"You Are So Beautiful" is a song written by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher.
Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys contributed to the song's genesis, but
his official credit was omitted. It was first recorded by Preston and made
popular by Joe Cocker. Preston who grew up playing the organ in church,
originally wrote the lyrics about God. Preston's original version first
appeared on his 1974 album The Kids & Me and as the B-side on the 45rpm pressing
of his pop hit, "Struttin'". Cocker's producer, Jim Price, created a
slowed-down arrangement for Cocker's version, which first appeared on the
album, I Can Stand a Little Rain. Released as a single, the Joe Cocker
version reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1975
and helped the album become a hit. It would be his biggest hit until his duet
with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong", which reached #1 in 1982.
Authorship Though not officially credited as the
song's writer, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and Preston spontaneously
collaborated on the words and music to the song at a party. Wilson never sought
to reclaim his share of the song's authorship. The song's tone has been
related to the style of his solo material.
Without instrumental accompaniment, Wilson sang "You Are So Beautiful" as an
encore at Beach Boys shows intermittently from 1975 until his death
in 1983. A live rendition was released on the group's live album Good Timin':
Live at Knebworth England 1980 in 2002. Renditions
Gospel group The Mighty Clouds of Joy covered the song for their 1975 album
Kickin'. In 1976 Kenny Rankin recorded a version
on The Kenny Rankin Album. In 1976 Leon Russell recorded it for
Wedding Album. Ray Stevens recorded it in 1976 for his
album Just for the Record. Stevens' version reached number 16 on the Hot
Country Songs charts. Trombonist Urbie Green recorded the tune
in 1977 on his album Señor Blues with Grover Washington Jr and David Matthews'
Big Band. In 1980 The Beach Boys played the song
live at their concert with Dennis Wilson on lead in the UK. This recording was
released on their album Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 in 2002.
In 1983 Kenny Rogers recorded a version on his album We've Got Tonight.
Perry Como recorded the song in his 1983 album "So It Goes".
In 1993, Bonnie Tyler recorded a version similar to Joe Cocker's on her album
Silhouette In Red. Babyface covered the song in 1993 on his
For the Cool in You CD. Captain and Tennille covered the song in
1995 on their Twenty Years of Romance CD.
Ray Charles covered the song. A version can be found on The Very Best of Ray
Charles CD. In 2006, saxophonist Jimmy Sommers
released a cover from his Standards album Time Stands Still.
Diana Ross covered the song in 2006 on her I Love You CD.
Westlife covered the song in 2006 for their album, The Love Album.
Sam Moore recorded the song on his 2006 album Overnight Sensational which
features original composer Billy Preston as well as guitarists Eric Clapton and
Robert Randolph. Stryper frontman Michael Sweet, covered
the song on his 2007 solo album Touched. Doris Day included the song on her 2011
album My Heart. It is also on Zucchero's 2012 All the
Best album. Lulu Roman and T. Graham Brown recorded
a duet of the song for Roman's 2013 album At Last.
Contemporary Christian artist The Katinas covered the song in their 2013
album Love Chapter. In 2015, Eric Clapton and Paul Carrack
covered the song for Clapton's live album and concert film Eric Clapton:
Live at the Royal Albert Hall. In other media
Television programs have used commercial recordings of the song, along with
versions sung in person by fictional characters and by professional singers.
On Knots Landing, the song played as a drunk Danny Waleska ran over Pat
Williams with his car. Seventies-themed sitcom The Wonder Years used a recorded
version of the song in Season 6, Episode 16, "Nose," where it played at the end
of the episode at a school dance where Kevin's friend Ricky loses a girl with a
large nose just as Ricky had come to appreciate her. An episode of Home
Improvement accompanied the song with a montage of photos of Jill Taylor in her
early age. On the season six Three's Company episode "Strangers in the
Night," Jack Tripper tries to impress a woman by lip syncing to his friend
Larry's performance of the song. Marge Simpson sings it to Homer at the very
end of the Simpsons episode Simpson and Delilah — a performance included in one
of the Simpsons compilation albums — later, Homer's sometime assistant Karl
arranges for someone to come and sing the song to Marge, making it look like
this is Homer's anniversary present to her. Singer Enrique Iglesias performed
as the handyman Fernando in the sitcom Two and a Half Men in the 2007 episode
"Anteaters. They're Just Crazy-lookin'," and singer Babyface performed the song
during the marriage ceremony of Martin and Gina of Martin. The song played in
Season 5, Episode 9 of Full House and was mentioned in an episode of Desperate
Housewives where it was revealed to have been Karl and Susan Mayer's song.
Televised reality competition programs have used the song multiple times over
the years. Jessica Sanchez sang this on British Week on American Idol. Danny
Gokey performed the song on American Idol during the week of the top 3 and
was eliminated the next night. Boy Band One Direction covered the song in week
eight of The X Factor UK's seventh series. Tim Hockenberry performed the
song on his season 7 audition of America's Got Talent. Johnson & Jodeyne
skated to "You Are So Beautiful" in week 9 of DOI & on the DOI tour.Donna Allen
sung "You Are So Beautiful" on Season 5 of The Voice during the blind auditions
making Adam and Christina the only two to turn their chairs. And Tofiq HAciyev
sung "You Are So Beautiful" on Season 1 of The Voice Azerbaijan during the blind
auditions making Tunzale,Mubarz,Manan and Faig the four to turn their chairs.
The film Modern Romance includes an instrumental version of the song in its
opening and closing titles, and also uses Joe Cocker's version to underscore
its final scene. Joe Cocker's version was also used in the film Carlito's Way
and play's over the film's end credit's. Ian Harrison's recording played at a
school dance during the UK movie Get Real. In-person performances on film
include Seann William Scott's in Evolution and the 1994 comedy The Little
Rascals, where Alfalfa Switzer performed the song in his first scene.
References External links
Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics