If You Want My Love

"If You Want My Love"
Single by Cheap Trick
from the album One on One
B-side Four Letter Word
Released 1982
Format 7" Single, 12" single, CD single
Genre Rock
Length 3:35
Label Epic
Writer(s) Rick Nielsen
Producer(s) Roy Thomas Baker
Cheap Trick singles chronology
"Reach Out"
(1981)		 "If You Want My Love"
(1982)		 "She's Tight"
(1982)

"If You Want My Love" is a single from American rock band Cheap Trick which appeared on the 1982 album One on One. It was written by guitarist Rick Nielsen. The single was released in 1982 and peaked at #45 in the US.[1] In the Netherlands, the single became the band's last chart appearance in the country at #26.[2]

The single showed a change in style in the band, heading towards a more commercial sound. It was released on 7" vinyl only. One edit of the single was created for the Dutch release, removing approx half a minute from the track.[3]

The b-side "Four Letter Word" was featured as the closing track on the same album, written by Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander.[4]

Both tracks were produced by Roy Thomas Baker who had also produced the entire "One on One" album.[4]

A music video was created for the single, airing frequently on MTV.[5]

The single's artwork used a similar theme to the album's artwork.

The single remains one of the most well-known tracks from the album and also appears on numerous greatest hits compilations.

A live version was recorded for the 2001 live set "Silver". Both this track and "She's Tight" featured bassist Jon Brant rejoin Cheap Trick on stage.[6] When asked about the song in an interview featured on the 2001 "Silver" concert DVD, bassist Tom Petersson humorously stated that it was "the best Beatle song we ever recorded". He, however, was referring to Cheap Trick as a band, he had not been with the group at the time the track was originally recorded.

Track listing

7" Single
  1. "If You Want My Love" - 3:35
  2. "Four Letter Word" - 3:39
7" Single (Dutch edition)
  1. "If You Want My Love" - 3:06
  2. "Four Letter Word" - 3:41
7" Single (Spanish promo)
  1. "If You Want My Love" - 3:35
  2. "Four Letter Word" - 3:37

Critical reception

Critic Robert Christgau described the song as "The most eloquently eclectic Beatle tribute ever recorded."[7]

Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone described the song as being "easily Cheap Trick's best slow song since 'Take Me I'm Yours' and a stunning example of what this band can do when it forgets about being commercial in these days when heavy metal rules the world."[8] Connelly also commented on the song's "smashing guitar attack" and noted the similarity of the song's middle eight to that of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."[8]

Allmusic.com picks the track as an AMG recommended track.[9]

In a review of the 2001 live album "Silver", allmusic.com mentioned the track, writing "Standouts include two standards of early MTV ("If You Want My Love" and "She's Tight")."[10]

In a review of the 1996 four disc box set "Sex, America, Cheap Trick", Billboard Magazine wrote of the band's decline in the early to mid-1980s, writing "Despite the dispriting times, Cheap Trick never ceased producing the occasional Beatlesque gem, such as "If You Want My Love," from "One on One" ('82); "I Can't Take It," from the Todd Rundgren-produced "Next Position Please" ('83); and "Tonight It's You" from "Standing on the Edge" ('85) - each included on the box."[11]

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 "If You Want My Love", where the author John M. Borack wrote "Best ballad of the '80s anyone? For sheer Lennon-meets-McCartney-head-on splendor, it's damned hard to top. One of Zander's finest leads ever, punctuated by his oh-so-Paulie 'woooos'."[12]

Chart performance

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 26
Polish Singles Chart 2
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[14] 57
US Billboard Hot 100 Chart[15] 45
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart[15] 11

Personnel

Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Explore Releases on Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  2. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Cheap Trick - If You Want My Love - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  3. ↑ "Cheap Trick - If You Want My Love (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Cheap Trick - One On One at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  5. ↑ "If You Want My Love - Cheap Trick". YouTube. 2009-07-04. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  6. ↑ "Cheap Trick - Silver at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  7. ↑ Christgau, R.. "Robert Christgau Cheap Trick". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Connelly, C. (July 8, 1992). "One on One". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
  9. ↑ Thomas, Stephen. "One on One - Cheap Trick". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  10. ↑ "Silver - Cheap Trick | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  11. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 85. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  12. ↑ Borack, J.M. (2007). Shake Some Action - The Ultimate Guide To Power Pop. Not Lame Recording Co. p. 42. ISBN 9780979771408. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Cheap Trick search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  14. ↑ "Cheap Trick - If You Want My Love". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 2012-09-03. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Cheap Trick". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-11.

External links