Friends and Lovers (Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson song)

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"**Friends and Lovers**" is a song written by Jay Gruska and Paul Gordon. The song was first recorded as a duet by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson in 1985 for the soap opera *Days of Our Lives*, produced by Doug Lenier. That recording remained unreleased until the summer of 1986, when it was released shortly after a version by Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt hit country radio. The country version featured the altered title of "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)".

## Pop version

Gloria Loring is a singer and actress who beginning in 1980 portrayed the character Liz Chandler on the American soap opera *Days of Our Lives*. Her character was a lounge singer, so Loring was often called upon to perform on-screen; one of the songs she performed during this period was "Friends and Lovers". The song became the theme music for one of the popular supercouples on the show in the mid 1980s, Shane Donovan and Kimberly Brady (portrayed by Charles Shaughnessy and Patsy Pease).

In 1985, Carl Anderson (known for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in both the film and stage versions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice rock opera *Jesus Christ Superstar*) appeared on *Days of Our Lives* and performed the duet with Loring. The commercial release of this duet was delayed for months before becoming available in the summer of 1986, first as a single on the label USA Carrere, then later on Anderson's self-titled album on Epic Records and Loring's eponymous album on Atlantic Records. According to Loring, it had been turned down by most of the major American record labels at the time, and she had taken to referring to the song informally as "Friends and Lawyers".

The song was a hit when released, spending two weeks at No. 2 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 chart on September 27 and October 4, 1986, behind "Stuck with You" by Huey Lewis and the News. It remained in the Top 40 for 14 of its 21 overall weeks on the chart. It reached No. 1 on the *Billboard* sales chart and No. 2 on the airplay chart (the two components of the Hot 100 chart). It also spent two weeks at No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart. "Friends and Lovers" would be the only Top 40 hit for either performer. Loring left *Days of Our Lives* at the same time the single started to descend down the music charts. Anderson eventually died in 2004 from complications arising from a long battle with leukemia.

### Chart history

 Canada *RPM* Adult Contemporary
 Canada *RPM* Top Singles
 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
 US *Billboard* Hot 100
 US Adult Contemporary (*Billboard*)
 US Hot Black Singles (*Billboard*)

 Canada
 US Top Pop Singles (*Billboard*)

## Country version

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In 1986, country-pop singers Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt released a version of "Friends and Lovers", altering the title to emphasize the final line of the chorus. Technically, Newton and Rabbitt's recording is a pre-release cover version, since it was commercially available before the pop version was released. Therefore, even though Loring and Anderson recorded the song first, Newton and Rabbitt are credited with the original commercial version. Their duet was called "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)", and although its arrangement differed from Loring and Anderson's recording, it is lyrically the same song. Both Newton ("Queen of Hearts", "Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me") and Rabbitt ("I Love a Rainy Night", "Every Which Way but Loose") had already enjoyed considerable success on both the pop and country music charts, and their version of the duet went to No. 1 on the *Billboard* country chart. This was Newton's final No. 1 though her last solo No. 1 had come eight months earlier with "Hurt".

### Chart history

 Canadian *RPM* Country Tracks

## Christina Aguilera and Tevin Campbell version

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In 2009, American singers Christina Aguilera and Tevin Campbell recorded a cover version of "Friends and Lovers", giving the love song a more modern feel and adding new music and lyrics, and new verses from Aguilera and Campbell. Their version was produced by Matthew Gerrard.

"Friends and Lovers" was released on the soundtrack to Cartoon Network's animated film *Codename: Kids Next Door: The Movie*. Aguilera and Campbell's cover of "Friends and Lovers" peaked at number 1 on the US *Billboard* Pop 100 chart. In the United Kingdom, "Friends and Lovers" peaked at number 42 on the UK Singles Chart. In this context, the song refers to the developed love relationship of Numbuh 1 (the main protagonist, voiced by Ben Diskin) and Numbuh 362 (the secondary protagonist, voiced by Rachel MacFarlane).

Aguilera and Campbell were both paid $3 million for recording the song. Their version was also included in both Aguilera's first greatest hits album, *Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits* and Campbell's comeback album, *Everywhere*.

### Music video

The music video to Aguilera and Campbell's version shows them digitally de-aged by 20 and 22 years and meeting each other in a botanical garden, combined with scenes of *Codename: Kids Next Door: The Movie*. The video was directed by Rich Newey and filmed in Pasadena, California.

### Track listings

* **CD single**

1. "Friends and Lovers" (Christina Aguilera and Tevin Campbell) – 3:44
2. "Kids Just Want to Have Fun" (Danielle White) – 3:35
3. "Crazy" (Omarion) – 2:58
4. "Friends and Lovers" (music video)

* **Pocket maxi single**

1. "Friends and Lovers" – 3:44
2. "Kids Just Want to Have Fun" – 3:35

* **Digital download**

1. "Friends and Lovers" – 3:44
2. "Kids Just Want to Have Fun" – 3:35
3. "Crazy" – 2:58

## Charts

Chart performance for "Friends and Lovers"
 UK Singles (OCC)
 US Hot 100 Airplay (*Billboard*)
 US Top 40 Tracks (*Billboard*)
 US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (*Billboard*)
 US *Billboard* Pop 100

## See also

* List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1986 (U.S.)

## References

1. **^** Back to the 80s: Interview with songwriter/composer Paul Gordon - Kickin' It Old School
2. ^ Jump up to:***a*** ***b*** Hyatt, Wesley (1999). *The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits* (Billboard Publications), page 310.
3. **^** "Carl Anderson Chart History (Hot 100)". *Billboard*. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
4. **^** "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". *Collectionscanada.gc.ca*. 1986-09-27. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
5. **^** "GLORIA LORING & CARL ANDERSON – Friends and Lovers". Top 40 Singles.
6. **^** "Carl Anderson Chart History (Hot 100)". *Billboard*.
7. **^** "Carl Anderson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". *Billboard*.
8. **^** "Carl Anderson Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". *Billboard*.
9. **^** "Kent Music Report No 650 – 29 December 1986 > National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report, via Imgur.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
10. **^** Canada, Library and Archives (26 December 2017). "RPM Weekly - Top Singles of 1986". Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
11. **^** Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 27, 1986). "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". *Billboard*. **98** (52): Y-21.
12. **^** "Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via Imgur.
13. **^** "Eddie Rabbitt Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". *Billboard*.

## External links

* *Loring/Anderson single info* at Discogs