I Swear
"I Swear" | ||||
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Single by John Michael Montgomery | ||||
from the album Kickin' It Up | ||||
Released | December 13, 1993 | |||
Format | CD single, Cassette single, 7" vinyl | |||
Recorded | 1993 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Label | Atlantic Nashville | |||
Writer(s) |
Gary Baker Frank J. Myers | |||
Producer(s) | Scott Hendricks | |||
Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
John Michael Montgomery singles chronology | ||||
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"I Swear" is a ballad written by Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers that became a hit for two acts in 1994. Initially, it was a Number One single on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for American country music artist John Michael Montgomery at the beginning of the year. His version crossed over to pop radio and climbed to #42 on the Billboard Hot 100. A few months later, American pop group All-4-One covered the song and achieved a great success in many countries.
Content
The song is a ballad in which the narrator promises his significant other that he will always love her.
Music video
The music video was directed by Marc Ball and premiered in late 1993.
Track listings
- CD maxi—United States (1993)
- "I Swear" – 4:23
- "Line on Love" – 2:37
- "Dream on Texas Ladies" – 3:08
- "Friday at Five" – 2:41
Charts
"I Swear" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the week of December 18, 1993.
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[ 1] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot 100[ 1] | 42 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[ 1] | 1 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1994) | Position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[1] | 8 |
US Country Songs (Billboard)[2] | 1 |
All-4-One version
"I Swear" | ||||
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Single by All-4-One | ||||
from the album All-4-One | ||||
Released | April 28, 1994 | |||
Format | CD single, cassette, 7" single | |||
Recorded | 1993 | |||
Genre | Pop, R&B | |||
Label | Blitzz/Atlantic Records | |||
Producer(s) | David Foster | |||
All-4-One singles chronology | ||||
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Several months after John Michael Montgomery had released his original version, R&B/pop vocal quartet All-4-One recorded their own version with producer David Foster.
All-4-One's version hit number one in numerous countries, including the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., where it remained for eleven consecutive weeks. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart (behind Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around) and stayed at number two for seven consecutive weeks and spent a total of 18 weeks in the chart. The All-4-One version was slightly different, in that the line "And when there's silver in your hair" from the second verse was replaced by "And when just the two of us are there." This version was ranked at #78 on Billboard's Top 100 songs in the 50-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3]
Music video
A music video was produced to promote the single.
Track listings
- CD single
- "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
- "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:19
- CD maxi
- "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
- "I Swear" (radio mix) – 4:18
- "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:18
- "I Swear" (album version) – 4:18
- 7" single
- "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
- "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:19
Charts and sales
Peak positions
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End of year charts
End of decade charts
Certifications
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POPSTARS Germany 2010 finalists version
"I Swear" | ||||||||||
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Single by Gary Baker Feat. POPSTARS | ||||||||||
from the album No Sleep | ||||||||||
Released | 19 November 2010 | |||||||||
Format | CD single, digital single | |||||||||
Genre | Pop | |||||||||
Length | 4:03 | |||||||||
Label | Starwatch/Warner | |||||||||
Producer(s) | Gary Baker | |||||||||
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The final eleven contestants from Popstars: Girls forever, ninth season of TV talent show POPSTARS in Germany released a cover version of the song with Gary Baker on November 19, 2010. The finalists premiered the song live on the November 18th edition of the programme; the single was available for digital download on November 16, 2010 and a physical release followed the day after the Live performance. The song was recorded at Noiseblock Studios in Florence, Alabama.
Track listings
- CD single
- "I Swear" – 04:03
- "Empire of Love" – 03:28
Charts
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
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German Singles Chart | 68 |
In popular culture
- The song was performed in a comedic fashion by Eric Cartman in the South Park episode "Cartman Finds Love" and a part of it with special guest Brad Paisley; the show originally aired on April 25, 2012.
- The song was featured in the 2005 movie Just Friends.
- The song was sung by South Korean entertainer Ji Suk-jin in 1993 for a reporter audition for SBS, the video recording of which resurfaced on the 8th episode of Running Man, to great comedic effect.
- The song was performed by the Minions in a wedding scene between Gru (the movie's main character) and Lucy (his partner in a case investigation) in the 2013 animated film Despicable Me 2 (humorously but deliberately sung as "Underwear") and its soundtrack.
References
- ↑ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1994". RPM. December 12, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
- ↑ "Best of 1994: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
- ↑ Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "I Swear", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
- ↑ Belgian peak
- ↑ 1994 Canadian RPM Top Singles (Retrieved November 11, 2010)
- ↑ Danish peak
- ↑ Eurochart peak
- ↑ "All-4-One singles, German Singles Chart" (in German). musicline. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Single top 100 over 1994" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- ↑ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 10, 2008)
- ↑ 1994 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
- ↑ 1994 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
- ↑ 1994 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
- ↑ 1994 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
- ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Retrieved 2010-08-27.
- ↑ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
- ↑ Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved April 24, 2008)
- ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('I+Swear')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
- ↑ Dutch certifications nvpi.nl (Retrieved December 9, 2008)
- ↑ Swedish certifications Ifpi.se (Retrieved September 11, 2008)
- ↑ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved August 10, 2008)
- ↑ U.S. certifications RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - I Swear, accessed 2009-07-13
External links
Preceded by "Live Until I Die" by Clay Walker |
Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks number-one single February 5–26, 1994 |
Succeeded by "I Just Wanted You to Know" by Mark Chesnutt |
RPM Country Tracks number-one single February 14–28, 1994 | ||
Preceded by "Chattahoochee" by Alan Jackson |
Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks number-one single of the year 1994 |
Succeeded by "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" by John Michael Montgomery |
Order of precedence | ||
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Preceded by "Bump n' Grind" by R. Kelly |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single May 21, 1994 – July 30, 1994 |
Succeeded by "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories |
Preceded by "Baby, I Love Your Way" by Big Mountain |
Mainstream Top 40 number-one single May 28, 1994 – July 2, 1994 |
Succeeded by "Don't Turn Around" by Ace of Base |
Preceded by "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet |
New Zealand RIANZ number-one single July 8, 1994 – August 12, 1994 |
Succeeded by "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet |
Preceded by "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies |
Canadian number-one single June 20, 1994 – July 4, 1994 |
Succeeded by "Don't Turn Around" by Ace Of Base |
Preceded by "Baby, I Love Your Way" by Big Mountain "När vi gräver guld i USA" by Glenmark / Eriksson / Strömstedt |
Swedish number-one single July 15, 1994 (1 week) July 29, 1994 |
Succeeded by "När vi gräver guld i USA" by Glenmark / Eriksson / Strömstedt "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet |
Preceded by "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies |
German number-one single July 22, 1994 – September 16, 1994 |
Succeeded by "Eins, zwei, polizei" by Mo-Do |
Preceded by "7 Seconds" by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry |
Swiss number-one single July 31, 1994 – October 16, 1994 |
Succeeded by "Let the Dream Come True" by DJ Bobo |
Preceded by "Dreams (Will Come Alive)" by 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor featuring Des'Ray And D-Rock |
Dutch Top 40 number-one single August 6, 1994 – August 13, 1994 |
Succeeded by "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet |
Preceded by "Eins, Zwei, Polizei" by Mo-Do "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet |
Austria number-one single August 21, 1994 – September 11, 1994 September 25, 1994 - October 10, 1994 October 16, 1994 - October 23, 1994 |
Succeeded by "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet "Hey Süßer" by Lucilectric |
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