I'll Be There for You (Rembrandts song)
Encyclopedia
"I'll Be There for You" is a song recorded by the American pop rock duo The Rembrandts
. It is best known as the theme song to the American
sitcom Friends
, which premiered during 1994 and ended in 2004. The song was also released as the first single from the group's third studio album LP
.
and Marta Kauffman
, Kauffman's husband, composer Michael Skloff, and songwriter Allee Willis
, along with Phil Sōlem and Danny Wilde, both of the Rembrandts. It was initially offered to the rock bands They Might Be Giants
and R.E.M.
It is strongly Beatles influenced, especially the guitar riff, reminiscent of "I Feel Fine", itself influenced by blues singer Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step".
The original theme, which is under one minute long, was later re-recorded as a three-minute pop song. After Nashville program director Charlie Quinn, along with radio announcer and music director Tom Peace looped
the original short version into a full-length track and broadcast it on radio station WYHY Y-107, it became so popular that they had to re-record it. "Our record label said we had to finish the song and record it. There was no way to get out of it," lead singer Phil Sōlem said.
The song made it onto The Rembrandts' album LP at the last moment. The song was not initially released as a single, a then-common practice by record companies who feared it would cannibalize
album sales.
chart for eight weeks. When the single was released 1995, it peaked at No.3 on the UK Singles Chart
in the United Kingdom
and at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the United States
as the flipside
to "This House Is Not a Home". It also peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Top 40 Mainstream and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
charts.
Rarely heard on radio in the United Kingdom after its early popularity, the song was frequently played on British popular radio in 2004 around the time of the series finale.
In April 2004, the song was ranked at No. 15 on Blender
magazine's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever".
Most recently, in 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
ranked the song at No. 25 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, calling it "The most dangerous song on this list. Like a panther, it can strike anywhere that reruns of 'Friends' roam free."
in the rhythm track.
American punk rock band Pink Lincolns
covered this song under the title "Friends" for a 1997 compilation album titled Show & Tell.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered this song for their 2007 video game Alvin and the Chipmunks
.
Irish pop band Westlife
performed the song live on their Turnaround Tour
.
Ron "Zvi" Varod from Avant/Prog band So is the Tongue recorded a drone metal version for an upcoming TV cover benefit album for Nacht Records.
Independent Contemporary Christian band, unevenLanes, covered this song for their 2003 CD release concert. The concert was celebrating the release of the band's debut album, Closer Than Ever.
The Rembrandts
The Rembrandts are an American pop-rock duo formed by Phil Solem and Danny Wilde in 1989. They had previously worked together as members of Great Buildings in 1981...
. It is best known as the theme song to the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, which premiered during 1994 and ended in 2004. The song was also released as the first single from the group's third studio album LP
LP (The Rembrandts album)
LP is the third album by The Rembrandts. It was released on East West Records on 23 May 1995. It has been certified platinum.The fifteenth track is "I'll Be There for You," which was used as the theme song for the popular sitcom Friends.-Track listing:#"End of the Beginning"#"Easy to Forget"#"My...
.
Song information
"I'll Be There for You" was co-written by Friends producers David CraneDavid Crane (television)
David Crane is an American writer and producer. He is one of the creators of the TV sitcom Friends, along with his longtime friend Marta Kauffman....
and Marta Kauffman
Marta Kauffman
Marta Kauffman is an American writer and TV producer, best known as the co-creator of the popular sitcom Friends, alongside David Crane. Both Crane and Kauffman were also executive producer of the show, along with Kevin Bright. Crane and Kauffman have also produced Veronica's Closet, starring...
, Kauffman's husband, composer Michael Skloff, and songwriter Allee Willis
Allee Willis
Allee Willis is an American songwriter, artist, set designer, multimedia artist, writer, collector and director.-Overview:...
, along with Phil Sōlem and Danny Wilde, both of the Rembrandts. It was initially offered to the rock bands They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
and R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
It is strongly Beatles influenced, especially the guitar riff, reminiscent of "I Feel Fine", itself influenced by blues singer Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step".
The original theme, which is under one minute long, was later re-recorded as a three-minute pop song. After Nashville program director Charlie Quinn, along with radio announcer and music director Tom Peace looped
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
the original short version into a full-length track and broadcast it on radio station WYHY Y-107, it became so popular that they had to re-record it. "Our record label said we had to finish the song and record it. There was no way to get out of it," lead singer Phil Sōlem said.
The song made it onto The Rembrandts' album LP at the last moment. The song was not initially released as a single, a then-common practice by record companies who feared it would cannibalize
Cannibalization (marketing)
In marketing strategy, cannibalization refers to a reduction in sales volume, sales revenue, or market share of one product as a result of the introduction of a new product by the same producer....
album sales.
Music video
The music video of the song featured the six main stars of Friends, taking the singing and dancing roles of the band. The video was included as a bonus feature on several of the show's Complete Season DVD Boxsets.Track listing
European CD maxi-single- "I'll Be There for You" - 3:09
- "Fixin' to Blow" - 5:03
- "Just the Way It Is Baby" - 4:06
- "Snippets Medley" - 6:46
Chart performance
In the United States, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 AirplayHot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
chart for eight weeks. When the single was released 1995, it peaked at No.3 on the UK Singles 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 the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and at No. 17 on the Billboard 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 the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the flipside
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...
to "This House Is Not a Home". It also peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Top 40 Mainstream and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
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...
charts.
Rarely heard on radio in the United Kingdom after its early popularity, the song was frequently played on British popular radio in 2004 around the time of the series finale.
In April 2004, the song was ranked at No. 15 on Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever".
Most recently, in 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
ranked the song at No. 25 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, calling it "The most dangerous song on this list. Like a panther, it can strike anywhere that reruns of 'Friends' roam free."
Charts
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles 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 ... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard 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... |
17 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Hot 100 Airplay The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 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... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 23 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 1 |
Compilation usage
"I'll Be There for You" has been included on the following compilation albums:- Friends: Music From The TV Series (1994)
- Serial TV: Les Plus Grands Hits Des Séries TV
- Happy Songs
- Billboard Top Hits: 1995
Cover versions
American pop rock band The Goo Goo Dolls recorded their own version of this song which contained slightly altered lyrics, and a more uptempo, rockier sound, as well as a glockenspielGlockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
in the rhythm track.
American punk rock band Pink Lincolns
Pink Lincolns
The Pink Lincolns are a punk rock band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1986 by vocalist Chris Barrows and guitarist Dorsey Martin. The rest of the lineup has frequently changed and currently includes bassist Kevin Coss and drummer Jeff Fox. The band has released five studio albums and six EP's as well...
covered this song under the title "Friends" for a 1997 compilation album titled Show & Tell.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered this song for their 2007 video game Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks (video game)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a video game based on the film of the same name. The game was released on December 4, 2007 and was the first release by short-lived video game company Brash Entertainment. It follows The Chipmunks as they play their way from small venues to massive crowds at Burning Munk...
.
Irish pop band Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
performed the song live on their Turnaround Tour
Turnaround Tour
Turnaround Tour covered the UK and Europe in 2004, the tour was also supposed to appear in China, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore however it was cancelled...
.
Ron "Zvi" Varod from Avant/Prog band So is the Tongue recorded a drone metal version for an upcoming TV cover benefit album for Nacht Records.
Independent Contemporary Christian band, unevenLanes, covered this song for their 2003 CD release concert. The concert was celebrating the release of the band's debut album, Closer Than Ever.