If I Ever Fall in Love explained

If I Ever Fall in Love
Cover:Shai - If I Ever Fall in Love.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Shai
Album:...If I Ever Fall in Love
Recorded:1992[1]
Genre:
Length:3:09
Label:
  • Gasoline Alley
  • MCA
Producer:Carl "Groove" Martin
Next Title:Comforter
Next Year:1993

"If I Ever Fall in Love" is the debut single by American R&B-soul quartet Shai, released by Gasoline Alley and MCA in September 1992 from their debut album of the same name (1992). The song reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1992 and peaked at number one on the Billboard R&B chart.[2] It spent eight weeks at number two on the Hot 100, which at the time was the second-most number of weeks that a song held the position without topping the chart, behind Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You". The song was also their only top-40 hit in the UK, peaking at number 36.[3]

Critical reception

Paul Lester from Melody Maker declared "If I Ever Fall in Love" as "a kind of doo wop teen-love weepathon" in the mould of Boyz II Men's "End of the Road".[4]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1992–1993)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[5] 80
Europe (European Hit Radio)[6] 22
UK Dance (Music Week)[7] 37

Year-end charts

Chart (1993)Position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 41
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 69
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 67
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 34
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 7
US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)[13] 5

Decade-end charts

East 17 and Gabrielle version

If You Ever
Cover:East_Seventeen_&_Gabrielle_-_If_You_Ever_(CD_1).jpg
Type:single
Artist:East 17 featuring Gabrielle
Album:Around the World (the Journey So Far) Gabrielle
Genre:Pop, R&B
Label:London
Producer:
  • Mike Rose
  • Nicholas Foster
Chronology:East 17
Prev Title:Someone to Love
Prev Year:1996
Next Title:Hey Child
Next Year:1997

"If I Ever Fall in Love" was covered in 1996 as a duet between British boy band East 17 and singer-songwriter Gabrielle, completed with a backing track. Renamed "If You Ever" and released by London Records, the cover peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and also peaked within the top 10 of the charts in Ireland and Sweden. The song received a platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry in September 2019 for sales and streams exceeding 600,000.

The song was the first single from East 17's first Greatest Hits compilation, (1996), and was also the fourth single from Gabrielle's second self-titled album (1996). It was the highest-charting single from both aforementioned albums.

Critical reception

Kristy Barker from Melody Maker complimented "If You Ever" as "gorgeous" and "lovely".[15] Kevin Courtney from Irish Times wrote, "The Walthamstow wideboys and the pirate patched soul queen team up for this fairly run of the mill ballad [...]. At least it's a more appropriate pairing than Lulu and Take That [on "[[Relight My Fire#Take That version|Relight My Fire]]"]. On the sleeve art, the numeral 17 has been replaced by the spelled out version, perhaps a sign that the Easties are making a subtle bid for a more "mature" audience. Why not go all the way and change their name to East Thirtysomething?"[16]

Track listings

  1. "If You Ever" (Smoove 7-inch mix)
  2. "If You Ever" (Ruff mix)
  3. "Deep" (live at Wembley Arena, 28 May 1995)
  4. "Steam" (live)
  1. "If You Ever" (Smoove 7-inch mix)
  2. "Stay Another Day" (live)
  3. "Around the World" (live)
  4. "It's Alright" (live)
  1. "If You Ever" (Smoove 7-inch mix)
  2. "If You Ever" (Simple Simon's Pieman remix)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996–1997)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[22] 15
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[23] 30
Lithuania (M-1)[24] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)Position
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 28
UK Singles (OCC)[26] 18

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United KingdomOctober 21, 1996London[28]
JapanNovember 25, 1996CD[29]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Shai If I Ever Fall in Love: CDs & Vinyl . Amazon.com . July 26, 2016.
  2. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 519.
  3. Book: Warwick . Neil . Kutner . Jon . Brown . Tony . The Complete Book Of The British Charts . 3rd . . 977 . London . 2004 . 978-1-84449-058-5.
  4. Paul. Lester. Singles. Melody Maker. January 9, 1993. 25. May 5, 2023. Paul Lester.
  5. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 10. 3. January 16, 1993. 15. August 25, 2020.
  6. EHR Top 40. Music & Media. 10. 7. February 13, 1993. 22. April 6, 2024.
  7. Top 60 Dance Singles . . December 19, 1992 . 22 . September 30, 2020.
  8. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1993. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 23, 2020.
  9. Web site: Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1993. Dutch Top 40. nl. April 23, 2020.
  10. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1993. MegaCharts. nl. April 23, 2020.
  11. Web site: End of Year Charts 1993. Recorded Music NZ. December 3, 2017.
  12. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 1993. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20061110095203/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1993. November 10, 2006. August 27, 2010.
  13. The Year in Music: Hot R&B Singles. Billboard. 105. 52. YE-29. December 25, 1993.
  14. Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. 111. 52. YE-20. December 25, 1999. October 15, 2010.
  15. Kristy. Barker. Singles. Melody Maker. October 26, 1996. 47. May 28, 2024.
  16. Courtney, Kevin (October 25, 1996). "Bohemian Rapping Fandango". Irish Times.
  17. If You Ever. East 17. 1996. UK CD1 liner notes. London Recordings. LONCD 388, 850 765-2.
  18. If You Ever. East 17. 1996. Japanese CD single liner notes. London Recordings. POCD-1234.
  19. If You Ever. East 17. 1996. UK CD2 liner notes. London Recordings. LOCDP 388, 850 767-2.
  20. If You Ever. East 17. 1996. UK cassette single sleeve. London Recordings. LONCS 388, 850 764-4.
  21. If You Ever. East 17. 1996. European CD single liner notes. London Recordings. 850 772-2.
  22. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 13. 45. November 9, 1996. 24. July 3, 2021.
  23. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (12.12. – 18.12. '96). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 20. December 13, 1996. October 2, 2019.
  24. Web site: M-1 Top 40. M-1.fm. lt. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163704/http://m-1.fm/top40/?topid=1377. April 2, 2015. March 31, 2014.
  25. Web site: Årslista Singlar, 1996. Sverigetopplistan. sv. May 4, 2020.
  26. Top 100 Singles 1996. Music Week. 25. January 18, 1997.
  27. Web site: Romanian Top 100 Singles Airplay – Top of the Year 1997. Romanian Top 100. ro. May 4, 2020. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20050122082314/http://www.rt100.ro/topul-anului-1997.html. January 22, 2005.
  28. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 37. October 19, 1996. July 3, 2021.
  29. Web site: イフ・ユー・エバー East 17. If You Ever East 17. Oricon. ja. March 13, 2024.