Soldier of Love (Donny Osmond song)

"Soldier of Love" is a 1988 song by American singer Donny Osmond, which became his comeback hit.[3][4][5] It first was a Top 30 hit in the UK in 1988 and "Soldier of Love" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989,[6] behind Michael Damian's "Rock On", becoming his sixth and last top-10 hit.

"Soldier of Love"
Single by Donny Osmond
from the album Donny Osmond
B-side"My Secret Touch"
"Time Can't Erase"
"Groove"
Released1988
Recorded1988
GenrePop[1]
Length3:49
LabelCapitol, Virgin
Songwriter(s)Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers
Producer(s)Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers[2]
Donny Osmond singles chronology
""I'm in It for Love"" "Soldier of Love" ""If It's Love That You Want""

Background

The track was not initially released in the US as Osmond did not have a record deal there. However, a cassette of the song from a British import was sent by an Osmond fan to Jessica Ettinger, the acting Program Director and Music Director at ABC's WPLJ-FM New York. Ettinger liked the song but was concerned that Osmond, a former child star, wouldn't be accepted by the current pop audience.

Ettinger, believing the song to be a hit, up-ended the top 40 music and radio industry by giving it a slot on her playlist. Osmond was not only unsigned by any record label in the US, but the song itself was unavailable for purchase in the US at the time. To give the song a chance, she created a "mystery artist" promotion; put the song in rotation, and kept listeners guessing who the artist was for several weeks.[7] Eventually, Ettinger had her air talent reveal that the song was by Donny Osmond, who appeared live on the air at the same time. Osmond was soon signed by Capitol Records, which copied Ettinger's promotion idea nationwide and released the song as a single. Osmond credits Ettinger with re-launching his career by listening to the music and not pre-judging whether a song could be a hit based on the name of the artist.

The song is set to a post-disco beat.[8] Songwriters are Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers.[9] The music video for the song was by John Scarlett Davis and produced by Nick Verden for Radar Films. Shot on location at London's Docklands.

Charts

Weekly charts
Weekly chart performance for "Soldier of Love"
Chart (1988–1989) Peak
position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[10] 29
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary[11] 20
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 2

Year-end charts
Year-end chart performance for "Soldier of Love"
Chart (1989) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 66
US Billboard Hot 100[14][15] 57

References
  1. Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Young Love: Weenyboppers and Boy Bands". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 377. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  2. Dana Gee (2016-12-14). "Decades of Donny". VancouverSun.com. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  3. "Donny's Comeback Bid: Mr. Clean No More : After a decade-long slump, Osmond has a new dance album . . . and a grittier image to go with it - latimes". Articles.latimes.com. 1989-01-29. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  4. "An Osmond Offers Up a Bit of Home". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  5. "As he reinvents himself again, Donny Osmond revisits the '70s". PopMatters. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  6. "Donny Osmond - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  7. Guy Aoki (1989-04-16). "C'mon, That's Donny?". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  8. Popken, Randall & Newsome, Alice, and Gonzales, Lanell (1995). Departures: A Reader for Developing Writers: "The too-nice Mormon kid [Donny Osmond] who once sang "Puppy Love" has returned to the charts with "Soldier of Love," a faintly suggestive tune set to a post-disco beat.", p. 361. ISBN 0-205-16249-5
  9. "Soldier of Love - Donny Osmond | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  10. "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  11. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 187.
  12. "Donny Osmond Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  13. "Top Singles - Volume 51, No. 8, December 23, 1989". RPM. December 23, 1999. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  14. "1989 The Year in Music: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 101 (51): Y-22. December 23, 1989.
  15. "Billboard Top 100 – 1989".
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