JUICE NEWTON Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me

40 years ago to the month, American country artist Juice Newton released the follow up to her pop successes when she issued 'Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me' in May of 1982, and I could not have been more excited at the time. I had taken to heart her huge hits 'Angel Of The Morning' and 'Queen Of Hearts' both of which were massively successful downunder as well as in her homeland. Although it was eventually nominated for the Grammy for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance, it is to my ears, still quite country but I still love it 40 years later. It is so catchy and so relatable and very much the earworm.

Before Juice, I had enjoyed and embraced artists like Anne Murray, Crystal Gayle and Dolly Parton, but it was Juice Newton that I followed through the 1980's and acquired all her releases - and was impressed by the morphing of genres in her music. Her voice is distinctive, powerful and textured and with some stirring ballads and some rollicking uptempo tracks, Juice showed a great versatility in her music. 'Quiet Lies' the long player, from which 'Love's Been A Little Hard On Me' was the first single, got me through my final months of high school and into my departure from home at just 18. My favourite singers at the time - Nicolette Larson, Laura Branigan, Dionne Warwick and Melissa Manchester all guided me through that turbulent rite of passage, and I am forever thankful to these wonderful women and their music for that accompaniment on my life journey. Love was a little bit hard on me, as I suspect it was, and always will be for people when they are first coming into the grown up world!

Youtube blocked the clip I created for this song. I had restriped the original concept video for the song, but it was disallowed, but it is a great clip - hilarious and indicative of the sort of spirit that Juice Newton imbued her music with. But I have quickly re-cut another clip to bring it to you as promised. Enjoy Juice and her fab 1982 hit.