Since You Been Gone – Head East | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#46); 1978
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
As the follow-up to Never Been Any Reason, Head East released another Somerville-penned track from Flat As A Pancake: Love Me Tonight. It reached #54 on the Hot 100.
Despite the band’s large and loyal concert fan base, neither its second or third LP showed much strength in the marketplace, nor did any singles make the pop list. Head East’s self-titled fourth album fared better.
It debuted in the Spring of 1978, and spun off Since You Been Gone as a single. Written by former Argent guitarist Russ Ballard – who’d also composed Redbone’s 1974 #5 smash Come And Get Your Love – Since You Been Gone turned in Head East’s strongest chart performance to date.
Unfortunately, it marked the end of the group’s singles chart run. The group disbanded in 1980. Schlitt later resurfaced as the lead singer for award-winning Christian rockers Petra. Interestingly, a year-and-a-half after Head East’s version of Since You Been Gone, Rainbow took its to #57.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Jeffrey Lesser
Lyrics Written by:
- Russ Ballard
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).