The First Cut Is the Deepest

1965 song written by Cat Stevens

"First Cut Is the Deepest"
Single by P.P. Arnold
from the album The First Lady of Immediate
Released21 April 1967
Genre
  • Pop
  • soul
Length3:07
LabelImmediate
Songwriter(s)Cat Stevens
Producer(s)Mike Hurst
P.P. Arnold singles chronology
"The Time Has Come"
(1967)
"First Cut Is the Deepest"
(1967)
"(If You Think You're) Groovy"
(1967)
"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
1972 Australian promotional single
Single by Cat Stevens
from the album New Masters
B-side"Where Are You"
Released18 May 1972[1]
Recorded5 October 1967
StudioDecca, West Hampstead, London
GenreRock[2][3]
Length3:03
LabelDeram, Decca
Songwriter(s)Cat Stevens
Producer(s)Mike Hurst
Cat Stevens singles chronology
"Morning Has Broken"
(1972)
"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
(1972)
"Sitting"
(1972)

"The First Cut Is the Deepest" is a 1967 song written by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, originally released by P. P. Arnold in April 1967. Stevens's own version originally appeared on his album New Masters in December 1967.

The song has been widely recorded and has become a hit single for six different artists: Arnold, Stevens, Keith Hampshire (1973), Rod Stewart (1977), Papa Dee (1995), and Sheryl Crow (2003).

Background

The lyrics describe a person wondering if and how it is possible to love again after their first love was lost. "The first cut" of the title refers to one's first love disappointment.[4]

Cat Stevens version

Cat Stevens performing on Dutch TV in 1966

Stevens made a demo recording of "The First Cut Is the Deepest" in 1965, while hoping to become a songwriter.[5] He wrote the song to promote his songs to other artists, but did not record his own performance until early October 1967 with guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, and it did not appear until his second album, New Masters, was released in December 1967. He sold the song for £30 to P. P. Arnold, and it became a huge hit for her.[6] Over decades, it also became an international hit for Keith Hampshire, Rod Stewart, and Sheryl Crow. The song has won Stevens songwriting awards, including two consecutive ASCAP songwriting awards for "Songwriter of the Year" in 2005 and 2006.[7] Stevens's version was not released as a single until 1972 when it was released as an Australia-only single in promotion of Stevens's 1970 compilation album The World of Cat Stevens.[8]

Personnel

P. P. Arnold version

American expatriate singer P. P. Arnold had the first hit with the song, reaching No. 18 on the UK Singles Chart[9] with her version in May 1967, well ahead of it appearing on Stevens' album. The Arnold hit featured an up-tempo, soulful vocal set against harpsichord, horns, and strings. It also appeared in the 2012 feature film Seven Psychopaths.

Record World said that "this gal shouts it out and then caresses it on a big beat rocker."[10]

Keith Hampshire version

"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
Single by Keith Hampshire
from the album The First Cut
B-side"Sitting in the Park" (US)
"Waking Up Alone" (UK)
"You Can't Hear the Song I Sing" (Japan)
ReleasedApril 1973
GenrePop
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Cat Stevens
Producer(s)
  • Bill Misener
  • Gerry Lacoursiere
Keith Hampshire singles chronology
"Daytime Night-time"
(1972)
"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
(1973)
"Big Time Operator"
(1973)

Keith Hampshire had the first chart-topping hit of the song when his recording of it became a number-one hit in Canada in 1973, reaching the top of the RPM 100 national singles chart on 12 May of that year.[11] It also topped the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart and charted in the United States, albeit outside the top 40.[12][13]

Charts

Weekly charts

Charts (1973) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[14] 33
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[12] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 70

Year-end charts

Charts (1973) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15] 21

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States April 1973 (1973-04) Vinyl A&M [16]
Canada May 1973 (1973-05) [17]
United Kingdom 18 May 1973 (1973-05-18) [18]
Japan June 1973 (1973-06) [19]

Rod Stewart version

"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
Single by Rod Stewart
from the album A Night on the Town
A-side"I Don't Want to Talk About It"
ReleasedFebruary 1977
StudioMuscle Shoals Sound Studio, Sheffield, Alabama, United States
Length3:21 (single), 4:38 (album)
LabelRiva
Songwriter(s)Cat Stevens
Producer(s)Tom Dowd
Rod Stewart singles chronology
"I Don't Want to Talk About It"
(1976)
"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
(1977)
"You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)"
(1977)
Music video
"The First Cut Is the Deepest" on YouTube

Stewart recorded the song at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, United States, and it appeared on his 1976 album A Night on the Town. Originally released in as a single in the US and in some European territories, it was released as a double A-side single with "I Don't Want to Talk About It" in the UK in April. It was a huge success, and spent four weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1977,[20] No. 11 in April in Canada, and also reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. In a departure from the original, Stewart excludes the concluding "But when it comes to being loved, she's first" from the refrain. In 1993, he recorded a live version during a session of MTV Unplugged. This was included on the album Unplugged...and Seated.

Record World called it a "love ballad, this time penned by Cat Stevens back in the sixties. Watch for another rapid chart ascent."[21]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1977) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[22] 19
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[23] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[24] 21
UK Singles (OCC)[25] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 21
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[27] 43
US Cash Box Top 100[28] 17
Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[29] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (1977) Rank
Australia[22] 70
Canada[30] 110
UK[31] 4
US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[32] 136

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s)
United States February 1977 (1977-02) Vinyl Warner Bros.
United Kingdom 15 April 1977 (1977-04-15)

Papa Dee version

"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
Single by Papa Dee
from the album The Journey
Released1995
GenreReggae
Length3:48
LabelWarner
Songwriter(s)Cat Stevens
Producer(s)
Papa Dee singles chronology
"Jungle Sound Clash"
(1994)
"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
(1995)
"The Journey"
(1996)
Music video
"The First Cut Is the Deepest on YouTube

Swedish musician Papa Dee released a reggae cover of "The First Cut Is the Deepest" in 1995. It was released as the first single from his fourth album, The Journey (1996), and remains his most commercially successful track. Scoring chart success in Europe, it peaked at No. 5 in Sweden, No. 9 in Denmark and Norway, No. 20 in Austria, and No. 38 in Iceland.

Critical reception

Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "Dee-lightfully our Swedish Papa tackles the old Cat Stevens hit in a pop dance-infused reggae style with a snappy ragga interlude. Radio, club and dub edits are available too."[33]

Track listings

12-inch single, Europe (1995)
No.TitleLength
1."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (club remix)6:08
2."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (single edit)3:48
3."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (12-inch dub cut)5:46
4."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (dub version)5:36
CD single, Australia (1995)
No.TitleLength
1."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (single edit)3:48
2."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (club edit)6:08
3."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (dub version)5:36
4."Papa Do It Sweet"4:12
CD maxi, Sweden (1995)
No.TitleLength
1."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (single edit)3:48
2."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (club edit)6:08
3."The First Cut Is the Deepest" (dub version)5:36
4."Papa Do It Sweet"4:12

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[34] 20
Denmark (IFPI)[35] 9
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[36] 66
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[37] 38
Norway (VG-lista)[38] 9
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[39] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (1995) Position
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[40] 41

Sheryl Crow version

"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
Single by Sheryl Crow
from the album The Very Best of Sheryl Crow
Released22 September 2003 (2003-09-22)
Length3:44
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Cat Stevens
Producer(s)John Shanks
Sheryl Crow singles chronology
"It's So Easy"
(2002)
"The First Cut Is the Deepest"
(2003)
"Light in Your Eyes"
(2004)
Music video
"The First Cut Is the Deepest on YouTube

Sheryl Crow's version of "The First Cut Is the Deepest", inspired by Rod Stewart's version, is the first single released from her 2003 compilation album The Very Best of Sheryl Crow. It became one of Crow's biggest radio hits, peaking at No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming her first solo top-40 country hit following the success of her duet with Kid Rock, "Picture".[41] The song stayed on the Hot 100 for 36 weeks and became a gold seller, also reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary, Adult Top 40, and Triple-A charts. Internationally, it was a top-20 success in Hungary, Ireland and New Zealand.

Music video

The Sheryl Crow music video for "The First Cut Is the Deepest" was directed by Wayne Isham with art direction by Andrew Elias.[42] Filmed in southern Utah, the video features Sheryl in a rocky desert singing with her guitar, riding horses and interacting in a cowboy environment.[43] Sheryl's single was nominated for a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards,[44] losing to "Sunrise" by Norah Jones.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2003–2004) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[45] 50
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[46] 31
Germany (Official German Charts)[47] 61
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[48] 20
Ireland (IRMA)[49] 13
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[50] 79
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[51] 19
Scotland (OCC)[52] 22
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[53] 45
UK Singles (OCC)[54] 37
US Billboard Hot 100[55] 14
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[56] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[57] 1
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[58] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[41] 35
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[59] 10

Year-end charts

Chart (2003) Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[60] 47
Chart (2004) Position
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[61] 92
US Billboard Hot 100[62] 28
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[63] 2
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[63] 10
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[64] 37
US Triple-A (Billboard)[65] 24

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[66] Gold 35,000
United States (RIAA)[67] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States September 22, 2003 A&M [68]
United Kingdom October 20, 2003 CD [69]
Australia October 27, 2003 [70]
United States Country radio [71]
November 17, 2003 Contemporary hit radio [72]

See also

References

  1. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Cat Stevens - The First Cut Is The Deepest". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  2. ^ https://unknown-original.com/the-first-cut-is-the-deepest-original/
  3. ^ "Cat Stevens' 'The First Cut is the Deepest' is the Perfect Heartbreak Song". 30 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 12 February 1977. p. 70. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  5. ^ Islam, Yusuf (2008). "Biography 1964". Official Website for Yusuf Islam. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  6. ^ Marrin, Minette (26 September 2004). "Profile: Yusuf Islam aka Cat Stevens: Not so much a zealot more a lost musician". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  7. ^ "Yusuf Islam Named Songwriter of the Year at ASCAP Awards in London". Ascap.com. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  8. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Cat Stevens - The First Cut Is The Deepest". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  9. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Cat Stevens Biography on Yahoo! Music". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  10. ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Record World. 15 July 1967. p. 6. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4836." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4813." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Keith Hampshire Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2020.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 132. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  15. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '73". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Keith Hampshire - The First Cut Is the Deepest".
  17. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '73". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Keith Hampshire - The First Cut is the Deepest". Discogs. 18 May 1973.
  19. ^ "Keith Hampshire - The First Cut is the Deepest".
  20. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 339–40. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  21. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 12 February 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5283a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ^ "Rod Stewart – The First Cut Is the Deepest". Top 40 Singles.
  25. ^ "Rod Stewart: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  26. ^ "Rod Stewart Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  27. ^ "Rod Stewart Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  28. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending APRIL 02, 19YY". Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  29. ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  30. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 11, December 31 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  31. ^ "Top 100 1977 - UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  32. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  33. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 June 1995. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  34. ^ "Papa Dee – The First Cut Is the Deepest" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  35. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 14 October 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  36. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 29 July 1995. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  37. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 NR. 132 Vikuna 26.8. '95 – 1.9. '95" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  38. ^ "Papa Dee – The First Cut Is the Deepest". VG-lista.
  39. ^ "Papa Dee – The First Cut Is the Deepest". Singles Top 100.
  40. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  41. ^ a b "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  42. ^ "Sheryl Crow: The First Cut Is the Deepest - Full Cast and Crew". IMDb.
  43. ^ "Sheryl Crow - The First Cut Is The Deepest". YouTube. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  44. ^ [1] Archived 10 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  45. ^ "Sheryl Crow – The First Cut Is the Deepest". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  46. ^ "Sheryl Crow – The First Cut Is the Deepest" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  47. ^ "Sheryl Crow – The First Cut Is the Deepest" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  48. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  49. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The First Cut Is the Deepest". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  50. ^ "Sheryl Crow – The First Cut Is the Deepest" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  51. ^ "Sheryl Crow – The First Cut Is the Deepest". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  52. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  53. ^ "Sheryl Crow – The First Cut Is the Deepest". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  54. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  55. ^ "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  56. ^ "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  57. ^ "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  58. ^ "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  59. ^ "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  60. ^ "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. 19 December 2003. p. 22.
  61. ^ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2004" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  62. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2004". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  63. ^ a b "Year in Music & Touring". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 52. 25 December 2004. p. YE-74. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  64. ^ "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. 17 December 2004. p. 22.
  65. ^ "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Triple-A Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. 17 December 2004. p. 54.
  66. ^ "Singles Accreditations Report – Nov 2023" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  67. ^ "American single certifications – Sheryl Crow – The First Cut Is the Deepest". Recording Industry Association of America.
  68. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1522. 19 September 2003. p. 24. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  69. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 18 October 2003. p. 37.
  70. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 27th October 2003" (PDF). ARIA. 27 October 2003. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  71. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1527. 24 October 2003. p. 21. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  72. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1530. 14 November 2003. p. 27. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
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