What Can I Do (The Corrs song)

"What Can I Do"
Single by The Corrs
from the album Talk On Corners
B-side	"Little Wing"; "No Good for Me"
Released	January 1998 17 August 1998 (Remix)
Format	CD single
Recorded	September 1995 (original version); 1997 (remix)
Genre	Pop rock, folk-rock
Length	4:21
Label	143/Lava/Atlantic
Writer(s)	The Corrs
Producer(s)	Jim Corr, Tin Tin Out (remix)
The Corrs singles chronology
"I Never Loved You Anyway" (1997) "What Can I Do" (1998) "Dreams" (1998)

"What Can I Do" is a song by Irish band The Corrs, from their breakthrough album Talk on Corners (1998). The song was originally released in January 1998, but its moderate charting success was limited, due to the time of the shooting of the video. However, it was later re-released in August that year in a remixed form by Tin Tin Out, which generated more attention, particularly in the UK where it reached No.3, and became one of the band's most known hits worldwide. The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics, some of whom felt it wasn't as strong as their previous songs. An accompanying music video was released, but was a very quick video, as the video was shot on their world tour at the same time. The music video was shot in New Zealand.

Background

The Corrs played this song at the Gala for the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize. The original version is a more slow doo-wop style song, which is much lighter. However, the re-release was a more guitar riffed song, which was a more pop rock and country style, with the addition of orchestral strings in the latter half of the song performed by the Duke Quartet. The voice range is a chord of A mj and spans from G#3 to C#5.^[1] Mostly, the Tin Tin Out version was used mostly in the song than the original. But to be correct, there are three official versions of the song. The first being the single version, which didn't generate as much attention. The second version was the Tin Tin Out remix, which was more successful in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. And a third version was the Talk on Corners and the LP version, which doesn't feature any main vocals in it.

Critical reception

"What Can I Do" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, although the group didn't favor the track. Becky Byrkit from Allmusic had praised the remix version saying along with "So Young" that its "trademark glass voices and barely discernible acoustic musical instruments."^[2] She also highlighted the song as an album standout.^[3]

Chart performance

"What Can I Do" didn't have as much success worldwide. The song had debuted at number forty-four on the Swedish Singles Chart, until it rose to number twenty-seven, eventually peaking there.^[4] The song however did not chart in New Zealand, but it did chart in the Official RadioScope charts (New Zealand's airplay charts). It had peaked at number four in their charts.

Music video

Background and synopsis

This video was shot in New Zealand on February 26, 1998 on very short notice. The Corrs were only done with their tour in New Zealand when the record company decided to release "What Can I Do", therefore a video had to be filmed rather quickly. Both the album version and the Tin Tin Out remix were used for the video.

The location was Awhitu Peninsula which is situated 80 km (~50 miles) South-West of Auckland on the West Coast on the North Island of New Zealand. Much of the video was shot near Kohekohe Church, Awhitu. The car in the video is a 1962 Ford Consul. The green meadows were in some way resembling their Irish home country, and even the weather became Irish for a little while as it started to rain during the shooting.

Director Nigel Dick (who shot Oasis' video for "Wonderwall") was flown in especially for the video and had less than a day to prepare it. The casual theme with jeans and T-shirts was suggested by East West Spain and welcomed by the Corrs who wanted this video to look very different from the rather stylish "Only When I Sleep". Andrea said that they left the video completely in the hands of the director, because according to her, "he's the one to blame!"

Reception from Nigel Dick

Dick stated: "My favourite memory is the image of Andrea, Sharon and Caroline all crouched down in the middle of the road, eating bowls of cereal at 5AM, waiting for the dawn. As it got light the drizzle arrived, but, with the band scheduled to fly home that evening, we kept on shooting."

Re-release

The song was then re-released a few months later, remixed by Tin Tin Out. "What Can I Do (Remix)" was even more successful than "Dreams" and managed to enter the top 3 of the UK Singles Chart (at #3). It remained on the charts for over 11 weeks. The video was mostly identical to the original version.

Track listing

Source:^[5]

Charts

References