If Only I Could

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For the television series, see If Only I Could (TV series).
"If Only I Could"
If only I could.jpg
Single by Sydney Youngblood
from the album Feeling Free
B-side"Spooky"
Released1989
Recorded1989
GenreDance, House
Length3:30
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Claus Zundel
Sydney Youngblood singles chronology
"Congratulations"
(1988) 		"If Only I Could"
(1989) 		"Sit and Wait"
(1989)
Music video
"If Only I Could" on YouTube

"If Only I Could" is a 1989 song by American-German singer Sydney Youngblood. Released as the lead single from his album Feeling Free, the track was composed by Claus Zundel, a producer of multi-million-selling projects Sacred Spirit and B-Tribe. It was released on vinyl, audio cassette and compact disc, and is now considered Youngblood's signature song, being his biggest hit and remaining popular with many of his fans. The song reached number one in Belgium and was a Top 3 hit in many countries, including the UK,[1] where it was the 11th-best-selling single of 1989. In the song, Youngblood evokes "the world of brotherhood and love that he would like to create 'if only [he] could'". This utopian humanism is "very uncommon in the songs devoted to nightclubs".[2] "If Only I Could" uses the bassline and drumbeat from the Raze house track "Break 4 Love".

Critical reception[]

AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis described the song as "pure, early-'90s house" in his review of Sydney Youngblood.[3] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "rich-voiced crooner temporarily moves away from usual R&B arena and pumps up the bass for this tasty, deep-baked houser that splashes with a nifty Motown-flavored undercurrent and funky wah-wah guitars. The right edit could set urban and pop radio ablaze."[4] Liverpool Echo said the song "was one of the nicest dance/pop records of recent months, bringing songs back into dance music. And - Sydney knows a good song when he hears one."[5] Music & Media commented that "finally, Youngblood has found a song good enough to take his smooth, sweet voice to the higher reaches of the charts. The song combines a variety of styles - reggae meets hip-house with a dash of lover's rock. A sympathetic production by Claus Zundell and some supremely tasteful Spanish guitar breaks make this record a melodic delight. Starting to move rapidly up the UK chart and looking likely to repeat that success across Europe."[6] Orla Swift from Record-Journal noted the song as "jazzy".[7]

Chart performance[]

"If Only I Could" was very successful on the charts in Europe, becoming the singer's biggest hit to date. It peaked at number-one in Belgium and managed to reach the Top 10 also in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland (number 2), Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number 4. In the UK, the single hit number 3 at the UK Singles Chart on October 1, 1989.[8] It spent two weeks at that position and was the 11th best-selling single of 1989. Outside Europe, "If Only I Could" reached number 28 in New Zealand and number 122 in Australia. It earned a gold record in both Austria and Germany, with a sale of 15,000 and 250,000 singles, and a silver record in the UK, after 200,000 units were sold there.

Music video[]

A music video was made to accompany the song. It features Youngblood bouncing around a ball that resembled the earth, while donning urban clothing and traditional African clothing.

Track listings[]

Charts and sales[]

Wendy Matthews' version[]

"If Only I Could"
If Only I Could by Wendy Matthews.png
Single by Wendy Matthews
from the album Lily
ReleasedApril 1993
Length3:55
LabelRooART
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)T-Bone Burnett
Wendy Matthews singles chronology
"Friday's Child"
(1993) 		"If Only I Could"
(1993) 		"T.K.O."
(1993)

Australian recording artist Wendy Matthews released a version of the song in April 1993 as the third single from her second studio album, Lily. The song peaked at number 41 on the ARIA Charts.

Track listing[]

  1. "If Only I Could" (Edit) - 3:55
  2. "If Only I Could" (Timebomb Mix) - 5:45
  3. "Until You Say" - 4:48

Charts[]

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[30] 41

References[]

  1. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 616. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^ Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, p. 178 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
  3. ^ "Sydney Youngblood - Sydney Youngblood". AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  4. ^ "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. December 8, 1990. p. 83. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  5. ^ "Sydney Youngblood: Feeling Free". Liverpool Echo. October 28, 1989. page 7. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  6. ^ "Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. September 23, 1989. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "Wendy & Lisa doing better than ever without Prince". Record-Journal. 21 October 1990. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  8. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 01 October 1989 - 07 October 1989". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received July 15, 2015". imgur.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2016. N.B. The #71 peak listed for the 1990 release of "If Only I Could" is for a triple A-side 12" release of the "I'd Rather Go Blind" single.
  10. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  11. ^ "Ultratop.be – Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Danish Singles Chart November 24, 1989
  13. ^ "Lescharts.com – Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  15. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie Archived 2010-01-05 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved February 15, 2008)
  16. ^ "Charts.nz – Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 43, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  18. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  19. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  20. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Sydney Youngblood – If Only I Could". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  21. ^ UK Singles Chart Official Charts Company (Retrieved August 11, 2008)
  22. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1989". Ultratop. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  23. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6. Retrieved January 17, 2020 – via American Radio History.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  25. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1989". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  26. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  27. ^ Austrian certifications ifpi.at Archived 2010-02-01 at WebCite (Retrieved August 11, 2008)
  28. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('If+Only+I+Could')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
  29. ^ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved August 11, 2008)
  30. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Wendy Matthew – If Only I Could". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
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