If Only I Could

"If Only I Could"
Single by Sydney Youngblood
from the album Feeling Free
B-side "Spooky"
Released 1989
Format 7" single, CD maxi
Recorded 1989
Genre Dance
Length 3:30
Label Virgin
Writer(s) Claus Zundel
Mike Staab
Sydney Youngblood
Ralf Hamm
Producer(s) Claus Zundel
Sydney Youngblood singles chronology
"If Only I Could"
(1989)		 "Sit and Wait"
(1989)

If Only I Could is the debut single from artist Sydney Youngblood and became his biggest hit. Released as a single from his album Feeling Free in 1989, the song was composed by Claus Zundel, a producer of multi-million selling projects Sacred Spirit and B-Tribe. It is now considered Youngblood's signature song and is still popular with many of his fans. The song was a top three hit in many countries, including UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. In the UK, it was the 11th best-selling single of 1989.

It was followed by the Top 20 UK hit "Sit and Wait".

Lyrics, music and video

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".[1]

"If Only I Could" used the bassline and drumbeat from the Raze house track "Break 4 Love", and reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.[2]

The video for the single featured Youngblood bouncing around a ball that resembled the earth, while donning urban clothing and traditional African clothing.

Track listings

7" single
  1. "If Only I Could" — 3:30
  2. "Spooky" — 3:54
3" CD single
  1. "If Only I Could" (radio edit) — 3:30
  2. "If Only I Could" (extended version) — 6:30
  3. "Spooky" — 3:54

Charts and sales

Peak positions

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Singles Chart)[3] 122
Austrian Singles Chart[4] 3
Eurochart Hot 100 4
French SNEP Singles Chart[4] 8
German Singles Chart[1] 3
Irish Singles Chart[5] 2
Swedish Singles Chart[4] 9
Swiss Singles Chart[4] 3
UK Singles Chart[6] 3

Certifications

Country Certification Date Sales certified
Austria[7] Gold May 15, 1990 15,000
Germany[8] Gold 1989 150,000
UK[9] Silver October 1, 1989 200,000

References

  1. 1 2 Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, p. 178 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
  2. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 616. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "If Only I could", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 15, 2008)
  5. ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved February 15, 2008)
  6. ↑ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved August 11, 2008)
  7. ↑ Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved August 11, 2008)
  8. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('If+Only+I+Could')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
  9. ↑ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved August 11, 2008)
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