You to Me Are Everything explained

You to Me Are Everything
Cover:YouToMeAreEverything.jpg
Caption:CD compilation titled after the song
Type:single
Artist:the Real Thing
Album:Real Thing
B-Side:Keep an Eye (on Your Best Friend)
Released:April 1976
Length:3:22
Label:Pye Records
Producer:Ken Gold
Prev Title:Stone Cold Love Affair
Prev Year:1975
Next Title:Can't Get By Without You
Next Year:1976

"You to Me Are Everything" is a song by British soul group the Real Thing, released as a single in 1976. Written by Ken Gold and Michael Denne and produced by Gold, "You to Me Are Everything" was the Real Thing's sole number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top in July 1976.[1] The song was re-released ten years later titled the "Decade Remix" which returned the song to the chart in March 1986, reaching number five.

The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Sonia and Sean Maguire, whose versions also charted in the UK.

Background

The Real Thing first appeared on the ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks, to which they then acquired a manager, Tony Hall who secured them a recording contract with Pye Records. For their debut single, they recorded "You to Me Are Everything".[2] The song was written by producer Ken Gold together with Micky Denne; Denne came up with the chorus first, and they wrote most of the song in less than an hour. They took the demo of the song to Hall and Chris Amoo, the lead singer of the Real Thing, and the group recorded the song at the Roundhouse studios a week later.[3]

In the United States, two other versions of the song were released at the same time as the version by the Real Thing, by American groups Broadway and Revelation, whose versions were both released the same week, and at one point all three appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. Although the version by the Real Thing outsold the other two versions, the confusion with the three different versions effectively prevented each other from becoming a hit in the US.[2]

Commercial performance

The original release of "You to Me Are Everything" reached number one in the UK and stayed there for three weeks.[2] It peaked at No. 22 in Australia,[4] number 3 in Ireland and number 10 in New Zealand. The original version has been certified gold in the UK for 400,000 single sales.

The song was a minor hit in the US, peaking at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number 28 on the Billboard R&B chart.[5]

In 1986, the Decade Remix by DJ Froggy, Simon Harris and KC was released by PRT Records. The remix reached No. 5 in the UK in March.[6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Original release

The Decade Remix 76-86

Year-end charts

Original release

Chart (1976)Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 66
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] 44
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 36

The Decade Remix 76-86

Chart (1986)Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 12
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 45
West Germany (Official German Charts)[12] 68

Sonia version

You to Me Are Everything
Cover:You to me sonia.jpeg
Type:single
Artist:Sonia
Album:Sonia
B-Side:Be My Baby
Released:[13]
Length:3:56 (album version) 3:26 (single version)
Label:IQ
Producer:Nigel Wright
Prev Title:Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy
Prev Year:1991
Next Title:We’ve Got the Power
Next Year:1992

"You to Me Are Everything" was covered by English pop singer Sonia in 1991. The song was released in November 1991 as the third and final single from her second album. The "Radio Mix" is a new remixed version by Pete Hammond that differs from the album version. The song's B-side, "Be My Baby", is also on the album. This single reached No. 13 in UK and No. 14 in Ireland.

Track listings

CD single

  1. "You to Me Are Everything" (Radio Mix) – 3:27
  2. "You to Me Are Everything" (Extended Mix) – 6:07
  3. "Be My Baby" – 3:54

7-inch single

  1. "You to Me Are Everything" – 3:56
  2. "Be My Baby" – 3:54

12-inch single

  1. "You to Me Are Everything" (extended mix) – 6:07
  2. "Be My Baby" – 3:54
  3. "You to Me Are Everything" (radio mix) – 3:27

Charts

Sean Maguire version

You to Me Are Everything
Cover:Sean Maguire You To Me.JPG
Type:single
Artist:Sean Maguire
Album:Spirit
Released:[15]
Length:3:44
Label:Parlophone
Producer:Gary Stevenson
Prev Title:Now I've Found You
Prev Year:1995
Next Title:Good Day
Next Year:1996

English actor Sean Maguire covered "You to Me Are Everything" and released it as the second single from his second album, Spirit (1996), in November 1995. His version reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.[16]

Track listings

CD1

  1. "You to Me Are Everything"
  2. "You to Me Are Everything" (extended mix)
  3. "You to Me Are Everything" (G-Mix extended)
  4. "Suddenly" (extended mix)

CD2

  1. "You to Me Are Everything"
  2. "Suddenly"
  3. "Take This Time"
  4. "Someone to Love"

Cassette

  1. "You to Me Are Everything"
  2. "Lean on Me" (Bill Withers cover)

Other versions

The song has been covered by Frankie Valli, whose version was released as the B-side to "We're All Alone" that reached No. 78 on the Billboard Hot 100.[17] It has also been covered by Tiny Tim and Andy Abraham. Spanish singer Miguel Bosé sing a Spanish version entitled "Eres todo para mí" in his 1977 album "Linda".[18] A Finnish version entitled "Ei enempää voi pyytää" ("He can ask no more") was recorded in 1978 by . Later on, in 1997, songwriter Marina Rei successfully recorded an Italian-language version, "Primavera" ("Spring").. The Song has also been covered by Malaysian artist Dayang Nurfaizah in 2007 which is sung in Bahasa Melayu and titled 'Cerita Cinta Dayang'.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Roberts , David . 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited . London. 1-904994-10-5. 328.
  2. Book: Davis, Sharon. Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies . 2012. 9781780574103. Mainstream Publishing . Google Books.
  3. News: 'My mum made outfits for us to wear on Top of the Pops': how the Real Thing made You to Me Are Everything . Sarfraz . Manzoor. August 8, 2022 . The Guardian.
  4. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 247.
  5. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 485.
  6. Book: Davis, Sharon. Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies . 2012. 9781780574103. Mainstream Publishing . Google Books.
  7. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1976. Ultratop. 28 January 2022.
  8. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1976. Dutch Top 40. 28 January 2022.
  9. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1976. dutchcharts.nl. 28 January 2022.
  10. Web site: End of Year Charts 1986. Recorded Music NZ. 14 October 2022.
  11. Top 100 Singles. Music Week. 24. 24 January 1987.
  12. Web site: Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1986. GfK Entertainment. de. 14 October 2022.
  13. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 23. 2 November 1991.
  14. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 8. 49. 33. 7 December 1991.
  15. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 43. 4 November 1995.
  16. Web site: Sean McGuire . Official Charts Company.
  17. Book: Neely, Tim . [{{Google Books |D5Wq1LM7-84C|page=1144|plain-url=yes}} Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records]. 2000. 9780873419345. 1144 . Google Books.
  18. Web site: Discogs .