If I Was
"If I Was" | ||||
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Single by Midge Ure | ||||
from the album The Gift | ||||
B-side |
"Piano" "The Man Who Sold the World" | |||
Released | 13 September 1985[1] | |||
Format | 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl | |||
Recorded | July 1985 | |||
Genre | Synthpop, new wave | |||
Length |
4:46 (single version) 5:20 (album version) 6:45 (extended mix) | |||
Label | Chrysalis | |||
Writer(s) | Danny Mitchell, Midge Ure | |||
Producer(s) | Midge Ure | |||
Midge Ure singles chronology | ||||
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"If I Was" is a popular song written by Midge Ure and Danny Mitchell, released as a single off of his first solo album The Gift. It reached #1 on the UK singles chart for a single week in October 1985.[2] This was Ure's third number one, coming after his success with Slik in 1976 ("Forever and Ever")[3] and Band Aid in 1984 ("Do They Know It's Christmas?").[4]
In the sleeve notes for the 2001 compilation If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox Ure wrote:
- "This song is pure Danny Mitchell. I found a demo of it on a cassette Danny had sent me for his band The Messengers. I grabbed it with both hands, messed around with it, sprinkled it with fairy dust and the rest is history."
Music video
The music video featured Ure's face patterns on a Pin Art pinscreen.
B-sides
The instrumental "Piano" was released on the B-side of the 7" and 12" singles. The 12" single featured a second track: a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World", originally released on the film soundtrack of Party Party (1983).[5] Both songs were added as bonus tracks to the CD reissue of The Gift in 1996.[6]
Chart performance
Chart (1985/1986) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[7] | 1 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] | 6 |
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[9] | 9 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[10] | 2 |
Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 1 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] | 12 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] | 8 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] | 16 |
Preceded by "Dancing in the Street" by David Bowie and Mick Jagger[15] |
UK number one single 5 October 1985[2] |
Succeeded by "The Power of Love" by Jennifer Rush[16][17] |
Preceded by "Part-Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder[17] |
Irish IRMA number-one single 6 October 1985 |
References
- ↑ "Midge Ure - If I Was (12")". Discogs. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- 1 2 "Chart Stats - Midge Ure - If I Was". Retrieved 2010-06-27.
- ↑ "Chart Stats - Slik - Forever And Ever". Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ↑ "Chart Stats - Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?". Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ↑ "Party Party (1983) - Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ↑ "Midge Ure - The Gift (CD, Album, RM, RE)". Discogs. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ↑ "Midge Ure: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Midge Ure – If I Was" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ↑ "if i was - midge ure". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Retrieved 25 July 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 1
- ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Midge Ure – If I Was". GfK Entertainment.
- ↑ "irishcharts.ie search results for Midge Ure". Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 46, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Midge Ure – If I Was". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Midge Ure – If I Was". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ↑ "Chart Stats - Singles Chart For 28/09/1985". Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ↑ "Chart Stats - Singles Chart For 12/10/1985". Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- 1 2 "The Irish Charts - Birthday no 1's search page". Retrieved 28 June 2010.
External links
- "If I Was" at Discogs (list of releases)
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics