When I Need You
Encyclopedia
"When I Need You" is a popular song
written by Albert Hammond
and Carole Bayer Sager
. It was first recorded by Hammond on his 1976 album When I Need You. Produced by Richard Perry
, Leo Sayer
's version made number 1 on the UK Singles Chart
for two weeks in February 1977 after three of his earlier singles had stalled at number 2. A massive hit worldwide, it reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
for a single week in May 1977; the song also went to number 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
. He performed it on the second show of the third season of The Muppet Show
.
song "Famous Blue Raincoat
," where the lyrics are as follows: "Jane came by with a lock of your hair, she said that you gave it to her that night that you planned to go clear." The melody of these lyrics matches the lyrics of "When I Need You" as follows: "(When I) need you, I just close my eyes and I'm with you, and all that I so want to give you, is only a heart beat away."
In a 2006 interview with the Globe & Mail Cohen said:
The same melody can be heard in Elton John's "Little Jeannie
" in the lyrics: "Stepped into my life from a bad dream /
Making the life that I had seem / Suddenly shiny and new"
, Luther Vandross
, Perry Como
, Rod Stewart
(on his compilation album If We Fall in Love Tonight
), Barry Manilow
(on his compilation album Summer of '78
), Alpha Blondy
, Brotherhood of Man
, Will Mellor
, Julio Iglesias
, Cliff Richard
, Roger Whittaker
and Clay Aiken
.
from Céline Dion
's Let's Talk About Love
album, released on September 7, 1998 in Brazil only.
After Céline Dion finished her Falling into You Tour
in June 1997, she began to record her next English album. Dion and her manager and husband René Angélil
wanted to include few cover version
s on it. David Foster
came up with the idea of recording Leo Sayer
's hit "When I Need You." The song, recorded at Paramount Studios and Chartmaker Studios, was produced by Foster and included on Dion's Let's Talk About Love album, released on November 15, 1997. Céline Dion performed this song during the Let's Talk About Love avec Julie Snyder
Canadian TV show in late 1997.
After a string of successful singles like "My Heart Will Go On
" and "Immortality
," Sony Music Entertainment
decided to release "When I Need You" as a promotional single in Brazil (September 1998). Two previous singles were very successful in Brazil. However, with no music video and no promotion "When I Need You" failed to repeat the success of Dion's earlier songs.
Authors of "When I Need You" worked with Dion also on several other songs. Albert Hammond
wrote "Just Walk Away
," included on The Colour of My Love
album (1993) and Carole Bayer Sager
wrote "The Prayer," which became a part of These Are Special Times
(1998).
released When I Need You and reached number 38 on the UK Singles Chart
. It is also one of the five new recordings featured on his album Love... The Album
.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written by Albert Hammond
Albert Hammond
Albert Hammond OBE is a British singer, songwriter and record producer from Gibraltar.-Birth and early success:Hammond was born in London, England, where his family had been evacuated to from Gibraltar during World War II. His family returned to Gibraltar shortly after his birth, and there he grew...
and 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...
. It was first recorded by Hammond on his 1976 album When I Need You. Produced by Richard Perry
Richard Perry
Richard Perry is an American music producer. Perry began as a performer in his adolescence, but shifted gears after graduating college and rose through the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a highly successful and popular record producer with over a dozen gold records to his credit by 1982...
, Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
's version made number 1 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 ...
for two weeks in February 1977 after three of his earlier singles had stalled at number 2. A massive hit worldwide, it reached number 1 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...
for a single week in May 1977; the song also went to number 1 on the 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...
. He performed it on the second show of the third season of The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
.
The melody comparison
The melody of the "hook" line, or chorus of "When I Need You" is identical to the part of the Leonard CohenLeonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
song "Famous Blue Raincoat
Famous Blue Raincoat
"Famous Blue Raincoat" is a song by Leonard Cohen. It is the sixth track on his third album, Songs of Love and Hate, released in 1971.-Summary:...
," where the lyrics are as follows: "Jane came by with a lock of your hair, she said that you gave it to her that night that you planned to go clear." The melody of these lyrics matches the lyrics of "When I Need You" as follows: "(When I) need you, I just close my eyes and I'm with you, and all that I so want to give you, is only a heart beat away."
In a 2006 interview with the Globe & Mail Cohen said:
I once had that nickingTheftIn common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
happen with Leo Sayer. Do you remember that song 'When I Need You'?" Cohen sings the chorus of Sayer's number one hit from 1977, then segues into 'And Jane came by with a lock of your hair,' a lyric from 'Famous Blue Raincoat'. 'Somebody suedLawsuitA lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
them on my behalf … and they did settle,' even though, he laughs, 'they hired a musicologist who said that particular motif was in the public domain and, in fact, could be traced back as far as SchubertFranz SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
.
The same melody can be heard in Elton John's "Little Jeannie
Little Jeannie
"Little Jeannie" is a song by Elton John and Gary Osborne, recorded by John and released as a single in 1980 from John's album 21 at 33. It was written for Jeannie Bonds, who was in the Miss. Sumter pageant in 1979...
" in the lyrics: "Stepped into my life from a bad dream /
Making the life that I had seem / Suddenly shiny and new"
Cover versions
The song was covered by Céline DionCeline Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
(on his compilation album If We Fall in Love Tonight
If We Fall in Love Tonight
If We Fall in Love Tonight is a ballad album released by Rod Stewart on November 1, 1996 . It includes mostly previously released songs. The album was released in both the US and UK, though the versions differ slightly. It was released by Warner Bros. Records following the release of a similar...
), Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
(on his compilation album Summer of '78
Summer of '78
Summer of '78 is an album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, released in 1996. The album was a collections of popular songs mostly from the 1970s, and was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.- Track listing :#"Summer Of '78" - 1:48...
), Alpha Blondy
Alpha Blondy
Alpha Blondy is a reggae singer and international recording artist. Alpha Blondy was born Seydou Koné in Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire. He sings mainly in his native language of Dioula, in French and English, and sometimes in Arabic or Hebrew...
, Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s, most notably by winning the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with "Save Your Kisses for Me"....
, Will Mellor
Will Mellor
William "Will" Mellor is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Jambo Bolton in Hollyoaks, Gaz Wilkinson in comedy, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps...
, Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker is an Anglo-Kenyan singer-songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of over 55 million. His music can be described as easy listening. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability...
and Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken
Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
.
- Surinamese ballad-singer Max Nijman recorded the song in his own languageSranan TongoSranan is a creole language spoken as a lingua franca by approximately 300,000 people in Suriname...
for his second album Wan Dei Lobi (One Day Love) in the wake of the original's chart-success; in the 1990s he made a new version. - Lani HallLani HallLani Hall is an American singer and the wife of Herb Alpert.-Music career:Her first public appearances occurred in Old Town Chicago in early 1966. At one of those performances, she was heard by Brazilian Bossa Nova pianist/bandleader Sérgio Mendes, who happened to be on tour in Chicago...
recorded a Spanish version of the song, "Si Me Amaras (If You Loved Me)", for her 1985 album, Es Fácil Amar. - A maestro Rahul Dev BurmanRahul Dev BurmanRahul Dev Burman commonly known as R. D. Burman and nicknamed Pancham da or simply Pancham, was an influential Bollywood music composer. He was the only son of singer and Bollywood music composer Sachin Dev Burman and his wife Meera...
recorded a Hindi version of the song (Tum se mil ke) for a 1989 film ParindaParindaParinda is an award-winning 1989 Indian film directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Parinda is considered by many to be the turning point in reality in Hindi cinema, as the theme of the film discusses the real life of Indian underworld gangsters and the general life of residents in the city...
. The Cantonese duet version, known as "For You, I'll Never Give Up," was covered by Gallen LoGallen LoGallen Lo Ka-leung is a Hong Kong actor and singer who primarily acts in television series. He is sometimes credited as King Gallen or Law Ka-leung.-Career:...
and Flora ChanFlora ChanFlora Chan Wai-Shan was born in 30 May 1970 in Hong Kong. She is a Hong Kong television and film actress.-Biography:Chan was born in Hong Kong and emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts at a young age. As a child, she had hoped to become a dancer, but because of an injury when she was a teenager, she...
, as the theme song of Hong Kong drama Feminine Masculinity in 1999. - Ryuichi KawamuraRyuichi Kawamurais a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor and record producer. He is best known as lead singer of the rock band Luna Sea. After the group disbanded in 2000, Ryuichi went on to a successful solo career. In 2005 he formed Tourbillon with, fellow Luna Sea member, Inoran and Hiroaki Hayama...
recorded a cover in Japanese for his 2011 album The Voice.
Céline Dion version
"When I Need You" is a promotional singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
's Let's Talk About Love
Let's Talk About Love
Let's Talk About Love is an album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 18, 1997. It is her fifth English-language album and twenty-third in total. Let's Talk About Love remains one of the best-selling albums in history with over 31 million copies sold worldwide...
album, released on September 7, 1998 in Brazil only.
After Céline Dion finished her Falling into You Tour
Falling into You Tour
The Falling into You Tour is the seventh world concert tour by Canadian pop singer, Céline Dion...
in June 1997, she began to record her next English album. Dion and her manager and husband René Angélil
René Angélil
René Angélil, OQ is a Canadian singer and manager. He is the husband and manager of singer Celine Dion.-Early life:Angélil was born in Montreal, Québec, Canada of a father of Syrian descent and a Canadian mother of Lebanese origin...
wanted to include few cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s on it. David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
came up with the idea of recording Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
's hit "When I Need You." The song, recorded at Paramount Studios and Chartmaker Studios, was produced by Foster and included on Dion's Let's Talk About Love album, released on November 15, 1997. Céline Dion performed this song during the Let's Talk About Love avec Julie Snyder
Julie Snyder
Julie Snyder is a Francophone Canadian talk show host and producer, appearing as host or guest on various television programs in Canada and France.She graduated from Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in 1986....
Canadian TV show in late 1997.
After a string of successful singles like "My Heart Will Go On
My Heart Will Go On
"My Heart Will Go On" is the theme song/love theme of the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic. With music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings, and production by Simon Franglen, James Horner and Walter Afanasieff ,, it was recorded by Céline Dion...
" and "Immortality
Immortality (Celine Dion song)
"Immortality" is a single from Céline Dion's album Let's Talk About Love. It was released on June 8, 1998 outside the United States. The Bee Gees can be heard on the background vocals....
," Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
decided to release "When I Need You" as a promotional single in Brazil (September 1998). Two previous singles were very successful in Brazil. However, with no music video and no promotion "When I Need You" failed to repeat the success of Dion's earlier songs.
Authors of "When I Need You" worked with Dion also on several other songs. Albert Hammond
Albert Hammond
Albert Hammond OBE is a British singer, songwriter and record producer from Gibraltar.-Birth and early success:Hammond was born in London, England, where his family had been evacuated to from Gibraltar during World War II. His family returned to Gibraltar shortly after his birth, and there he grew...
wrote "Just Walk Away
Just Walk Away
"Just Walk Away" is the seventh single from Céline Dion's album The Colour of My Love. It was released as a radio single in Spain on October 23, 1995....
," included on The Colour of My Love
The Colour of My Love
The Colour of My Love is an album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 9, 1993. It is her third English-language album and 18th overall...
album (1993) and 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...
wrote "The Prayer," which became a part of These Are Special Times
These Are Special Times
These Are Special Times is a Christmas album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on October 30, 1998 through Epic subsidiary 550 Music...
(1998).
Cliff Richard version
On October 29, 2007, Cliff RichardCliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
released When I Need You and reached number 38 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 ...
. It is also one of the five new recordings featured on his album Love... The Album
Love... The Album
Love… The Album is a hybrid part compilation, part new studio recordings album by British singer Cliff Richard, released by EMI on 12 November 2007 in the UK. The five new studio tracks were produced by Michael Omartian. It reached #13 in the UK Albums Chart.There are two versions of this album,...
.