"If I Can't Have You" - Yvonne Elliman

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i like the song by tavares, though this is really good too. it's an early entry though in that category of dance music that seems totally indifferent to the emotions ostensibly being revealed by the lyrics. i mean, does anyone hear this and actually think about the words? that's not a problem, but it's worth pointing out that not all disco does this.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 December 2004 14:03 (nineteen years ago) link

> Did she ever do anything else as good?

Her version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" was about as good. Her cover of "Hello Stranger," however, was not.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 30 December 2004 15:00 (nineteen years ago) link

Her version of "I Can't Explain" is great.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 30 December 2004 16:19 (nineteen years ago) link

There's a couple of moments in "If I Can't Have You" where the strings and "ahh-ahh-ahhs" pre-figure the verses when a huge mock-heroic french fuckin' horn sweeps (like an vexed valkyrie exhorting apocalypse) that still gives me the fuck-yeahs!

Classic, obviously.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 30 December 2004 16:55 (nineteen years ago) link

alex you are awesome

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 December 2004 16:57 (nineteen years ago) link

This is indeed a good song, but I think my SNF top pick would be either "more than a woman" or "how deep is your love".

― craggy jones, Thursday, 30 December 2004 17:11 (nineteen years ago) link

check her out in the Jesus Christ Superstar

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Thursday, 30 December 2004 17:14 (nineteen years ago) link

check her out in the Jesus Christ Superstar

I KNEW I'd seen her somewhere else! She's Mary Magdalene, right?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 30 December 2004 22:01 (nineteen years ago) link

Yep. The point when the orchestra breaks in behind her
on the last verse of "Everything's Alright" is the best damn moment of that whole musical.

Whatever happened to her, anyway?

p.s. Oh yeah, I dig "If I Can't Have You" as well...

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 31 December 2004 03:34 (nineteen years ago) link

have y'all heard the Bee Gees version? I swear it's so much better.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 31 December 2004 03:34 (nineteen years ago) link

WEIRD. I was just thinking most of these same things not two days ago. It's actually really dark (but elegantly so) for a disco song song. It's just so full of drama, but essentially it's even more desperately sad than Dancing Queen.

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 31 December 2004 04:30 (nineteen years ago) link

-song (le fuck!)

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 31 December 2004 04:35 (nineteen years ago) link

love love love yvonne's fakeout on the chorus just before the orchestra jumps in on the one of the next bar.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 31 December 2004 05:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Hstencil what's the Bee Gees' version on?

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 31 December 2004 05:35 (nineteen years ago) link

b-side to the "Stayin' Alive" single.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 31 December 2004 05:37 (nineteen years ago) link

i'm having fun trying to "compose" the bee gees' version in my head

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 31 December 2004 07:10 (nineteen years ago) link

i'm combining elements of "don't leave me this way" and "lemons never forget"

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 31 December 2004 07:11 (nineteen years ago) link

she's making making the rounds recently at vh1ish disco reunion shows

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Friday, 31 December 2004 07:14 (nineteen years ago) link

The Bee Gees' version can be found on the two-disc greatest hits that came out a couple of years ago. It's pretty good, but I'm partial to Ms. Ellman's version.

― John Fredland (jfredland), Friday, 31 December 2004 15:00 (nineteen years ago) link

'If I Can't Have You' had a strong influence on the lyrics to The Pastels 'A Million Tears' I seem to remember, I think Stephen admitted it as much- actually less an influence as a steal

― Andy Hart (AndyHart), Saturday, 1 January 2005 12:34 (nineteen years ago) link

She also sang back-up for Eric Clapton for many years. I think she recently died.

― saltbox and a rubber ball (Speedy Gonzalas), Sunday, 2 January 2005 00:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Okay, I googled, she ain't dead. Somebody did die, but it wasn't her. Maybe it was just a wino.

― saltbox and a rubber ball (Speedy Gonzalas), Sunday, 2 January 2005 00:29 (nineteen years ago) link

five months pass...

"go crazy is what i will do"

― monsanto and yanni (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 03:08 (eighteen years ago) link

it's an OK song.. but Ralph MacDonald's "Calypso Breakdown" ROOOOOLZ SNF!

― donut e-g (donut), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 03:20 (eighteen years ago) link

Yvonne's version is GREAT. Kim Wylde's version however, is not. Poor Kim, after Kids In America she just kept running out and doing covers of songs people already knew & didn't care that she sang.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 04:14 (eighteen years ago) link

Her other really good song is "Love pains." (It was certainly good enough for the Pet Shop Boys to choose it for Liza Minnelli to cover.)

― brittle-lemon, Tuesday, 28 June 2005 04:27 (eighteen years ago) link

i prefer liza's version actually.

― monsanto and yanni (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 04:28 (eighteen years ago) link

i was going to say what andy hart said above.
actually stephen pastel wrote it down on the back cover to their early singles compilation!

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 09:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Kim Wylde did a version? Wow, never heard that.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:37 (eighteen years ago) link

Great song.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link

The "whoa-whoa-whoa" part is great! I would love to hear the Bee Gees' version, tho.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 12:43 (eighteen years ago) link

I probably haven't heard it in a dozen years, but I just replayed the 'whoa-whoa' in my head, and that's good!

"I Don't Know How to Love Him" roolz. (best Lloyd Webber song, not that it's close)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 13:07 (eighteen years ago) link

Kim Wylde did a version? Wow, never heard that.

It charted in Australia back in like 1993, but I can't remember how high it went. Not very, if memory serves. Her last gasp...

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link

I heard a Kim Wilde track in the Gap yesterday, "Chequered Love," and it was as bad as "Kids in America" is good (which is considerable).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 16:40 (eighteen years ago) link

I've not heard that one, but the title alone brings on a 'bleuch' face. I never really did forgive her for covering The Supremes though. It was 3 minutes that could have been put to better use.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:12 (eighteen years ago) link

As my introduction to the Supremes, Kim's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" earns my eternal gratitude.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Mebbe, but it was so needless. She didn't so much "make it her own" as take the song for a lifeless test drive.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:19 (eighteen years ago) link

hate on kim all you want, but "cambodia" roolz, foolz

― monsanto and yanni (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 19:01 (eighteen years ago) link

xpost: Hahahaha! "Lifeless test drive"!!! [wipes tear]

Ugh. "Cambodia" was NOT a favorite.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 19:10 (eighteen years ago) link

(xxpost)

Kim's version was huge here in South Florida; it was right at home with the great freestyle shit on the radio like Company B and Expose. And then came Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," which is delicious and slatternly.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 20:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Best song on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

That would be "Jive Talkin"' - The Bee Gees' best ever post 1970 moment.

As for their work with other acts during the 70s, my favourite would be Samantha Sang's "Emotion". Some of Andy Gibb's singles were also OK.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 21:05 (eighteen years ago) link

Gasp! "Emotion". Now there's a song.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 22:14 (eighteen years ago) link

i like how breezy this song is. for a heatbreak song it's pretty painless. i think i note this above.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 22:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, it's like she's getting ready to go out, putting on her best stuff, singing about how she won't ever be with anyone but him. Maybe she's manic?

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 22:22 (eighteen years ago) link

my comment above: it's an early entry though in that category of dance music that seems totally indifferent to the emotions ostensibly being revealed by the lyrics

a lot of post-1980s dance music is like this. really excited-sounding electronic dance tracks with ostensibly extremely-depressing lyrics.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 22:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Is "Nights On Broadway" on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack? I can't remember. In any case, if it is, it shits all over everything else like a mighty firehose of brown justice.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 22:56 (eighteen years ago) link

not a fIREHOSE though?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 22:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Alex, have you ever thought of writing Hallmark cards for a living?

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 22:58 (eighteen years ago) link

What about a FIREHOUSE of brown justice? They're bringing their saggy spandex out to Conocti Harbor in a month or two....

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 22:58 (eighteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

This is really a great tune. Love that brass and electric guitar break after the chorus.

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 15 July 2005 11:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Skipping 26 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

some kind of middle eastern. but she's jewish too.

― badass porcelain knives (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 04:36 (eighteen years ago) link

And isn't she part Lebanese?

I've heard those rumors, too.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 05:00 (eighteen years ago) link

hstencil, with all due respect, there's something wrong w/ the Bee Gees' version of this song. I haven't A-B'd the two, but I think there's actually a wrong chord in the chorus -- "wrong" in the sense that it kind of sounds like what happens when you're plunking around on a guitar and think you have the chords...but don't

no way.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 17:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Way

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Is this pretty much the only American #1 hit sung an Asian-American?
-- Michael Daddino (epicharmu...), July 24th, 2005 5:55 PM. (epicharmus)

Not an Asian-American but "Ue O Muite" by Kyu Sakamoto is the only US #1 (1963) sung in Japanese.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Why do you like Japan so much?

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Why do you like The Phillipines so much?

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I was just searching for the name of that Kyu Sakamoto song.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:36 (eighteen years ago) link

xpost - HAHAH

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:37 (eighteen years ago) link

There are a few Pacific-Asian artists who have had number one's, but I'm still searching for any from the continent.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:37 (eighteen years ago) link

"Tiny Bubbles" only hit #8
The Jets "Make It Real" only hit #4 !!!!

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Seriously, hstencil, check it out.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:44 (eighteen years ago) link

dude you do understand THE BEEGEES WROTE THE SONG, right?

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 21:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Did Ofra Haza's "Galbi" chart well in the U.S. circa 1988?

― donut ferry (donut), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 21:30 (eighteen years ago) link

As for "If I Can't Have You".. i mean, I don't worship the song, but I can't understand how it could be so irritating. The SNF soundtrack is pretty nice that way.. the "worst" songs are as offensive as water.

I still think that "Calypso Breakdown" and "Jive Talkin'" are the best songs on the soundtrack.

― donut ferry (donut), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 21:32 (eighteen years ago) link

dude you do understand THE BEEGEES WROTE THE SONG, right?

Of course I do. I'm just saying, something's off with that arrangement harmonically.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 23:36 (eighteen years ago) link

you're crazy.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 01:44 (eighteen years ago) link

no no no no no dude YOU'RE CRAZY

see like, ok, you play the chorus "if i can't have you" backwards vvvveeeerrrrryyyyyyy sssssllllooooowwwwllllyyyyy and it sounds like "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEH YAH NICK KNIFE!"

You also hear an "accidental" playing of the devil's tritone

Moral: DO NOT FUCK WITH ELLIMAN

― donut ferry (donut), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 01:58 (eighteen years ago) link

This one and the other ones on Side A of SNL seem a bit magical to me in that the structures of the songs seem seemless -- there is a chorus, and a verse, and a little instrumental part, but I never know which is which, and I don't care, since the production is like a silk pillow.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 18:02 (eighteen years ago) link

two years pass...

Great song in the movie and out of it. Did she ever do anything else as good?

"Love Me" is def. a contender

― tremendoid, Monday, 18 February 2008 09:34 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah.

Did she sort of pack it after SatFev? She probably had enough money to...

― Mark G, Monday, 18 February 2008 09:51 (sixteen years ago) link

well, fresh from her wiki let me answer that for you. She took like 20 years off and had an ep in 04'. I like "Everything Must Change" too, kind of Melissa Manchesteresque hamming over proto-Anita Baker arrangements, oddly involving. She's got some elegance to her.

― tremendoid, Monday, 18 February 2008 10:09 (sixteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Good god this song is so C.L.A.S.S.I.C.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Do14z5ycic&

― Bimble, Sunday, 9 March 2008 08:02 (sixteen years ago) link

Also does anyone happen to know how well this might have fared in the charts in European countries?

― Bimble, Sunday, 9 March 2008 08:11 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah classic. even her lipsyncing is lovely.

― tremendoid, Sunday, 9 March 2008 08:13 (sixteen years ago) link

Is this pretty much the only American #1 hit sung an Asian-American?
-- Michael Daddino

not really

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU8vOQNvd3c

― gershy, Sunday, 9 March 2008 08:32 (sixteen years ago) link

also, yvonne rules

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDFRVWMA8wY

― gershy, Sunday, 9 March 2008 08:35 (sixteen years ago) link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3_2RNf_RaI&NR=1

― tremendoid, Sunday, 9 March 2008 08:50 (sixteen years ago) link

Good god, gershy's link of "Can't Find My Way Home"...yikes. Is she in her own private Stairway to Heaven there or what? Bloody brilliant.

― Bimble, Sunday, 9 March 2008 09:52 (sixteen years ago) link

Ah! I just realized the opening riff for that reminds me of "Naked Eye" by The Who!!! Must rip it to iPod forthwith!

― Bimble, Sunday, 9 March 2008 09:55 (sixteen years ago) link

one year passes...

This song is better than all your grandmother's 78 records. Nominate this one for "best song ever".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Do14z5ycic

― Where's All The Hippies? Fuck off! (Bimble), Friday, 3 July 2009 11:10 (fourteen years ago) link

No, I'm serious. I want 3000 page essays on why that song isn't the best thing that ever happened to your life. Dave Segal, don't let me down. Haha.

― Where's All The Hippies? Fuck off! (Bimble), Friday, 3 July 2009 11:13 (fourteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I don't know if I could have fulfilled Bimble's request for a 3000 pg. essay on the subject matter but damn this really is one of my favorite songs of all time. <3

― ENBB, Wednesday, 12 August 2009 18:29 (fourteen years ago) link

I think I'm the only one in the eorld what truly hates a Yvonne Elliman.

― cosmic abbigong (Abbott), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 18:48 (fourteen years ago) link

She does sing v pretty on the verses tho.

― cosmic abbigong (Abbott), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 18:48 (fourteen years ago) link

:-( Abbott.

― ENBB, Wednesday, 12 August 2009 18:50 (fourteen years ago) link

the French horn is nice on this song, too...it's just Jesus Christ Superstar is one of my fave albums & I hate her character & songs in it SO MUCH (this will probably make you sad too)

― cosmic abbigong (Abbott), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 19:01 (fourteen years ago) link

but this has been a beneficial thread insofar as it reminded me to listen to the JCSS OST

― cosmic abbigong (Abbott), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 19:02 (fourteen years ago) link

fuck "I Don't Know How to Love Him" and its cloying ersatz longing

― cosmic abbigong (Abbott), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 19:04 (fourteen years ago) link

I forgot she had a bit in "What's the Buzz," my self-protection mechanisms must have erased this bummer memory

― cosmic abbigong (Abbott), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 19:05 (fourteen years ago) link

two years pass...

French horn is nice on this song, too..

classic brothers gibb touch.

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:36 (twelve years ago) link

It's basically a first draft for "Heartbreaker."

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:39 (twelve years ago) link

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