If I Can't Have You
Encyclopedia
"If I Can't Have You" is a song written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees
. It was most famously recorded by Yvonne Elliman
for the Saturday Night Fever
soundtrack.
who was a major force in the disco
movement - Perren had produced the Sylvers
' 1976 #1 "Boogie Fever
" and would soon collaborate with Gloria Gaynor
on the disco anthem "I Will Survive
" - Love Me had showcased Elliman not as a disco artist but rather as a pop ballad singer notably on the title cut a Barry Gibb composition which had provided Elliman with an international hit. It was originally intended that Elliman's contribution to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack would be another ballad written by the Gibb brothers: "How Deep Is Your Love
"; however RSO Records
chairman and Bee Gees' manager Robert Stigwood
, who was producing the Saturday Night Fever album, dictated that the Bee Gees' themselves record "How Deep Is Your Love" with Elliman being given instead "If I Can't Have You", a disco-style song recently recorded by the Bee Gees' whose version had yet to be released.
Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" was released as a single in February 1978 the fourth single off the Saturday Night Fever album following the Bee Gees' three #1 hits "How Deep Is Your Love", "Stayin' Alive
" and "Night Fever
": the B-side
of the single was a track from the Love Me album: "Good Sign", a composition by Melissa Manchester
/Carole Bayer Sager
which had previously served as the B-side of Elliman's hit "Hello Stranger
". The first single off the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack not performed by the Bee Gees, "If I Can't Have You" would become the fourth #1 hit off the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack reaching #1 on the Hot 100
in Billboard
dated May 13 1978 ending an eight week #1 tenure by "Night Fever". "If I Can't Have You" was the fourth consecutive US #1 to be co-written by Barry Gibb, and the sixth consecutive to be released on the RSO record label.
In a contemporary interview journalist Peter J. Boyer found Elliman dismissive of her #1 hit "referring to it in conversation only casually as 'that current thing from Saturday Night Fever. In spite of the coattail success she's had with 'If I Can't Have You' it's a disco song and Elliman knows her broad, husky vocals are best suited elsewhere. But she's not quite sure where." "If I Can't Have You" was featured on Elliman's February 1978 album release Night Flight which apart from that track was produced by Robert Appère and was not disco-oriented: no track from Night Flight was issued as a followup single to "If I Can't Have You", Elliman's next single being a rock ballad entitled "Savannah" - with the Night Flight track "Up to the Man in You" serving as B-side
- which failed to consolidate Elliman's potential mainstream stardom. Elliman did return to disco music in 1979 with "Love Pains
" which returned her to the Top 40 one more time before she dropped out of the music scene in the 1980's.
The Bee Gees' version of "If I Can't Have You" was released as the B-side to the single "Stayin' Alive
" in December 1977 and also appeared in the 2001 compilation Bee Gees Their Greatest Hits: The Record.
A remixed version of The Bee Gees recording was released on the remastered version of Bee Gees Greatest
in 2007 and marked the return of the Bee Gees to the US Hot Dance Tracks charts after 28 years.
and recorded as one of two new tracks on her compilation album The Singles Collection 1981–1993. The single reached #12 in the UK, though was never released in the US. It became Wilde's biggest hit of the 1990s and one of the biggest hits of her career in Australia, where it reached #3.
It was released in several extended remixes on the 12" and CD-single formats. The B-side was an exclusive non-album track called "Never Felt So Alive".
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
. It was most famously recorded by Yvonne Elliman
Yvonne Elliman
Yvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar...
for the Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
soundtrack.
Background
Although Yvonne Elliman had cut her 1976 album Love Me with producer Freddie PerrenFreddie Perren
Frederick "Freddie" Perren was an American songwriter, record producer, arranger, and orchestra conductor best known for as a co-songwriter and co-producer of such mega-hits as "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches &...
who was a major force in the disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
movement - Perren had produced the Sylvers
The Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
' 1976 #1 "Boogie Fever
Boogie Fever
"Boogie Fever" is the title of a song recorded by Los Angeles, California-based R&B group The Sylvers, from their 1975 album Showcase. Their most lucrative single, it reached number one in the U.S...
" and would soon collaborate with Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...
on the disco anthem "I Will Survive
I Will Survive
"I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris...
" - Love Me had showcased Elliman not as a disco artist but rather as a pop ballad singer notably on the title cut a Barry Gibb composition which had provided Elliman with an international hit. It was originally intended that Elliman's contribution to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack would be another ballad written by the Gibb brothers: "How Deep Is Your Love
How Deep Is Your Love
"How Deep Is Your Love" is a pop song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977 and released as a single in September. Originally intended for Yvonne Elliman, it was ultimately used as part of the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It was a number three hit in the United Kingdom and Australia...
"; however RSO Records
RSO Records
RSO Records was a record label, formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood in 1973. The "RSO" stands for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. The company's main headquarters were at 67 Brook Street, in London's Mayfair...
chairman and Bee Gees' manager Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood is an impresario and entertainment entrepreneur who relocated to England in 1954...
, who was producing the Saturday Night Fever album, dictated that the Bee Gees' themselves record "How Deep Is Your Love" with Elliman being given instead "If I Can't Have You", a disco-style song recently recorded by the Bee Gees' whose version had yet to be released.
Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" was released as a single in February 1978 the fourth single off the Saturday Night Fever album following the Bee Gees' three #1 hits "How Deep Is Your Love", "Stayin' Alive
Stayin' Alive
"Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever...
" and "Night Fever
Night Fever
"Night Fever" is a disco song, written and performed by The Bee Gees. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever. Producer Robert Stigwood wanted to call the film Saturday Night, but singer Robin Gibb expressed hesitation at the title. Stigwood liked the title Night Fever but was...
": the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the single was a track from the Love Me album: "Good Sign", a composition by Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television, in films, and on stage....
/Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and painter.-Introduction:Born in New York City, Sager graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts and speech...
which had previously served as the B-side of Elliman's hit "Hello Stranger
Hello Stranger
"Hello Stranger" was a 1963 hit single by Barbara Lewis which spent two weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart in Billboard crossing over to #3 Pop.-Original version:...
". The first single off the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack not performed by the Bee Gees, "If I Can't Have You" would become the fourth #1 hit off the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack reaching #1 on the Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
dated May 13 1978 ending an eight week #1 tenure by "Night Fever". "If I Can't Have You" was the fourth consecutive US #1 to be co-written by Barry Gibb, and the sixth consecutive to be released on the RSO record label.
In a contemporary interview journalist Peter J. Boyer found Elliman dismissive of her #1 hit "referring to it in conversation only casually as 'that current thing from Saturday Night Fever. In spite of the coattail success she's had with 'If I Can't Have You' it's a disco song and Elliman knows her broad, husky vocals are best suited elsewhere. But she's not quite sure where." "If I Can't Have You" was featured on Elliman's February 1978 album release Night Flight which apart from that track was produced by Robert Appère and was not disco-oriented: no track from Night Flight was issued as a followup single to "If I Can't Have You", Elliman's next single being a rock ballad entitled "Savannah" - with the Night Flight track "Up to the Man in You" serving as B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
- which failed to consolidate Elliman's potential mainstream stardom. Elliman did return to disco music in 1979 with "Love Pains
Love Pains
"Love Pains" is a dance song written by Michael Price, Dan Walsh, Steve Barri and originally recorded by Yvonne Elliman in 1979.-Yvonne Elliman version:...
" which returned her to the Top 40 one more time before she dropped out of the music scene in the 1980's.
The Bee Gees' version of "If I Can't Have You" was released as the B-side to the single "Stayin' Alive
Stayin' Alive
"Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever...
" in December 1977 and also appeared in the 2001 compilation Bee Gees Their Greatest Hits: The Record.
A remixed version of The Bee Gees recording was released on the remastered version of Bee Gees Greatest
Bee Gees Greatest
Bee Gees Greatest is a compilation album of songs by the Bee Gees, released in 1979 by RSO Records. Coming soon after the blockbuster studio album Spirits Having Flown, Greatest was a summary of the Bee Gees' most recent period of success, 1975-1979...
in 2007 and marked the return of the Bee Gees to the US Hot Dance Tracks charts after 28 years.
Chart performance
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US | 1 |
| Canada | 1 |
| UK | 4 |
| France | 5 |
| Belgium | 22 |
| Netherlands | 28 |
Kim Wilde version
The song was covered in 1993 by British singer Kim WildeKim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
and recorded as one of two new tracks on her compilation album The Singles Collection 1981–1993. The single reached #12 in the UK, though was never released in the US. It became Wilde's biggest hit of the 1990s and one of the biggest hits of her career in Australia, where it reached #3.
It was released in several extended remixes on the 12" and CD-single formats. The B-side was an exclusive non-album track called "Never Felt So Alive".
Chart performance
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK | 12 |
| Australia | 3 |
| Ireland | 9 |
| Netherlands | 18 |
| Switzerland | 18 |
| Sweden | 24 |
| Austria | 29 |
| Germany | 51 |
Other cover versions
- Eve's PlumEve's PlumEve's Plum was a New York City-based alternative rock band who recorded in the 1990s. The band was fronted by Colleen Fitzpatrick. Eve's Plum released two albums and numerous singles on 550/EpicRecords, before breaking up in 1998.- Forming :...
, a pop rock band that existed from 1991 to 1998, recorded a cover in 1995 which found its way onto a compilation CD. - An abbreviated version of "If I Can't Have You" was included in the "70's Moment Medley" featured on the 1998 Gloria EstefanGloria EstefanGloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
single release "Don't Let This Moment EndDon't Let This Moment End"Don't Let This Moment End" is a song by Gloria Estefan, released as the second single in the United States, the third in the United Kingdom, and her fourth globally, from her eighth album gloria!.-Song history:...
". - LFO reworked "If I Can't Have You" as "Can't Have You" for their 1999 self-titled albumLFO (album)LFO was an album released by the American pop group Lyte Funky Ones. It was released on August 24, 1999 under Arista Records. It has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide and over 3 million singles.-Track listing:...
only replicating the choruses, the verses being changed to rapping. - Wilber PanWilber PanWilber Pan also known as Will Pan was born on 6 August 1980. He is an American-born Taiwanese Mandopop singer, rapper and actor, who started his career as a host of Channel V programs.-Biography:...
recorded a Mandarin language version for his 2003 album Pass Me The MicPass Me The MicPass Me The Mic is Taiwanese Mandopop artist Wilber Pan's second Mandarin studio album. It was released by Universal Music Taiwan on 19 September 2003...
. - Australian group Young DivasYoung DivasYoung Divas was an Australian girl group that had consisted of previous Australian Idol contestants. The original line up consisted of season one finalist Paulini Curuenavuli, season two finalist Ricki-Lee Coulter, season three winner Kate DeAraugo and runner-up Emily Williams...
covered the song in 2007 for their second album New AttitudeNew Attitude (album)New Attitude is the second album by the Young Divas and the first to feature Jessica Mauboy who replaced Ricki-Lee Coulter after she left to concentrate on her solo career....
. - DJ KhaledDJ KhaledKhaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
sampled part of this song in his 2007 single "Brown Paper Bag". - Adam LambertAdam LambertAdam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
performed the song as his selection during disco week during season 8 of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Instead of performing the original way it was written, Lambert made it into a ballad, which has been highly praised by the judges. - Sharleen SpiteriSharleen SpiteriSharleen Spiteri is a Scottish recording artist and songwriter, best known as being the lead singer of Scottish rock/blues band Texas. Texas began their career in 1986, and shot to fame in 1989 with their UK Top Ten single, "I Don't Want a Lover" released from Southside...
covered the song for her 2010 album The Movie SongbookThe Movie SongbookThe Movie Songbook is the second studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Sharleen Spiteri. It was released on 1 March 2010. The album consists of film song covers, chosen and recorded by Spiteri herself in 2009.- Reception :...
.