If I Had Words Explained

If I Had Words
Type:single
Artist:Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley
B-Side:This Time of Year
Genre:Pop
Label:Pepper
Producer:Jonathan Hodge

"If I Had Words" is a duet by Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley, released as a single in November 1977. It was a top-ten hit in several countries and sold more than one million copies worldwide. The backing was by the St Thomas More Roman Catholic School Choir in London.[1]

Composition and release

The tune was taken from the main theme of the maestoso section of Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3 in C minor (Symphony with organ) with an added reggae beat. (In the symphony, the theme used in the song is first exposed by the strings section in the second movement; it is later also played by the organ.[2]) The lyrics and arrangement were by Jonathan Hodge, a prolific writer of television jingles and film themes, who also produced the single.

"If I Had Words" topped the charts in the Netherlands and Belgium upon its release and peaked at number three in the UK and Australia. Its popularity in the Netherlands saw it certified platinum. It was also re-recorded by Fitzgerald and Keeley in 2010 and released as a charity single in the Netherlands in support of the Foundation KiKa.[3]

In popular culture

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1978)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 3
Rhodesia (Lyons Maid)[6] 10

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[7] 12
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 2

Notes and References

  1. Book: Roberts, David . British Hit Singles & Albums . Guinness World Records Limited . 2006 . 1-904994-10-5 . 19th . London . 201.
  2. Saint-Saëns, Camille (19--). Symphony no. 3 in C minor, opus 78, for orchestra and organ. Available at: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/aef8378/index.html, New York, N.Y.: International Music Co., pp. 126–129.
  3. Web site: Yvonne Keeley & Scott Fitzgerald - If I Had Words 2010 . Discogs. 21 November 2023 . en.
  4. Web site: ultratop.be - Angie Gold - Der schönste Tag . 7 December 2019 . Ultratop.
  5. Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian) . 1993 . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . illustrated . Australian Chart Book . . 112 . 0-646-11917-6.
  6. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  7. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1978. Ultratop.
  8. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1978. www.top40.nl.
  9. Web site: Jaaroverzichten - Single 1978. www.dutchcharts.nl.