It's a Long Way There

"It's a Long Way There" is a song by Australian band Little River Band, released in August 1976 as the band's debut international single and in October 1976 as the third single from the group's self-titled studio album. The song peaked at number 35 on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart, and peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first top 40 hit in the United States.

"It's a Long Way There"
Dutch 7" cover art
Single by Little River Band
from the album Little River Band
B-side"Time to Fly" / "Meanwhile"
ReleasedAugust 1976
Recorded1975
GenreSoft rock
Length4:16 (single version) 8:39 (album version)
LabelEMI Music / Harvest
Songwriter(s)Graham Goble
Producer(s)Glenn Wheatley, Little River Band
Little River Band singles chronology
"Everyday of My Life"
(1976)		 "It's a Long Way There"
(1976)		 "I'll Always Call Your Name"
(1977)

Written by Graeham Goble in 1972,[1] the song was inspired by his regular trips from Melbourne to visit his family in Adelaide.[2] The song was initially performed by Goble's earlier band Mississippi, which included three subsequent members of Little River band: Goble, Beeb Birtles and Derek Pellicci.[3] Ric Formosa played lead guitar, Glenn Shorrock sang lead vocals, with Goble and Birtles providing harmonies.[4]

Reception

Cash Box magazine said "A haunting string introduction gives way to some funky rock and roll in this fully realised single from the Little River Band. A trifle long for AM play, this should definitely break through on the progressive FM side. The harmonies are deep and rich."[5]

Billboard (magazine) said "There's a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young feel as it shifts from a symphonic, airy opening to guitar-dominated mid-rock base. Carefully honed folk rock vocals throughout."[6]

Writing in Something Else, S.Victor Aaron said that more often than not, they ended up sounding like Crosby, Stills & Nash. "It wasn’t the match of Crosby, Stills & Nash at their best, but darn close enough. In fact, "It’s a Long Way There" might be the best CSN song that CSN never did."[4]

Track listings
Australian 7" (EMI 11292)
Side A. "It's a Long Way There" - 4:16
Side B. "Time to Fly" - 3:00
US 7" (Harvest 4318)
Side A. "It's a Long Way There" - 4:16
Side B. "Meanwhile" - 3:53

Charts
Chart (1976/77) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 35
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 32
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 28

References
  1. "It's A Long Way There". graehamgoble.com. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. "Re-It's A Long Way There". Lefsetz Letter. 2013-04-04. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  3. Mississippi - It's A Long Way There (1973), retrieved 2022-11-15
  4. "How "It's a Long Way There" Introduced the Little River Band". Something Else. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  5. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 14 August 1976. p. 20. Retrieved 21 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
  6. "Little River Band" (PDF). Cash Box. 4 September 1976. p. 13. Retrieved 21 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 179. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. "Little River Band – It's a Long Way There". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  9. "Little River Band – It's a Long Way There" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (2007). Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006. Record Research.


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