Gravity (John Mayer song)

Infobox Single
Name = Gravity


Artist = John Mayer
from Album = Continuum
B-side =
Released = January 31, 2007
Format = Digital download, CD single
Recorded = 2006
Genre = Blues, Blues rock
Length = 4:05
Label = Sony BMG, Aware, Columbia
Writer = John Mayer
Producer = John Mayer, Steve Jordan
Certification =
Last single = "Belief" (2006)
This single = "Gravity" (2007)
Next single = "Dreaming with a Broken Heart"
(2007)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Continuum
Type = studio
prev_track = "Belief"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Gravity"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Heart of Life"
next_no = 5Audiosample
Upper caption = Audio sample
Audio file = John Mayer - Gravity.ogg

"Gravity" is a song by American singer-songwriter guitarist John Mayer and is featured on two of his releases: the 2005 live album "Try!" by the John Mayer Trio and his 2006 studio album "Continuum". In 2007, the song was released as the third single from "Continuum".

Background and production

Mayer suggested in an interview with the magazine "Performing Songwriter" that "Gravity" was the song he was always trying to write, using the example of "Come Back to Bed" (from "Heavier Things") as being an early attempt at "writing "Gravity" . Along with "Vultures", the song is one of only two songs featured on the John Mayer Trio's debut album, "Try!", that carried over into the release of "Continuum".

Reception

"Billboard" called the single "an easygoing, bluesy number, convincingly conjuring the spirit of his idol Buddy Guy." [Taylor, Chuck (2007-01-27), "Gravity". "Billboard". 119 (4):55]

On February 22, 2007, "Gravity" entered Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart at #71;cite web|title=Timberlake Scores Third Hot 100 No. 1 From 'FutureSex'|author=Cohen, Jonathan|date=2007-02-22|publisher=Billboard.com|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003548654] at that time, Mayer had two singles charting on the Hot 100 (the other song was "Waiting on the World to Change"). It also entered Billboard's Hot 100 Digital Songs Chart at #63. To date, it has sold 68,115update after|2007|8|17 in digital downloads.

Grammy Awards performance

At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on February 11 2007, Mayer performed "Gravity" with Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend as the end of a medley. The set began with Rae's "Like a Star", and continued with Legend's "Coming Home," before concluding with "Gravity".

Stevie Wonder introduced the trio's performance, and each artist performed some aspect of every song through the entire medley. For Rae's "Like a Star", Mayer performed various backing guitar licks, while during Legend's "Coming Home" he performed little. For "Gravity", both Rae and Legend performed backing vocals and Legend played piano.

At the awards, Mayer won Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the first single from "Continuum", "Waiting on the World to Change".

Cultural influence

The tune was #84 on "Rolling Stone"'s list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs Of All Time. [No byline (2008-05-28), [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/20947527/page/34 "100 Greatest Guitar Songs Of All Time"] . RollingStone.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.] The family of astronaut Pilot Charles O. Hobaugh chose "Gravity" as the wake-up call for the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle "Endeavour" on August 11, 2007. [AP associate. " [http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/234p/popup/?rn=49750&cl=3667177&ch=68276&src=news "Shuttle Endeavor met by 'Gravity'"] (2007)". [Online video] . AP.] (The wake-up call is a tradition for NASA spaceflights since the days of Project Gemini.) [cite news | first=Colin | last=Fries | coauthors= | title=Chronology of Wakeup Calls | date=2007-06-25 | publisher=NASA | url =http://history.nasa.gov/wakeup%20calls.pdf | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-08-13 | language = ]

The song was featured in the "House" episode, "Cane and Able", that aired on September 12, 2006, the day "Continuum" was released in the United States.

References

ee also

*2007 in music

External links

* [http://music.yahoo.com/John-Mayer/Gravity/lyrics/40017512 "Gravity"] lyrics, at Yahoo! Music