Rick Springfield’s First Big Hit? It Isn’t What You Think

Quick, name Rick Springfield’s first Top 40 hit. Dollars to donuts, you quickly replied “Jessie’s Girl”, the 1981 hit that rocketed him to stardom and helped define the sound of the early 80s pop scene.

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Would you believe it if we told you that well before that massive single, well before even the soap opera success, Rick Springfield delivered his first-ever US Top 40 pop hit? And that it was a pretty significant one, even if it came via a song somewhat uncharacteristic of his later work? We’re not joshing you.

Rick’s Rise

Rick Springfield took a long path toward the sound that would eventually vault him to the pop music stratosphere. Born in Australia, he also spent several years in England right as the British Invasion started to surge. Like so many others of that era, he bought himself a guitar and started chasing his musical dreams.

Springfield played in a few bands in his teenage years before latching on with an established Australian-based group called Zoot in 1969. They dressed in garishly loud stage outfits and tried to cash in on the bubblegum pop craze of the day.

Zoot enjoyed a little bit of renown in their native country with a cover of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” in 1970. But the band soon ran its course. Springfield, who had gained a taste for songwriting during his years in bands, was a natural for a solo deal. Capitol Records agreed to pick him up in America. Like most artists, that was the market he wanted to crack.

“Sky” Pilot

Springfield released his solo debut album, appropriately titled Beginnings, in 1972. And, as you might expect, it betrayed a little bit of his inexperience. But it says something that he wrote all the songs all by himself, showing that he was in no way a manufactured pop star.

And, lo and behold, he scored a hit right off the bat. “Speak To The Sky” was a bit off-kilter in a musical sense. It resembles Dixieland jazz more than pop music. But the early 70s proved a forgiving time for that kind of eclecticism when it came to getting radio airplay.

As for the lyrics, Springfield, as you might be able to tell from the title, was extolling the power of prayer. Many must have thought at the time that he was headed for a Christian rock career. In any case, he showed savvy in knowing that “Speak To The Sky” was the song that would break through to the wider audience.

The Aftermath

“Speak To The Sky” rose all the way to No. 14 on the pop charts. That seems strange, since the song has never really found too much of a home on any oldies formats. Even with Springfield eventually becoming a big star, not even the curiosity factor has boosted its exposure level.

So why did it take so long for Springfield to get back to that level of success? Well, he struggled to find his musical footing on his early solo records. And he probably did no favors to his credibility by voicing himself on a short-lived animated show. Record company shenanigans didn’t help.

Luckily, he eventually found his stride with a combination of New Wave and power pop moves that anticipated the turn towards the brighter musical colors of the early 80s. But “Speak To The Sky”, somewhat forgotten today, gave Rick Springfield his first taste of the pop music limelight.

Photo by Rebecca Sapp/WireImage for The Recording Academy