It's a Long Way There

"It's a Long Way There"
Dutch 7" picture sleeve
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)

"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.

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
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 72
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 32
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 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. ^ a b "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. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5098B." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Little River Band – It's a Long Way There". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Little River Band – It's a Long Way There" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  11. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006. Record Research.


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