"Something's Burning" is a song by American rock band

Kenny Rogers and the First Edition Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, until 1970 billed as the First Edition, were an American rock band. The band's style was difficult to singularly classify, as it incorporated elements of country, rock and psychedelic pop. Its stalwart memb ...

, released in January 1970 as a single from their album of the same name.

Controversy

The song was controversial, described at the time as being "too sensual" for the radio. Note that it also starts with an actual heartbeat played backwards. Rogers knew it was a hit record, but American radio wouldn't play it, so he got the band to perform the song on ''

This Is Tom Jones ''This Is Tom Jones'' is an ATV variety series starring Tom Jones. The series was exported to the United States by ITC Entertainment and was networked there by ABC. The series ran between 1969 and 1971 to total 65 colour episodes. Jones was ...

'' in the UK, who he believed were "much less afraid of sexuality" than America and so "would at least give the song a fair hearing". ''This Is Tom Jones'' was also broadcast in the US and eventually it gave enough exposure to the song to make it a hit.

Reception

Reviewed in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'', it was written that the song "could easily repeat that success f "Reuben James"with this driving rocker, with an exceptional vocal workout by Rogers". ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' wrote that the "grand vocal work and an instrumental that builds behind the scene give this new track a bright prospect for teen and adult programming". However, reviewing for ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

'', James Hamilton wrote that "this soft-then-building, soft-again-then-building slowie certainly won't get the crowd dancing (nor the critics disapproving) ... it's not that it's bad, just ordinary".

Track listing

# "Something's Burning" ( Davis; produced by

Jimmy Bowen James Albert Bowen (born November 30, 1937) is an American record producer and former rockabilly singer. Bowen brought Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood together, and introduced Sinatra to Mel Tillis for their album, ''Mel & Nancy.'' Early life ...

) – 4:00 # "Momma's Waiting" ( Rogers, Williams; produced by

Mike Post Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil; September 29, 1944) is an American composer, best known for his television theme music for various shows, including '' The White Shadow''; ''Law & Order''; '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; ''The A-Tea ...

) – 3:25

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1970 songs 1970 singles Songs written by Mac Davis Song recordings produced by Jimmy Bowen Mac Davis songs Kenny Rogers songs Reprise Records singles