If (Bread song)

"If"
Single by Bread
from the album Manna
B-side "Take Comfort"
Released March 21, 1971 (1971-03-21)
Format 7-inch single
Genre Soft rock
Length 2:33
Label Elektra
Writer(s)
  • David Gates
  • Walien Bruner
Producer(s) David Gates
ISWC T-070.080.616-1
Bread singles chronology
"Let Your Love Go"
(1971)		 "If"
(1971)		 "Mother Freedom"
(1971)

"If" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates in 1971. Originally popularized by his group Bread, the song charted at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 when released as a single in 1971 and number six in Canada. The song also spent three weeks at number one on the U.S. Easy Listening chart,[1] and one week at the top of the Canadian AC chart.[2]

In the U.S., Bread's version was the shortest song title to become a top ten hit until 1993, when Prince hit No. 7 with "7", later matched by Britney Spears' No. 1 hit "3" in 2009.

"If" has been a perennial favorite at weddings (for example, as a first-dance song) ever since it was released.[3]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Australia KMR 41
Canada RPM Top Singles [4] 6
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary [5] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] 4
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 1
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 [7] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1971) Rank
Canada RPM Top Singles [8] 82
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [9] 61
U.S. Cash Box [10] 89

Cover versions

It has been covered by other singers and musicians, including Petula Clark, Sergio Franchi, Cleo Laine, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Jack Jones, Shirley Bassey, Dorothy Squires, Mirusia Louwerse, Herbie Mann, Julio Iglesias, Joe Pass, Ryoko Moriyama, Westlife, Olivia Newton-John, Dolly Parton, Scott Walker, Andy Williams, Frankmusik, Sarah Geronimo (From Sarah G. Live! statement song), Deni Hines, George Millard and Damien Leith.

Telly Savalas recorded a mostly-spoken version which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in March 1975,[11] and has the shortest title of any song to reach number one in the UK.[12] This version also charted at #12 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart in late 1974.[13] A parody version of the Savalas version, recorded by voiceover artists Chris Sanford and Bill Mitchell performing as Yin and Yan,[14] reached number 25 in the UK.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 39.
  2. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  3. ↑ "First Dance Songs for Weddings". Weddings.about.com. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  4. ↑ http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5388&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5388.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5388
  5. ↑ http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5386&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5386.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5386
  6. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  7. ↑ http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19710515.html
  8. ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.7590&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062
  9. ↑ http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1971.htm
  10. ↑ http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1971YESP.html
  11. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 311. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  12. ↑ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 166. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  13. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary 1961-1993. Record Research. p. 212.
  14. ↑ "About | Chris Sandford - Actor. Presenter. Angler. Writer. Flytyer". Chris Sandford. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  15. ↑ "Yin And Yan - If (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2009-08-18. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
Preceded by
"(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story" by Andy Williams		 Billboard Easy Listening number-one single (Bread version)
April 24, 1971 (3 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" by Lobo
Preceded by
"Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel		 UK number-one single (Telly Savalas version)
March 8, 1975 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Bye Bye Baby" by Bay City Rollers
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