Ready to Take a Chance Again

"Ready to Take a Chance Again" is a 1978 international hit single performed by Barry Manilow. The song was composed by Charles Fox, with lyrics by Fox's writing partner, Norman Gimbel. Manilow conceived and supervised the song's recording in partnership with Ron Dante.

"Ready to Take a Chance Again"
Single by Barry Manilow
from the album Foul Play soundtrack
B-side"Sweet Life"
ReleasedSeptember 1978
StudioA&M (Hollywood)
GenrePop, Easy Listening
Length3:01
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel
Producer(s)Barry Manilow, Ron Dante
Barry Manilow singles chronology
"Copacabana"
(1978)		 "Ready to Take a Chance Again"
(1978)		 "Somewhere in the Night"
(1979)

It is the theme song of the movie, Foul Play, starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. It is one of two Manilow songs featured in that movie, the other being "Copacabana".

The song recounts the experience of a despairing man who has been hurt by love and therefore has retreated into the safety of an emotional shell. His life then continues on a flat but even keel until he meets someone who causes him to consider taking a chance with love again.

Both the 45 RPM single and the track on Manilow's hit collections are monaural, despite being labeled otherwise. The only source for this song in true stereo is the original Foul Play soundtrack, which is missing some elements of the single (a harp at 0:25 and orchestration beginning at 0:45, and a piano glissando at 2:18 is mixed way down).

Reception

On September 10, 1978, "Ready to Take a Chance Again" entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart at position number 70; and on November 12, 1978, it peaked at number 11 (for two weeks). It spent 15 weeks on the chart.[1] It reached number 5 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. On the Cash Box chart, the song spent two weeks at number seven.[2] In Canada, the song peaked at number four for two weeks.[3]

"Ready to Take a Chance Again" was nominated for Best Song at the 1978 Academy Awards. It lost, however, to Donna Summer's "Last Dance" from the movie, Thank God It's Friday.

In Germany, "Ready to Take a Chance Again" was backed with the re-release of "Mandy," which had been only a minor hit on its prior release.

Cash Box said it has a "somber beginning and [builds] to soaring end."[4] Record World called it "a romantic ballad enveloped in a lush and lovely production."[5]

Chart performance

References
  1. "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1978-11-18. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  2. "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1978-11-18. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  3. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  4. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 9, 1978. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  5. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 9, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  6. "Adult Contemporary - Volume 30, No. 10, December 02 1978". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2015-01-01. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  7. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  8. "Swedishcharts.com - Barry Manilow - Ready to Take a Chance Again". www.swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  9. "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1978-11-18. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  10. "Cash Box Top 100 11/25/78". 19 December 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  11. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1978". 29 October 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  12. "Archived copy". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 2016-02-16. Retrieved 2016-10-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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