B-side Four Letter Word Genre Rock Label Epic | Released 1982 Length 3:35 | |
Format 7" Single, 12" single, CD single | ||
"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. In the Netherlands, the single became the band's last chart appearance in the country at #26.
Contents
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.
The b-side "Four Letter Word" was featured as the closing track on the same album, written by Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander.
Both tracks were produced by Roy Thomas Baker who had also produced the entire "One on One" album.
A music video was created for the single, airing frequently on MTV.
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 rejoining Cheap Trick on stage. 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
- "If You Want My Love" - 3:35
- "Four Letter Word" - 3:39
- "If You Want My Love" - 3:06
- "Four Letter Word" - 3:41
- "If You Want My Love" - 3:35
- "Four Letter Word" - 3:37
Critical reception
Critic Robert Christgau described the song as "The most eloquently eclectic Beatle tribute ever recorded."
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." 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."
Allmusic.com picks the track as an AMG recommended track.
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")."
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."
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'."