When Will I See You Again
Encyclopedia
"When Will I See You Again" is a song by American soul group The Three Degrees
, from their third album The Three Degrees
. The song was written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
.
It was one of the most successful recordings of the "Philly Soul
" era. In the U.S., the song reached number one on the adult contemporary chart
, number two on the pop singles chart
and disco chart and number four on the R&B chart
in the autumn of 1974. In the UK, it fared even better, spending two weeks at the top of the British pop chart
in August 1974. The Three Degrees performed the song at Prince Charles' 30th birthday party at Buckingham Palace
in 1977.
Sheila Ferguson
recalled that "the song was played to me by Kenny Gamble at the piano in 1973 and I threw a tantrum. I screamed and yelled and said I would never sing it. I thought it was ridiculously insulting to be given such a simple song and that it took no talent to sing it. We did do it and several million copies later, I realized that he knew more than me."
Magda Layna performed a disco version of the song.
The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...
, from their third album The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees (album)
The Three Degrees is a 1973 studio album released by the female girl group The Three Degrees.-Reception:Since their formation in 1963, The Three Degrees had released several hit singles on various labels, including Swan Records, Warner Bros, Metromedia, and Neptune, but had not yet recorded an album...
. The song was written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
Gamble and Huff
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and record production team who have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records. They were pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label...
.
It was one of the most successful recordings of the "Philly Soul
Philadelphia soul
Philadelphia soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia Sound or Sweet Philly, is a style of soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featuring sweeping strings and piercing horns. The subtle sound of a glockenspiel can often be heard in the background of...
" era. In the U.S., the song reached number one on the adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
, number two on the pop singles chart
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...
and disco chart and number four on the R&B chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
in the autumn of 1974. In the UK, it fared even better, spending two weeks at the top of the British pop chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in August 1974. The Three Degrees performed the song at Prince Charles' 30th birthday party at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
in 1977.
Sheila Ferguson
Sheila Ferguson
Sheila Ferguson is an American singer, and was one of the longest serving singers of 1970s American female soul music group The Three Degrees.Ferguson settled in the UK after marrying an Englishman...
recalled that "the song was played to me by Kenny Gamble at the piano in 1973 and I threw a tantrum. I screamed and yelled and said I would never sing it. I thought it was ridiculously insulting to be given such a simple song and that it took no talent to sing it. We did do it and several million copies later, I realized that he knew more than me."
Magda Layna performed a disco version of the song.
Cover versions
- Ami Apselund recorded the Finnish rendering of the song: "Koska Sun Taas Nähdä Saan", on her 1976 album Yön Jälkeen.
- British boy bandBoy bandA boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
Brother BeyondBrother BeyondBrother Beyond were a British boy band / pop group who had mainstream success in the late 1980s.-Biography:The group's first four singles, "I Should Have Lied", "How Many Times", "Chain-Gang Smile" , and an early version of "Can You Keep a Secret?" , were all written by band members Eg White...
covered the song on their 1989 albumStudio albumA studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
TrustTrust (Brother Beyond album)Trust is the second album of the British boy band / pop group Brother Beyond, released in 1989, by EMI / Parlophone . It was their last album, since they disbanded, shortly after the release of one more single, a non-album track, called "The Girl I Used to Know", a minor hit in the USA, in 1991...
, peaking at #43 in the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. - British skaSkaSka |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band Bad MannersBad MannersBad Manners are an English 2 Tone ska band. They quickly became the novelty favourites of the UK pop scene through their bald outsized frontman's on-stage antics, earning early exposure through their Top of The Pops exploits and an appearance in the live film documentary, Dance Craze.They were at...
recorded the song for a demo in 1976 and it was finally released as part of their 1999 compilation Rare & FattyRare & Fatty-Track listing:# "Paranoid"# "Devil's Dub"# "Tighten Up"# "Jezebel"# "Elizabethan Reggae" # "Boots"# "Double Barrel"# "Are You Monster?"# "Why Wait"# "Help Me"# "Shakin' up "# "When Will I See You Again"...
. - German singer Thomas AndersThomas AndersThomas Anders is a German singer, composer and record producer. Anders was the lead singer of Germany's popular pop-duo Modern Talking in 1984–1987 and in 1998–2003.-Early years:...
covered the song for his 1993 album of the same nameWhen Will I See You Again (album)When Will I See You Again is the title of the fourth studio album by singer-songwriter & producer Thomas Anders. It was released in 1993, and was produced by Christian De Walden...
. - British synthpopSynthpopSynthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
duo ErasureErasureErasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
covered it for their 2003 cover albumCover Album-Tracklisting:#Misono to Utaou! Animedley I # #...
Other People's SongsOther People's SongsOther People's Songs is a cover album by Erasure.The album was originally conceived as a solo project for singer Andy Bell. Once Vince Clarke, the other member of Erasure, became involved, it was released as Erasure's tenth studio album. The tracks were handpicked by Clarke and Bell as ones that...
. - Billy BraggBilly BraggStephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
recorded a cover of the song on his Must I Paint You A Picture? compilation; it had previously been featured on the compilation album Ruby Trax. - Priscilla ChanPriscilla ChanPriscilla Chan Wai-han is a female Cantopop singer in Hong Kong.-Background:Chan has a younger brother and sister. Her father is a retired senior officer of Hong Kong Immigration Service. She attended Marymount Secondary School in Happy Valley, Hong Kong...
, a Hong Kong-based Cantopop singer, also covered it as a popular bilingual dance song. - Kyōko KoizumiKyoko Koizumi' is a Japanese singer and actress. Her music is released through Victor Entertainment . She is also known by the nickname Kyon Kyon. She had singles reach the Top ten for 12 consecutive years between 1983 and 1994, a female solo artist record, until this was broken by Namie Amuro...
covered the song, retitled "Tenshi no sasayaki", on her 1992 Koizumix Production's Bambinater mini-album. - British female group The Dream Girls recorded the song in 1993.
In popular culture
- The song was featured in the Philly-based musical Me and Mrs Jones.
- In Kill Bill 2, Bill claims it's his favorite soulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
song of the 1970s. - In summer 2006, the song was used in a television advertisement by the UK's Food Standards AgencyFood Standards AgencyThe Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food throughout the United Kingdom and is led by a board appointed to act in the public interest...
warning against the dangers of food poisoning at barbecueBarbecueBarbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
s. - The song was used in one of the final scenes of the teen movie Can't Hardly WaitCan't Hardly WaitCan't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various...
. - The song was used in advertisements for Hungry Jack'sHungry Jack'sHungry Jack's Pty Ltd, often colloquially abbreviated to HJ's, Hungry's or Hungie's, is the exclusive Australian master fast food franchisee of Burger King Corporation. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Competitive Foods Australia, a privately held company owned by Jack Cowin...
(Burger King'sBurger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
) WhopperWhopperThe Whopper sandwich is the signature hamburger product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jacks. Introduced in 1957, it has undergone several reformulations including resizing and bread changes...
burger in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the late 1990s1990sFile:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
& early 2000s. - The song was used in advertisements for HeinekenHeinekenHeineken is a Dutch beer which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is available in a 4.6% alcohol variety in countries such as Ireland. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H...
beer in RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 2010.