Sheena Easton – Almost Over You

When David Foster’s Piano Finally Got The Spotlight

Released in October 1983 as the second single from Best Kept Secret, “Almost Over You” peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to number four on the Adult Contemporary chart, where it spent weeks lingering in playlists across America. In Canada, the track reached number 35 on the pop chart but conquered the Adult Contemporary format, hitting number one and staying there for multiple weeks. The song marked a strategic shift for Sheena Easton, who’d spent the previous year delivering uptempo dance tracks like the Grammy-nominated “Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)” that peaked at number nine. But here’s the fascinating detail: after Easton’s team couldn’t secure David Foster as a full album producer due to his packed schedule, they convinced him to produce just this one track, giving the album a touch of his Midas-touch piano magic that critics immediately recognized as the song’s secret weapon.

The album Best Kept Secret arrived in August 1983 as Easton’s first entirely American-recorded project, peaking at number 33 on the Billboard 200 and spending 38 weeks on the chart. Producer Greg Mathieson, fresh from his work on Laura Branigan’s massive hit “Gloria,” steered the album toward Eurodisco-influenced dance tracks balanced with emotional ballads. The singles told the story of Easton’s versatility: “Telefone” hit the top ten with its pulsing synthesizers, “Almost Over You” found its audience among adult listeners seeking something slower and more reflective, and “Devil in a Fast Car” barely scratched the Hot 100 at number 79. In the UK, the album and its singles received a lukewarm response, suggesting British audiences weren’t ready for Easton’s transformation from the perky reality TV star who’d simultaneously placed two singles in the top ten just three years earlier.

Co-written by Jennifer Kimball and Cindy Richardson, “Almost Over You” captured that specific emotional state of someone pretending they’re fine after heartbreak but constantly reminded of what they’ve lost. The lyrics focused on the mundane triggers that bring memories flooding back, a theme that resonated with audiences navigating their own recoveries from failed relationships. Richardson and Kimball, neither household names themselves, crafted a song that understood healing isn’t linear but cyclical, a process where progress gets interrupted every time someone mentions your ex’s name or you see their favorite restaurant. The songwriting team gave Easton material that matched her evolving vocal sophistication, asking her to convey vulnerability without melodrama, strength without bitterness.

The recording featured David Foster on piano, delivering what one critic called his unmistakable stamp, underlining Easton’s emotional performance with restraint and elegance. Foster’s longtime collaborators filled out the session: drummer Mike Baird provided the subtle foundation, bassist Lee Sklar anchored the low end, and percussionist Lenie Castro added delicate touches that never overwhelmed. Jeremy Lubbock’s string arrangement elevated the production without drowning it in saccharine orchestration, creating space for Foster’s piano to breathe between phrases. Producer Greg Mathieson later declared Foster the best pop piano player around, and “Almost Over You” proved his point. Unlike the album’s synthesizer-heavy dance tracks, this production emphasized organic instruments and human touch, giving radio programmers something they could slot between Kenny Rogers and Air Supply without alienating either audience.

“Almost Over You” became the standout ballad from Best Kept Secret, an album that featured covers of Dusty Springfield’s “Just One Smile” and Doug Parkinson’s “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” alongside original material. The album also contained “She’s In Love (With Her Radio),” which French-Canadian singer Véronique Béliveau covered as “Je suis fidèle,” taking it to number one in Quebec in 1983. Easton had planned to reunite with Christopher Neil, the London-based producer of her first three albums, but creative differences pushed her toward American producers instead. The decision paid off commercially even if it alienated some UK fans who preferred her earlier, more straightforward pop sound. Foster’s involvement gave the project credibility in Los Angeles studio circles, proving Easton could work with A-list talent even as her British chart fortunes declined.

The song found new life through multiple cover versions across decades and continents. Country artist Lila McCann recorded it for her 1997 self-titled debut album, giving it a Nashville treatment that emphasized pedal steel and acoustic guitars. In the Philippines, where Easton had always enjoyed strong sales, multiple artists tackled it: Sharon Cuneta covered it in the early 2000s, Karylle released a version on her 2009 album Time for Letting Go, and Penelope Matanguihan recorded her own interpretation. The song also existed in Spanish as “Todo Me Recuerda a Ti,” with Easton herself recording that version for Latin American markets. Each cover highlighted different aspects of the melody, but none quite captured Foster’s piano work, that particular combination of technical precision and emotional intelligence that made the original so affecting.

Three decades later, “Almost Over You” stands as evidence of Sheena Easton’s often-overlooked vocal range and interpretive skills. While casual fans remember her for Bond themes and Prince collaborations, Adult Contemporary radio programmers knew she could deliver the kind of emotional ballad work that kept listeners through entire commutes. The song’s title perfectly captured its own paradox: you’re almost over someone, which means you’re definitively not over them at all, and probably won’t be for quite some time. Sometimes the best love songs aren’t about falling in love or even losing it, but about that messy middle ground where you’re convincing yourself you’re healing while simultaneously proving you’re not.