If I Let You Go
"If I Let You Go" | ||||
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![]() One of European artworks | ||||
Single by Westlife | ||||
from the album Westlife | ||||
B-side | "Try Again" | |||
Released | 9 August 1999 | |||
Studio | Cheiron (Stockholm, Sweden) | |||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Westlife singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"If I Let You Go" on YouTube |
"If I Let You Go" is a song by Irish boy band Westlife. It was released in the United Kingdom on 9 August 1999 as the second single from their self-titled debut album (1999). It became the band's second number-one hit, spending 11 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. The song has received a gold sales certification in the UK for selling over 400,000 in combined sales of purchased and streaming-equivalent sales. It is the band's 10th-best-selling single in paid-for sales and combined sales in the UK as of January 2019.[1]
Composition
[edit]"If I Let You Go" composed in the traditional verse–chorus form in B♭ major, with Brian McFadden, Shane Filan, and Mark Feehily's vocals ranging from the chords of D4 to A5.[2]
Music video
[edit]The music video was directed by Sven Harding and was filmed in Tenerife, Spain.[3] It depicts the band walking along a beach and singing by a hillside surrounded by red and yellow flags.[4]
Track listings
[edit]UK CD1[5]
- "If I Let You Go" (radio edit)
- "Try Again"
- Enhanced CD
UK CD2[6]
- "If I Let You Go" (radio edit)
- "If I Let You Go" (extended version)
- Interview with Andi Peters
UK cassette single and European CD single[7][8]
- "If I Let You Go" (radio edit)
- "Try Again"
Australian CD single[9]
- "If I Let You Go" (radio edit) – 3:38
- "Try Again" – 3:34
- "If I Let You Go" (extended version) – 6:07
- Enhanced CD
Credits and personnel
[edit]Credits are lifted from the UK CD1 and Westlife liner notes.[5][10]
Studios
- Recorded at Cheiron Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
- Strings recorded at Soundtrade Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
- Mixed at Mono Music Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
Personnel
- Jörgen Elofsson – writing
- Per Magnusson – writing, keyboards, production, arrangement, programming
- David Kreuger – writing, arrangement, programming
- Andreas Carlsson – additional backing vocals
- Mats Berntoft – acoustic and electric guitars
- Tomas Lindberg – bass
- Ulf & Henrik Janson – string arrangement
- David Kreuger – production
- Bernard Lohr – recording (strings), mixing
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications and sales
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[35] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Sweden (GLF)[36] | Gold | 15,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sweden | 9 August 1999 | CD | [38] | |
United Kingdom |
|
[39] |
References
[edit]- ^ Copsey, Rob (12 January 2019). "Westlife's Top 20 biggest songs on the Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ "If I Let You Go by Westlife – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Westlife: Our Story". HarperCollins Publishers. p. 98. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
- ^ westlifeVEVO (3 October 2009), Westlife - "If I Let You Go" (Official Music Video), retrieved 15 June 2017
- ^ a b If I Let You Go (UK CD1 liner notes). Westlife. RCA Records, BMG. 1999. 74321 692322.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ If I Let You Go (UK CD2 liner notes). Westlife. RCA Records, BMG. 1999. 74321 692352.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ If I Let You Go (UK cassette single sleeve). Westlife. RCA Records, BMG. 1999. 74321 692324.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ If I Let You Go (European CD single liner notes). Westlife. RCA Records, BMG. 1999. 74321 694592.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ If I Let You Go (Australian CD single liner notes). Westlife. RCA Records, BMG. 1999. 74321 694582.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Westlife (US CD album liner notes). Westlife. Arista Records, BMG. 2000. 07822-14642-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 35. 28 August 1999. p. 8. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Westlife: If I Let You Go" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Los Discos Más Vendicos En Iberoamérica y Estados Unidos". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 2000. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (23.9 – 30.9 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 24 September 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Westlife". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go". VG-lista. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Westlife – If I Let You Go". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1999". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1999" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1999". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "End of Year Charts 1999". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1999" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Best Sellers of 1999: Singles Top 100". Music Week. 22 January 2000. p. 27.
- ^ "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2000". Crowley Broadcast Analysis. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "British single certifications – Westlife – If I Let You Go". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Westlife: If I Let You Go". click2music.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 23 February 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 9 August, 1999: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 7 August 1999. p. 25. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
External links
[edit]- 1999 singles
- 1999 songs
- Bertelsmann Music Group singles
- Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
- Number-one singles in Norway
- RCA Records singles
- Songs about loneliness
- Songs written by David Kreuger
- Songs written by Jörgen Elofsson
- Songs written by Per Magnusson
- UK Singles Chart number-one singles
- Westlife songs