeran sought the assistance of Jake Gosling, who produced much of his debut album and had earlier contributed tracks, four of which appear on the standard version of the second album.
Composition.
"Thinking Out Loud" is a romantic ballad with blue-eyed soul influences. Sheeran referred to it as a "walking down the aisle song". In the lyrics, Sheeran reflects on "getting older and fidelity and love in a fairly conventional context", according to Eric Clarke, professor of music at University of Oxford.
The song was composed in the key of D major with a tempo of 79 beats per minute. Sheeran's vocals range from B2 to A4. In the mix, Sheeran's voice is "unusually" loud over the instruments, which, for Mike Senior of the music technology magazine, "Sound on Sound", is "surprisingly rare" in contemporary records. Senior analysed the vocal elements in which he found that, in spite of several notes sung off pitch, "the overall framework of the vocal remains fundamentally in tune".
Journalists noted similarities between "Thinking Out Loud" and "Let's Get It On", a 1973 single by soul musician Marvin Gaye. Andrew Unterberger of "Spin" wrote that "the gently loping four-note bass pattern and crisp '70s soul drums absolutely smack of the Gaye classic, as do the embrace-insistent lyrics and general candlelit-bedroom feel". Jason Lipshutz of "Billboard" called it a "sleek update" of the classic.
Release.
Prior to the album release, Sheeran debuted "Thinking Out Loud" on 24 May 2014 by performing it live on the British music television show, "Later... with Jools Holland". The debut followed the release of the video accompaniment to "Sing", the album's lead single. "Thinking Out Loud" was immediately perceived as having contrast to "Sing", which is a "high-energy funk/R&B-infused song". "Thinking Out Loud" became available on 18 June 2014 as an "instant grat" download for consumers who pre-ordered "×" on the iTunes Store. It served as a promotional single from "×", which was released two days later. On the standard version of the album, "Thinking Out Loud" is the next-to-last track, the last being "Afire Love".
"Thinking Out Loud" was initially serviced to Australian radio on 14 August 2014 and later released on 24 September 2014. It served as the third of five singles released from the album; it followed the songs, "Sing" and "Don't", the first and second single respectively. According to Sheeran, no one from his record label wanted to release "Thinking Out Loud" as a single, favouring over "Photograph" as the "big song". "Photograph" was supposed to be the main single, but when "Thinking Out Loud" spent several weeks within the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart albeit not receiving rotation, the latter song was kept as the third single. "Photograph" was later released as the fifth and final single. "Thinking Out Loud" was issued on 7" vinyl exclusively as part of the Black Friday Record Store Day, which was celebrated on 28 November 2014. The vinyl record included, as a B-side, the live version of "I'm A Mess" which Sheeran performed at the Lightship 95 studio. On 26 December 2015, Sheeran released an Irish-language version of "Thinking Out Loud" for the Irish album "CEOL 2016".
Critical reception.
Lauren Murphy of "The Irish Times" noted that the "injection of blue-eyed soul" on the song is "enjoyable", and that it "makes Sheeran's aptitude for melody difficult to dismiss". Jim Beviglia of the "American Songwriter" thought that although "tidy", "Thinking Out Loud" comes "toothless" compared with the "daring confessionals" Sheeran made on the other songs.
"The Washington Post" writer, Allison Stewart, has hailed the song as "a blatant and mercilessly effective bid for 'I'll Be'-style wedding-song immortality". "Billboard" magazine's Jason Lipshutz, commented that Sheeran "pushes this bold stab at romance past its sappiest moments, and ends the album on a likable note". Jamieson Cox of "Time" wrote that "the album's greatest moment by a country mile is relegated to its penultimate slot", referring to "Thinking Out Loud".
Chart performance.
"Thinking Out Loud" topped several charts in Europe, Oceania and South Africa, and reached the top ten in several other countries in North America (see Weekly charts below). Upon the album's release, the single debuted at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. On 2 November 2014, "Thinking Out Loud" topped the UK Singles Chart in its 19th week in the Top 40, becoming Sheeran's second UK number one and breaking the record for the longest ascent to number one. In the week ending 27 June 2015, it had spent a record consecutive 52 weeks (or a full year) inside the top 40. Around the same time, the single had accumulated 1.65 million combined sales and streams; it became one of the 161 million-selling singles and the 26th best-selling of the 2010s in the UK. On 18 September 2015, the British Phonographic Industry certified the single triple platinum for combined sales (including streaming points) of 1,800,000 units. As of September 2017, the song has sold 1,219,000 copies with 130 million streams, making a total of 2,521,000 units sold in the United Kingdom. In February 2025, its certification was upgraded to octuple platinum, denoting sales and streams of over 4,800,000.
In the US, "Thinking Out Loud" peaked at number two on the all-encompassing chart "Billboard" Hot 100; the single became Sheeran's highest-charting single until the release of "Shape of You" in 2017. It remained the runner-up spot for eight consecutive weeks, a chart feat last held in 2004. "Thinking Out Loud" was kept off the top spot by "Uptown Funk", although it outperformed the latter song for a week in February 2015 on the "Billboard" Digital Songs. On other specific US charts, "Thinking Out Loud" reached number one on the "Billboard" Adult Pop Songs for the week ending 21 February 2015, marking Sheeran's first. For the week ending 21 March 2015, "Thinking Out Loud" held the top position on the "Billboard" Pop Songs, Adult Pop Songs, and Adult Contemporary charts, becoming the fourth song in history to lead all three adult charts simultaneously. In celebration of Google Play's fifth anniversary, Google announced "Thinking Out Loud" as the top-selling song on the platform. "Thinking Out Loud" is Sheeran's best-selling song in the United States, with 5,622,000 copies sold as of September 2017.
On streaming services.
In the UK, Sheeran's native country, "Thinking Out Loud" claimed the record for the most streams in a single week in December 2014. The track accumulated over 1,638,000 streams, and subsequently achieved a personal best of 1,850,000 streams in the week ending 21 December 2014. This record has since been broken by several songs.
In April 2015, the song ranked as the most popular based on the 2.8 million sleep-themed playlists created by Spotify users. Sleep is one of the company's most popular categories that, according to Spotify, "people also use for general relaxation and to help themselves unwind". "The Guardian" columnist Tim Dowling suggested that the report indicated "very popular, slightly mellow songs that keep cropping up on sleep playlists" but not a list of a "carefully curated journey to unconsciousness".
In October 2015, "Thinking Out Loud" set the record of most streams of a song on Spotify, having accumulated over 500 million streams. The company created the "Sheerio Index", an interactive graphic map which showed where Sheeran was most popular. The colour-based map indicated that Sheeran was most popular in Denmark. It was surpassed a month later by "Lean On", a song by Major Lazer and DJ Snake featuring MØ.
Music video.
Emil Nava directed the video accompaniment to the single. Most of it was filmed in the Crystal Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The video was shot continuously using a 16 mm film camera.
Unlike Sheeran's earlier videos, where he assumed a low profile, he took the lead role on "Thinking Out Loud". In the video, Sheeran executes a contemporary dance with Brittany Cherry, a contestant from the televised American dance competition, "So You Think You Can Dance". The routine was choreographed by Nappytabs and with training help from Paul Karmiryan. While on concert tour, Sheeran spent five hours a day for three weeks to practice with Cherry.
The video was released on 7 October 2014. After the first 24 hours, the video had over 2.7 million views on video-sharing website, YouTube. As of October 2022, it has 3.5 billion views, making it the 17th most viewed video on the site. The music video received four nominations at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year and Best Male Video.
Live performances.
On 26 October 2014, Sheeran performed the song on third live results show of series 11 of "The X Factor". He also performed it on 9 November 2014 in the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards. Sheeran also performed the song as a special guest at "The Voice"'s live finale on 16 December 2014. Furthermore, Sheeran performed the track on the Christmas Special of "The Jonathan Ross Show" on 20 December 2014. He also performed the song at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on 8 February 2015 along with John Mayer, Questlove, Adam Blackstone, and Herbie Hancock. Sheeran performed "Thinking Out Loud" on 13 April 2015 results show of the second series of "The X Factor" in New Zealand. Sheeran also performed the song at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2014. On 15 August 2024, Sheeran and Taylor Swift performed "Thinking Out Loud" at Wembley Stadium in London as part of a mashup with their collaborations "Everything Has Changed" and "End Game" for Swift's Eras Tour (2023–2024).
Parodies and usage in media.
On 28 April 2015 episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", actor Jeremy Renner, known for his role as Hawkeye in the "Avengers" movies, performed on piano and sang a song captioned by Fallon's show on YouTube as "Hawkeye Sings About His Super Powers". While not parodying Sheeran's lyrics, it is sung to the same tune. The lyrics suggest that Hawkeye feels defensive compared with the other Avengers as he was the only mortally human one in a team of superhuman or enhanced heroes: "But listen, I've got powers too; they're pretty sweet. / I promise I can do so much more than just archery ... / I can open a pickle jar. / I'm friggin' Hawkeye. / Maybe I'm as super as they are."
The song and video were also parodied in the CW series "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend". Titled "Let's Have Intercourse", the song was sung by Scott Michael Foster with Rachel Bloom appearing in the scene dancing with Foster in the same manner as Sheeran and Cherry. The lyrics are an appeal by Foster's character, Nathaniel Plimpton III, to series protagonist Rebecca Bunch (Bloom) to have sex whilst trapped in an elevator.
Plagiarism allegations.
On 10 August 2016, it was announced that the family of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", was suing Sheeran, alleging that "the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic compositions of 'Thinking' are substantially and/or strikingly similar to the drum composition of 'Let's [Get It On]'." The case was dismissed without prejudice in February 2017. Two years later, on 28 June 2018, Ed Sheeran was again sued on similar grounds, this time for $100 million in damages by Structured Asset Sales, owners of one-third of the copyright to "Let's Get It On". The case was heard by a jury in New York City in 2023, which found in favor of Sheeran.
Sheeran's defence rests on the argument that, while the two songs have similar "building blocks" and a specific chord progression in particular, such features are true for many pop songs. After winning the trial, Sheeran said: "These chords are common building blocks which were used to create music long before 'Let’s Get It On' was written and will be used to create music long after we are all gone."
Formats and track listings.
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Credits and personnel.
Credits adapted from the album liner notes:
Charts.
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Chad Brownlee version.
Canadian country singer Chad Brownlee recorded a cover version and released it as a single in 2015. He also released a video of himself performing the song.
References.
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Thinking Out Loud (Frank Gambale album)
Thinking Out Loud is the seventh studio album by guitarist Frank Gambale, released in 1995 through Victor Entertainment and reissued on 24 April 2001 through Samson Records.
Critical reception.
Scott Yanow at AllMusic awarded "Thinking Out Loud" two stars out of five. He described it as "sounding unexpectedly close to George Benson", but Gambale's compositions were criticised as weak ("funky but without soul or any worthwhile melodies") and Dave Weckl's performances as "remarkably dull automatic pilot drumming".
Personnel.
"Thinking Out Loud" is credited to the following:
References.
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Thinking Out Loud (disambiguation)
"Thinking Out Loud" is a 2014 single by Ed Sheeran.
Thinking out Loud may also refer to:
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See also.
Topics referred to by the same term
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 This page lists associated with the title .

LoveJo2
Information.
The song "Thinkin Out Loud" was originally released as an interlude on JoJo's second mixtape, Agápē in 2012. JoJo has stated that insecurity about her vocal performance led her to not release the song in its entirety. The second track on the EP is a cover of Soul II Soul's 1989 single, "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)". "Right On Time" is a 1996 single by Donna Lewis, but JoJo had to remove the song from the EP after Donna Lewis threatened legal action. JoJo has since removed "Right On Time" along with a 'Tour Video' of the song due to Donna Lewis threatening legal action. As of January 2025, the entire EP is unavailable to stream on digital platforms for unknown reasons.
References.
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Thinking Out Loud (Young Dolph album)
Thinking Out Loud is the third studio album by American rapper Young Dolph. It was released on October 20, 2017, by Paper Route Empire. It features guest appearances from DRAM, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla Sign. Meanwhile, The album's production is handled by Drumma Boy, Zaytoven, Mike Will Made It, Cassius Jay and Honorable C.N.O.T.E., among others.
Background.
Young Dolph was involved in a shooting in which he suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Shortly after his release from the hospital, Young Dolph announced the album's title and release date.
Singles.
Three of the album's songs were released as promotional singles. "While U Here" was released as the album's first single on October 16, 2017. While "Believe Me" and "Drippy" were released as the second and third singles on October 18, 2017 and October 19, 2017, respectively.
Commercial performance.
"Thinking Out Loud" debuted at number 16 on the US "Billboard" 200 dated October 31, 2017, with 23,487 album-equivalent units (including 4,689 pure album sales).
Track listing.
Notes
References.
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Thinkin Out Loud
Thinkin Out Loud is an extended play (EP) by American singer Kristinia DeBarge, that was released via digital distribution on January 7, 2016 through Krissy D Entertainment and Beatstreet Inc.
DJ Inferno premiered "Problem" on KPWR on November 23, 2015. "Problem" premiered exclusively on Rap-Up on January 11, 2016.
References.
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Think of You (Usher song)
"Think of You" is a song by American musician Usher. It was co-written by Usher alongside LaFace Records labelmate Donell Jones and Bad Boy singer Faith Evans for his self-titled debut album (1994). The song samples a groove from the instrumental track "Tidal Wave" (1975) by American jazz musician Ronnie Laws, also featuring vocals from rapper Biz Markie's "Just Rhymin' With Biz" (1987). Lyrically, "Think of You" finds the protagonist going through a breakup and dealing with conflicting feelings about his ex.
The song was released as the album's second single in November 1994 and emergd as Usher highest-charting song up to then: It became his first top ten hit on the US "Billboard" Hot R&B Singles chart, reaching number eight, while also peaking at number 58 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's accompanying music video, directed Hype Williams, features a young Taral Hicks and depicts Usher dancing and performing against an industrial backdrop.
Background.
"Think of You" was written by Usher along with labelmates Donell Jones and Faith Evans. Production was overseen by Chucky Thompson and Sean "Puffy" Combs. The song contains a sample from the 1975 instrumental "Tidal Wave" by American jazz musician Ronnie Laws. It further samples the vocals "yes, yes y'all [...] to the beat y'all" from rapper Biz Markie's 1987 Big Daddy Kane collaboration "Just Rhymin' With Biz." Markie is credited as a special guest on the track.
Thompson later commented on the creation of the song: "I did a record for Usher called "Think of You" and [Evans] came in and wrote, Donell Jones wrote. I actually made that record before I met Puff as well. When I sent it up there, I had no idea what was gonna happen to it. He just had writer sessions or whatever, next thing I know they pressed play and here comes "Think of You"." In 2023, Usher further remarked that "Can U Get Wit It" was "cool. But "Think of You" was "okay, I’ve got enough to hook. I got enough skin in the game to stay. They can’t get rid of me yet." You know what I’m saying?"
Music video.
A music video for "Think of You" was directed by Hype Williams. It features a young Taral Hicks that Usher is singing to.
Track listing.
All tracks written by Usher Raymond, Donell Jones, and Faith Evans.
Notes
Credits and personnel.
Credits lifted from the liner notes of "Usher".
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Out Loud (song)
2017 song by Gabbie Hanna
"Out Loud" is the debut single of American Internet personality and singer Gabbie Hanna, independently released for digital download on September 6, 2017, as her debut single. It was written by Hanna and Bruce Wiegner, with production solely handled by the latter. The lyrics of the track, a ballad, have been described as emotive. They discuss themes of loss, loneliness and heartbreak. They were inspired by the poems featured in Hanna's 2017 book "Adultolescence".
Upon its release, "Out Loud" was met with mixed reviews from music critics, who argued over the track's quality. An accompanying music video was uploaded to Hanna's YouTube channel on October 18, 2017. The visual features her reminiscing memories of her love interest before attending his funeral in a "major plot twist". Commercially, the track attained moderate success on record charts, reaching number 47 on the Scottish Singles Chart and number 30 on "Billboard"'s Digital Songs chart, among others in 2017. For promotion, the singer performed "Out Loud" live at the 2017 and 2018 VidCon events in Australia.
Background and composition.
"Out Loud" was independently released for digital download on September 6, 2017. The song was written by Hanna and its producer Bruce Wiegner, acting as her debut single. They began working on the song in July, and Wiegener eventually uploaded a video on his YouTube channel, during which he details on its production. In an interview with "Billboard", Hanna elaborated on the release of "Out Loud": "I don't plan on really becoming a musician. I'm not that good; I'm not really a singer [...] I wanted to shock people; I wanted to step outside of the YouTube world and do something that I actually thought was a piece of art".
The "emotive" lyrics of "Out Loud" discuss themes of loss, loneliness and heartbreak, and were inspired by Hanna's poems in her book "Adultolescence" (2017). "Out Loud" was initially only meant to be released as a one-off promotion for the book. Musically, the ballad features a "sultry, dark melody that builds up to a tidal wave of a chorus".
Reception.
Upon its release, "Out Loud" was met with mixed reviews from music critics. Chris DeVille of "Stereogum" criticized the song, stating that it "plays more like an "SNL" Digital Short than a legitimate tearjerker". He further likened it to Paris Hilton's "Stars Are Blind" (2006). Tatiana Cirisano of "Billboard" called it "no joke", and wrote "if listeners find it hard to reconcile the track's theme of loneliness with Hanna's 1.3 million Twitter followers, well, that's kind of the point". Commercially, "Out Loud" attained success on digital platforms in the United States, and went on to reach number 30 on "Billboard"'s Digital Songs chart. It further peaked at number 47 on the Scottish Singles Chart, and appeared at numbers 90 and 39 on download charts in the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as at number six on the Hitseekers chart in Australia.
Music video and promotion.
An accompanying music video for "Out Loud" was uploaded to Hanna's YouTube channel on October 18, 2017, and was directed by Tommy Wooldridge, with Dank Brink serving as the director of photography. It was preceded by a lyric video on September 6, 2017, which showed Hanna writhing atop a bed while the track's lyrics appear onscreen in white script. DeVille of "Stereogum" criticized the lyric video's quality and negatively likened Hanna's appearance to that of American actress Maya Rudolph.
The official music video begins with Hanna in front of a wall full of pictures, picking out multiple ones in which she is seen with her love interest; as she looks at them, the video cuts to footage of them together. Hanna subsequently tears all the photographs apart and falls to the floor crying, as the visual cuts to further memories of them. The second part of the clip features a "major plot twist", in which the singer attends her boyfriend's funeral, wearing a black dress and holding flowers in her hands. For further promotion, Hanna performed "Out Loud" live at VidCon 2017 in Melbourne, Australia, as well as one year later during the same event.
References.
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Photograph (Ringo Starr song)
"Photograph" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as the lead single from his 1973 album "Ringo". Starr co-wrote it with George Harrison, his former bandmate from the Beatles. Although they collaborated on other songs, it is the only one officially credited to the pair. A signature tune for Starr as a solo artist, "Photograph" was an international hit, topping singles charts in the United States, Canada and Australia, and receiving gold disc certification for US sales of 1 million. Music critics have similarly received the song favourably; Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic considers it to be "among the very best post-Beatles songs by any of the Fab Four".
The lyrics are a reflection on lost love, whereby a photograph is the only reminder of the protagonists' shared past. Starr and Harrison began writing the song in the South of France in 1971, during a period when Starr was focused on developing his acting career. They first recorded "Photograph" late the following year, along with the single's B-side, "Down and Out", during the sessions for Harrison's "Living in the Material World" album. The officially released version was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Richard Perry. It incorporates aspects of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound through the presence of multiple drums and acoustic guitars, as well as an orchestra and a choir. Aside from Starr and Harrison, the musicians on the recording include Nicky Hopkins, Bobby Keys, Jim Keltner, and Spector's musical arranger, Jack Nitzsche. Starr made a promotional film for the single, shot at his and wife Maureen Starkey's home, Tittenhurst Park.
"Photograph" has appeared on Starr's compilation albums "Blast from Your Past" and "", and live versions have featured on releases recorded with his All-Starr Band and with the Roundheads. In November 2002, a year after Harrison's death, Starr stated “the meaning has changed now of course” before performing "Photograph" at the Concert for George – a performance that was an emotional highpoint of the event. Engelbert Humperdinck, Camper Van Beethoven, Cilla Black and Adam Sandler are among the artists who have covered the song.
Background and composition.
Ex-Beatles Ringo Starr and George Harrison began writing "Photograph" on a luxury yacht in the South of France in May 1971. Starr had hired a yacht, the "Marala", for the duration of the Cannes Film Festival, after attending Mick Jagger's wedding in St Tropez with his wife, Maureen Starkey. The Starkeys were then joined in France by Harrison and the latter's wife, Pattie Boyd, for the Monaco Grand Prix. This period coincided with Starr's first success as a solo artist, with the Harrison-produced single "It Don't Come Easy", although he continued to focus on his career as a film actor, beginning with a role in "Blindman" (1971).
Another guest on the "Marala" was Cilla Black, singer and a friend of the Beatles since the 1960s. She recalled Starr and Harrison playing "Photograph" during an evening get-together, with "everyone on board" contributing ideas for the lyrics. As with Starr's two singles over 1971–72, "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo", Harrison helped write the melody, although "Photograph" marked the first time that he was credited as a co-writer with Starr. In her autobiography, "Step Inside Love", Black says she had hoped to record the song for a single later in 1971, only to be told by Starr: "No, it's too bloody good for you. I'm having it myself."
The lyrics to "Photograph" are centred around lost love, with the singer having only a single picture by which to remember his absent lover. The photograph reminds him of their former happiness together, while also enforcing the reality that "you're not coming back any more". Author Ian Inglis comments on the familiar subject matter in the conventions of pop songwriting, but identifies an atypical aspect in the lyrics' "absence of any hope that love might be rekindled". Starr expresses resignation at what the future holds, in the lines "Now you're expecting me to live without you / But that's not something that I'm looking forward to".
The song is in the key of E, with what Inglis terms an "easy melody" that allows for Starr's limitations as a singer. According to authors Roy Carr and Tony Tyler, Harrison's "distinctive composing style" is particularly evident. Starr later said of Harrison's role in their collaborations over this period: "I only know three chords and he'd stick four more in, and they'd all think I was a genius."
Recording.
Starr continued to pursue his film career until the end of 1972, while also participating in musical projects such as Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh. Late that year, Starr and Harrison recorded an early version of "Photograph" during the sessions for Harrison's "Living in the Material World" album. With Harrison producing, this recording took place at either Apple Studio in central London, or Harrison's home studio, FPSHOT, in Oxfordshire.
Starr re-recorded the song in March 1973, while working at Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles on "Ringo", his first solo album in the rock or contemporary pop style. He later described "Ringo" as an "accidental album", since it only came about because he was attending the Grammy Awards in Nashville, where "The Concert for Bangladesh" won the Grammy for Best Album of 1972. Keen to find another activity to justify the flight to the US, Starr arranged to record with American producer Richard Perry during the visit.
The recording engineer on "Photograph" was Bill Schnee, and author Simon Leng writes that Harrison helped "hew" the production. Along with Starr (on drums) and Harrison (12-string acoustic guitar), the other musicians included Nicky Hopkins (piano), Klaus Voormann (bass) and Jim Keltner (drums), all of whom had participated in the sessions for "Material World". In addition, Vini Poncia, Starr's new songwriting partner, and session musician Jimmy Calvert played acoustic rhythm guitar on the Los Angeles recording.
Overdubs on the basic tracks recorded for "Ringo" took place from April to July 1973. On "Photograph", the additional instrumentation included a saxophone solo by Bobby Keys and percussion played by one of Harrison's Apple Records signings, brothers Lon and Derrek Van Eaton. Harrison added harmony and backing vocals, supporting Starr's lead vocal part.
Jack Nitzsche, Phil Spector's musical arranger for much of the 1960s, provided the song's string and choral arrangements, which were overdubbed at Burbank Studios on 29 June. Aside from Nitzsche's contributions, the recording incorporates aspects of Spector's Wall of Sound production through the use of multiple rhythm guitars and drums, and prominent percussion such as castanets. Leng draws parallels between the "resonant arrangement" on "Photograph" and the production that Harrison adopted for Ravi Shankar's song "I Am Missing You", an April 1973 recording that also included Starr on drums.
"Down and Out".
With "Photograph" selected as the album's lead single, Starr chose "Down and Out", a song written by him alone, for the B-side. Starr recorded the song in England, backed by Harrison, pianist Gary Wright and Voormann. The Harrison-produced session most likely took place in 1972, according to authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, during the same period as Starr and Harrison's first attempt at recording "Photograph".
"Down and Out" is a twelve-bar blues with what Starr biographer Alan Clayson describes as "perfunctory" lyrics. The recording includes solos from Harrison, on slide guitar, and Wright. Perry subsequently added a horn section, resulting in him being credited as co-producer of the track. Carr and Tyler dismiss "Down and Out" with the description: "a very mundane throwaway tune only saved from extinction by the professional arrangement and by Harrison's distinctive slide-guitar solo".
Release.
Apple Records released the single on 24 September 1973 in America and on 19 October in Britain. Starr made a promotional film for "Photograph", in which he mimed to the song while walking through the grounds of Tittenhurst Park, the Berkshire estate that he had recently purchased from former bandmate John Lennon. To circumvent the BBC's ban on lip-synching, Starr placed his hand over his mouth for part of the song, making it impossible to tell whether he was singing or merely miming. The single's picture sleeve consisted of a photo by Barry Feinstein that showed Starr's head poking through a large star made of silver foil. The same image, which author Bruce Spizer terms "the Ringo starfish", appeared on the single's face labels and on those of the "Ringo" LP.
The album's release followed in November 1973, with "Photograph" sequenced as the third track, preceding the Harrison-written "Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)". Opposite the printed lyrics for "Photograph" inside the album booklet, a lithograph by Voormann depicted a framed picture on a shelf or desktop, in which Starr looks dejectedly at a framed picture of a woman. In his personal life at this point, the album's release coincided with the failure of Starr's marriage, partly as a result of Harrison and Maureen conducting an affair. The friendship between the two former bandmates soon recovered, but Starr and Harrison did not officially write another song together after "Photograph".
Commenting on the context in which Starr's song of "beautiful sadness" was released in the United States, Clayson describes "Photograph" as having been a popular request on radio playlists "for a nation still awaiting the return of many of its sons from Vietnam, following the January cease-fire". Rodriguez comments on the precipitous timing of the single, as it "capitaliz[ed] on the year's nostalgia craze", while news of Starr recording with each of his former bandmates during the "Ringo" sessions provided further impetus. In late November, "Photograph" topped America's "Billboard" Hot 100 for one week. It was Starr's first number 1 hit on that chart as a solo artist and Harrison's third there as a composer since the Beatles' break-up in 1970.
"Photograph" was also number 1 in Canada and Australia, while in Britain it peaked at number 8. In Rodriguez's words, the single "did a good job of setting the table" for "Ringo", which also enjoyed considerable commercial success. On 28 December 1973, "Photograph" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, signifying US sales of 1 million. It was Starr's second such award, after "It Don't Come Easy".
Reception.
"Record Mirror" predicted a "giant smash" for the single, saying that listeners would be singing along with it "for the next ten years ... at least". The reviewer praised the way the arrangement built to include "jangling piano", "booting sax", choir and strings, yet with "nothing overdone so as to take away from the song". "Cash Box" described the single as a "moderate paced rocker with a strong blues feel and good vocal performance". The reviewer said the song was "already one of the hottest records in the country" and predicted a top-five hit. "Record World" called it a "strong pop tune" with "solid Richard Perry production."
In his album review for "Rolling Stone", Ben Gerson highlighted "Photograph" as one of the "three most wonderful songs" on "Ringo", along with the Lennon-composed "I'm the Greatest" and the Harrison–Mal Evans collaboration "You and Me (Babe)".<ref name="Gerson/RS"></ref> Gerson wrote that the song's intro provided an effective "pull on the listener" and that, while the lyrics had a sorrowful quality, "the effect is warming". "Billboard"'s LP reviewer lauded Perry's "stunning production" on "the best Ringo album ever", adding: "We all know already that 'Photograph' has got to be a No. 1 single this month, right?"
Although less impressed with "Ringo", Alan Betrock wrote in "Phonograph Record": "It's also clear when you reach 'Photograph' that Side One is the undisputed champ of the album. Jack Nitzsche has thrown in a lot of "his" past influences here, including the Famous School of Phil Spector castanets, lesson No. 2." Betrock concluded: "'Photograph' is one of those rare pop records that grows stronger with each play, and will be covered and revived for years to come (I'll lay you 50–1 it appears on the next Andy Williams album)."<ref name="Betrock/PhonRec">Betrock, Alan (December 1973). "Ringo Starr: "Ringo"". "Phonograph Record". Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).</ref>
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic views "Photograph" as a "gorgeous collaboration" between Starr and Harrison, and a track that "ranks ... among the very best post-Beatles songs by any of the Fab Four". Robert Rodriguez describes it as "an elegantly produced ballad" and Starr's "signature tune as a solo artist". Rodriguez continues: "The ersatz Wall of Sound somehow managed not to swamp the lead vocal and Harrison harmony, while embodying the best qualities of the Beatles' singles: hummable and familiar, yet fresh and enduring." In his 1977 book "The Beatles Forever", Nicholas Schaffner wrote of how the song's "grand, sweeping arrangement" was reminiscent of Harrison's "own recent cosmic productions".
Author Elliot Huntley similarly recognises the extent of Harrison's influence on this and other tracks on "Ringo" while rueing that "Photograph" was the only formal co-composition by the two ex-Beatles. Huntley describes the song as the album's "stand-out track" and "by a country mile, the commercial high-point" for Starr as a songwriter. Former "Mojo" editor Mat Snow views it as "perhaps the single best song of [Starr's] career" and the "emotional heart" of the album.
Re-releases and live versions.
The song provided the title to Starr's 2007 career-spanning compilation "",<ref name="Erlewine/AM"></ref> having earlier appeared on "Blast from Your Past", a 1975 greatest-hits collection covering his years on Apple Records. For the 1991 CD reissue of "Ringo", the album was expanded through the inclusion of three bonus tracks, the last of which was the long-unavailable "Down and Out". In 2009, "Photograph" was included in the Judd Apatow-directed film "Funny People" and appeared on the accompanying soundtrack album.
Following his return to touring in July 1989 – the first tour for Starr since the Beatles quit performing live in 1966<ref name="Sandall/Q">Sandall, Robert (January 1991). "Ringo Starr". "Q". Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).</ref> – he has played "Photograph" regularly with the various incarnations of his All-Starr Band. Eschewing his drum kit for the role of lead singer, Starr often closed his shows with the song (before returning for an encore) during tours he made between 1989 and 2000. A live version appeared on the 1990 album and video "Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band". Recorded at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on 3 September 1989, it features the original All-Starr line-up of Starr, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Dr. John, Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren and Clarence Clemons.
Starr also included the song in his performances on the television shows "VH1 Storytellers", in May 1998, and PBS's "Soundstage", in August 2005. With backing from the Roundheads – a band led by his latter-day producer Mark Hudson – these recordings were issued on Starr's releases "VH1 Storytellers" (1998) and "" (2007), respectively.<ref name="Erlewine/Soundstage"></ref> Further versions with his All-Starr Band have appeared on the albums "King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Ringo & His New All-Starr Band" (2002), "Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band Live 2006" (2008) and "Live at the Greek Theatre 2008" (2010), the latter with Gary Wright among the revised line-up.
Starr re-recorded the song with the American band Vandaveer for his 2017 album "Give More Love".
Performance at the Concert for George.
On 29 November 2002, Starr performed "Photograph" at the Concert for George, held at London's Royal Albert Hall to mark the first anniversary of Harrison's death. According to the Concert for George website: "Ringo Starr caught everyone with a tear in their eye with a rendition of 'Photograph', a composition he wrote with George, which seemed to sum up how everyone felt."
Starr's appearance came towards the end of the concert, and Inglis writes that his arrival was "given an extra poignancy by his choice of song". In his preamble to the audience, Starr stated, "I loved George, George loved me", and said that "Photograph" had taken on a new meaning with the passing of Harrison. This performance – with a large band that included Jeff Lynne, Eric Clapton, Dhani Harrison, Preston, Keltner and saxophonist Jim Horn – was issued in 2003 on the "Concert for George" album and appears in David Leland's documentary film of the event. In a July 2003 interview, Starr discussed his recently released tribute song to Harrison, "Never Without You", and said that he remained closest to Harrison out of all the former Beatles after the band's break-up. Colin Larkin, writing in his "Encyclopedia of Popular Music", describes "Photograph" as "wonderful" and says that the "poignant" Concert for George rendition "highlighted Starr's great ability to love, and in turn, be loved".
Performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
Starr sang "Photograph" at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards,<ref name="UCR/Grammys"></ref> during which he and Paul McCartney, as the two surviving ex-Beatles, were honoured with the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref name="Contact/Grammys"></ref> The event took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on 26 January 2014.<ref name="Guardian/Grammys"></ref> "Rolling Stone" reported on Starr's performance of the song: "Backed by a massive full band, he bounced around the stage while old black-and-white photographs showed on a big screen behind him."<ref name="RS/Grammys"></ref> The images were taken from Starr's recently published book; also titled "Photograph", it consists of photos from his personal collection, dating back to the 1950s.
Cover versions and references.
Engelbert Humperdinck and the Ray Conniff Singers each released recordings of the song in 1974. Robert Rodriguez highlights this as unusual, in that other artists were covering a Starr song, but also ironic that Humperdinck included it on his album "My Love", named after McCartney's 1973 song of the same name. The following year, London-based recording engineer David Hentschel covered "Photograph", along with all the other tracks on "Ringo", for his album "Sta*rtling Music".<ref name="Woff/RingO">Woffinden, Bob (12 April 1975). "Ringo Starr: Everyone One of Us Has All We Need ...". "NME". Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).</ref> The latter, an experimental work featuring Hentschel on ARP synthesizer, was the first release on Starr's short-lived record label, Ring O' Records.
A cover version of the song by American alt rock band Camper Van Beethoven appeared on their 1993 rarities compilation "Camper Vantiquities". Canadian band Sloan made mention of "Photograph" in their 1996 single "The Lines You Amend", the lyrics of which refer to a song "... about photographs / Sung by Ringo Starr / Especially in the chorus part / You always said, 'Now don't you start'."
Cilla Black eventually recorded "Photograph" for her 2003 album "". Music critic Bruce Eder describes it as a version that "she jumps into head first at her most soulful". While Starr's original recording appeared on the soundtrack to "Funny People", a cover by the film's leading actor, Adam Sandler, is available as an iTunes bonus track with the album.
Personnel.
According to Bruce Spizer:
Charts.
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When I Think of You (Leif Garrett song)
"When I Think of You" is a song written by James Williams and performed by Leif Garrett. It reached #11 on the US adult contemporary chart and #78 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in 1979. The song was featured on his 1978 album, "Feel the Need".
Garrett was a guest star in the season 4 first episode of the American television series "Wonder Woman" ("My Teen Idol is Missing"). The single was featured in the episode.
The song was produced by Michael Lloyd and arranged by John D'Andrea. Williams and his brother Michael, who later performed as James & Michael Younger, first recorded "When I Think of You" in 1977.
"New York City Nights".
"New York City Nights" is the song on the B side of the "When I Think of You" single.
"Aishu Deito (New York City Nights)".
"Aishu Deito (New York City Nights)" (Japanese: 哀愁でいと) is a cover version, by Toshihiko Tahara, of the song "New York City Nights" by Leif Garrett. It reached number 1 on The Best Ten chart and number 2 on the Oricon Singles Chart in 1980, and sold more than 700,000 copies. The song was written by Yumiko Morioka.
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Thinkin Bout You (Ciara song)
"Thinkin Bout You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ciara, from her seventh studio album "Beauty Marks" (2019). The song was released on March 29, 2019, as the fifth single from the album. It was distributed to digital download and streaming formats by Beauty Marks Entertainment, Ciara's own record label. The song was written by Ciara, Ester Dean, Marc Sibley, Nathan Cunningham, and produced by Space Primates. The music video for the track was released alongside the single, and was directed by American director Hannah Lux Davis. She worked alongside British stylist Phoebe Lettice Thompson for the visual and it features Ciara dancing around a hotel suite as she gets ready for a date. To promote its release, Ciara has performed the song live at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards.
"Thinkin Bout You" has received positive reviews from music critics. The song's upbeat rhythm has been favoured and branded pop, disco and a homage to 1980's popular music. The single has so far achieved modest success on the US R&B Digital Songs Billboard chart, peaking at number three.
Background.
Ciara announced the single on March 28, 2019 via her Twitter account. The song was released the following day on March 29 and it serves as the fifth single from her seventh studio album "Beauty Marks". Ciara started her own record label in 2017 and "Beauty Marks" is named after her label and the first album to have been released on it. "Thinkin Bout You" was distributed to digital download and streaming formats via the label.
The song was written by Ciara, Ester Dean, Marc Sibley and Nathan Cunningham. It was produced by Space Primates.
Ciara told Ericka Franklin