"When I Need You" is a popular song written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager. Its first appearance was as the title track of Hammond's 1976 album When I Need You. Leo Sayer's version, produced by Richard Perry, was a massive hit worldwide, reaching number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in February 1977 after three of his earlier singles had stalled at number 2. It also reached number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week in May 1977; and the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song of 1977. Sayer performed it on the second show of the third season of The Muppet Show.
Melody comparison
The melody of the "hook" line, or chorus of "When I Need You" is identical to the part of the Leonard Cohen song "Famous Blue Raincoat", where the lyrics are as follows: "Jane came by with a lock of your hair, she said that you gave it to her that night, that you planned to go clear". The melody of these lyrics matches the lyrics of "When I Need You" as follows: " need you, I just close my eyes and I'm with you, and all that I so want to give you, is only a heart beat away". In a 2006 interview with The Globe and Mail Cohen said:
I once had that nicking happen with Leo Sayer. Do you remember that song 'When I Need You'?" Cohen sings the chorus of Sayer's number one hit from 1977, then segues into 'And Jane came by with a lock of your hair', a lyric from 'Famous Blue Raincoat'. 'Somebody sued them on my behalf … and they did settle', even though, he laughs, 'they hired a musicologist, who said, that particular motif was in the public domain and, in fact, could be traced back as far as Schubert.
The same melody can be heard in Elton John's "Little Jeannie" in the lyrics: "Stepped into my life from a bad dream / Making the life that I had seem / Suddenly shiny and new"
's version, which was recorded prior to Sayer's, appeared in his record When I Need You, released in 1977. He also recorded a Spanish version, titled "Si Me Amaras", which was included in his 1977 album Mi Álbum de Recuerdos and can also be found in CD reissues of his 1976 album My Spanish Album.
Lani Hall version
recorded the Spanish version of the song, "Si Me Amaras," for her Grammy-winning 1985 albumEs Fácil Amar, which was produced by Hammond.
Mia Martini version
recorded an Italian version of the song, titled "se ti voglio", for her 1977 album per amarti
recorded the song for his 1996 ballad compilation album If We Fall in Love Tonight. This version was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and was released as the second single from the album, though it did not chart in the US or UK.
After Dion finished her Falling into You Tour in June 1997, she began to record her next English album. Dion and her manager and husband René Angélil wanted to include few cover versions on it. David Foster came up with the idea of recording Leo Sayer's hit "When I Need You". The song, recorded at Paramount Studios and Chartmaker Studios, was produced by Foster and included on Dion's Let's Talk About Love album, released on 15 November 1997. Dion performed this song during the Let's Talk About Love avec Julie Snyder Canadian TV show in late 1997. After a string of successful singles like "My Heart Will Go On" and "Immortality", Sony Music Entertainment decided to release "When I Need You" as a promotional single in Brazil. Two previous singles were very successful in Brazil. However, with no music video and no promotion "When I Need You" failed to repeat the success of Dion's earlier songs. Authors of "When I Need You" worked with Dion also on several other songs. Albert Hammond wrote "Just Walk Away", included on The Colour of My Love album and Carole Bayer Sager wrote "The Prayer", which became a part of These Are Special Times.
Critical reception
EW editor David Browne called the cover: "an obligatory remake ". The New York Observer editor Jonathan Bernstein: "A sliver of redemption is found in the passable version of Leo Sayer’s “When I Need You”".
On 29 October 2007, Cliff Richard released "When I Need You" and reached number 38 on the UK Singles Chart. It is also one of the five new recordings featured on his album Love... The Album.
Format and track listings
"When I Need You"
"My Pretty One"
"Never Let Go"
Julio Iglesias version
The Spanish singer achieved one of his best performances of this song in 1994.
In 1998, the American singer Luther Vandross covered the song as part of his I Know album. Longtime associate and smooth jazz musician Kirk Whalum performed the saxophone solo on the track.
In other languages
The Malaysian band Black Dog Bone released a version sung in the Malay language, entitled "Bila rindu". The Indonesian band D'lloyd later covered the song with almost identical lyrics to Black Dog Bone's translation. A Cantonese verion of the song called 對你我永不放棄 has been released. It is a duet sung by Gallen Lo and Flora Chan.
