I Want You to Want Me explained

I Want You to Want Me
Cover:Cheap_Trick_I_Want_You_to_Want_Me_1977.jpg
Caption:Epic 50435
Type:single
Artist:Cheap Trick
Album:In Color
B-Side:Oh Boy (Instrumental Version)
Recorded:1977
Studio:Kendun Recorders, Los Angeles
Genre:
Label:Epic
Producer:Tom Werman
Prev Title:Oh, Candy
Prev Year:1977
Next Title:Southern Girls
Next Year:1977
I Want You to Want Me
Cover:Cheap_Trick_I_Want_You_to_Want_Me_(1979).jpg
Caption:Epic 50680
Type:single
Artist:Cheap Trick
Album:Cheap Trick at Budokan
B-Side:Clock Strikes Ten
Recorded:April 1978
Venue:Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Genre:Hard rock, power pop
Label:Epic
Producer:Cheap Trick
Prev Title:California Man
Prev Year:1978
Next Title:Ain't That a Shame
Next Year:1979

"I Want You to Want Me" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick. It is originally from their second album In Color, released in September 1977. It was the first single released from that album, but it did not chart in the United States in its original studio version, which was influenced by music hall styles.

Eleven months later, a more rock-oriented live version from the band's successful Cheap Trick at Budokan album was released as a single and became one of their biggest hits, peaking at number seven in the US, number two in Canada, and number one in Japan. It has since become Cheap Trick's signature song.

Background

"I Want You to Want Me" was a number-one single in Japan.[3] [4] Its success in Japan, as well as the success of its preceding single "Clock Strikes Ten", paved the way for Cheap Trick's concerts at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in April 1978 that were recorded for the group's most popular album, Cheap Trick at Budokan.[5] A live version of "I Want You to Want Me" from the album Cheap Trick at Budokan was released in 1979 and became their biggest-selling single, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing sales of one million records. In Canada, it reached No. 2 in on the RPM national singles chart, remaining there for two weeks[7] and was certified gold for the sale of 500,000 singles in September 1979.[8] It was also the band's highest charting single in Britain, where it reached No. 29.

Years later, Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson criticized the lightweight production of "I Want You to Want Me" as it originally appeared on their second album, In Color. Cheap Trick went as far as to mostly re-record that album in 1997, though this version has not been officially released. Producer Tom Werman explains:

"'I Want You To Want Me' was a fabulous dance hall type of song, and a perfect pop tune, and it was meant to be a little campy. I put the piano onβ€”a guy named Jai Winding played it. I remember asking the band what they thought of it, and Rick Nielsen kind of shrugged and said, 'You're the producer.'" Further: "It was a burlesque song, like a 30s number. That is what they wrote it as."

Version differences

The live version has a faster tempo than the album version, which contributed to its success. However, the album version features an echo at the verse "Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin' (cryin)". This echo does not appear in the live version. The crowd, however, emulates the echo by chanting "cryin'". The studio version features guitar by Jay Graydon.[9] The live version consists of two guitar solos, while the studio version has a piano fill as a second instrumental. In early 1977, Cheap Trick recorded a version played in the style they played in concerts. It was played with dramatic vocals, high tempo and two guitar solos. It was later released in 1998 and is almost identical to the "alternate" version, with a slightly different song structure, that was released two years earlier in 1996, from "Sex, America, Cheap Trick". In 1997, the band recorded another version as part of a complete remake of In Color with producer Steve Albini. This version generally follows the live arrangement as heard on At Budokan.

33 years after the Budokan version became Cheap Trick's first Top Ten hit, the band recorded a festive version of the song with the same arrangement, but with slightly modified lyrics, called "I Want You for Christmas", included on , in 2012.[10]

Critical reception

Cash Box said that it's "a slick piece of pop-rock written by its goofy guitarist, Rick Nielsen" and "though the lyrics are terribly original [sic], it's a pleasant tune, impeccably produced by Tom Weman."[11]

Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Cheap Trick's greatest song, saying that although Nielsen conceived it as "an overblown pop parody" it became "a true pop rock classic."[12] Classic Rock History critic Michael Quinn also rated it Cheap Trick's best song.[13]

In the 2007 book Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide, a section on Cheap Trick featured reviews on the top 20 stand-out tracks from the band. One track included was "I Want You to Want Me", where author John M. Borack wrote "the In Color version lacked anything resembling balls, but that was remedied on the hit version from the groundbreaking Cheap Trick at Budokan disc. A piece of history and a darned cool tune, to boot."[14] Billboard magazine found the live version to be "high energy" with "an infectious melody and raspy guitar work."[15] Record World said it "has a catchy hook over a powerful rock rhythm line."[16]

"Oh Boy"

The studio version single is backed with the non-album track "Oh Boy (Instrumental)", which was later re-worked with vocals and released on a promotional single.[17]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1977)Peak
position
Canada RPM 100 Top Singles [18] 97
U.S. Record World Singles Chart 101–150 [19] 119
Chart (1979)Peak
position
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[20] 1
Canada RPM 100 Singles [21] 2
Japan (Oricon Singles Chart)1
UK Singles Chart[22] 29
U.S. Billboard Hot 1007
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1979)Rank
Canada [23] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 34
US Cash Box [25] 27

All appearances

Letters to Cleo version

I Want You to Want Me
Type:single
Artist:Letters To Cleo
Album:10 Things I Hate About You
Released:1999
Genre:Pop punk
Label:Hollywood

Letters to Cleo recorded a version in 1999 for the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack. It was released as a single [26] but failed to chart.

Track listings and formats

  1. "I Want You to Want Me"  β€“ 3:24
  2. "Cruel to Be Kind"  β€“ 3:01

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Powerpop: 10 of the best. Lester. Paul. February 11, 2015. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. July 29, 2016.
  2. Angry Young Men Edition. Hit Parade Music History and Music Trivia. Slate. Molanphy. Chris. November 19, 2022. February 23, 2023.
  3. Rolling Stone. Cheap Trick Finds Heaven. 49. June 14, 1979. McLane, D..
  4. Web site: Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. Wright, J.. https://web.archive.org/web/20091004191716/http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/interviewcheaptrick08.htm. October 4, 2009. Classic Rock Revisited. July 5, 2009.
  5. BUDOKAN! 30th Anniversary DVD+3CDs . insert booklet.
  6. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3879|pure_url=yes}} Cheap Trick singles Billboard performance]. AllMusic. July 16, 2009.
  7. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . June 27, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020125914/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4484a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=ccntousk30frf6h4jsn237nm12 . October 20, 2012 . dead .
  8. Web site: Gold and Platinum . Musiccanada.com . June 27, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120405135007/http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=&ica=False&sa=Cheap+Trick&sl=&smt=0&sat=-1&ssb=Artist . April 5, 2012 .
  9. Web site: CRR Interview - Bun e. Carlos - Everything Works Out if You Let It.. Well, Sort Of...
  10. Web site: Song Search for "i want you for christmas" . . October 12, 2016.
  11. News: CashBox Singles Reviews. September 3, 1977. 18. Cash Box. December 26, 2021.
  12. Web site: The top 10 best Cheap Trick songs. Dome, Malcolm. June 19, 2022. June 28, 2016. Louder Sound. Classic Rock.
  13. Web site: Top 10 Cheap Trick Songs. Quinn, Michael. June 16, 2022 . February 7, 2023. Classic Rock History.
  14. Book: Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide - John M. Borack - Google Books . June 27, 2012. 9780979771408 . Borack . John M. . 2007 . Shake Some Action - PowerPop .
  15. News: Top Single Picks. Billboard Magazine. July 8, 2020. March 24, 1979. 135.
  16. Record World. March 24, 1979. February 12, 2023. Hits of the Week. 1.
  17. Book: Lawson, Robert. Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick. November 20, 2017. FriesenPress. 978-1-5255-1227-8. en.
  18. . RPM 100 Top Singles . RPM . Toronto . RPM Music Publications . November 26, 1977 . October 19, 2016.
  19. Book: Whitburn, Joel . 2015 . The Comparison Book . Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin . Record Research Inc. . 93 . 978-0-89820-213-7.
  20. Web site: Radio2 top 30: 8 oktober 2016 | Radio2 . Top30-2.radio2.be . October 12, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120409063716/http://top30-2.radio2.be/#/search/Bryan_Adams . April 9, 2012 .
  21. . RPM 100 Singles . RPM . Toronto . RPM Music Publications . August 11, 1979 . October 19, 2016.
  22. Web site: Cheap Trick . . officialcharts.com . The Official UK Charts Company . October 19, 2016 .
  23. Top 100 Singles (1979). . July 29, 2017.
  24. http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1979.htm Musicoutfitters.com
  25. Web site: Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1979 . August 2, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140713094315/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1979YESP.html . July 13, 2014 . dead .
  26. Web site: Letters to Cleo - I Want You to Want Me . . 1999 .
  27. I Want You to Want Me. Letters to Cleo. 1999. European CD single liner notes. Hollywood Records. 0104565HWR.