I've Always Got You

"I've Always Got You"
Single by Robin Zander
from the album Robin Zander
B-side"Everlasting Love"
Released1993
GenreRock
Length3:40
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Robin Zander singles chronology
"Surrender to Me"
(1988) 		"I've Always Got You"
(1993) 		"Show Me Heaven"
(1993)
Alternative Cover
German cover of "I've Always Got You"

"I've Always Got You" is a song by the American singer Robin Zander (of the rock band Cheap Trick), released in 1993 as the lead single from his debut solo album Robin Zander. It was written by Mike Campbell, Zander and JD Souther, and produced by Jimmy Iovine and Campbell.[1]

"I've Always Got You" reached No. 13 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart,[2] and No. 64 on Canada's RPM Top 100 Singles chart.[3] A music video was filmed to promote the single.[4]

Release

"I've Always Got You" was released on CD and cassette, with a one-track promotional CD also being issued in the US. All versions of the single featured the track "Everlasting Love" as the B-side, taken from Robin Zander. The German version of the single included another B-side, "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake", which was exclusive to the release.[5]

Critical reception

On its release, Billboard described the song as a "bright and breezy pop strummer" and a "promising peek" into Zander's solo debut. They added, "Richly textured arrangement has crisp guitar doodling, and layers of Zander's engaging and distinctive voice. At the core of the track is an instantly memorable chorus that will open doors at adult-leaning pop and album-rock stations."[6] Hard Report considered the song to be a "perfect, mid-tempo, summer ballad with fresh guitars and optimistic appeal".[7]

In a review of Robin Zander, Len Righi of The Morning Call described the song as a "touching tale of need" which "calls to mind Tom Petty, the Byrds and the Traveling Wilburys."[8] Gerry Krochak of The Leader-Post commented, "'I've Always Got You' has hit written all over it, with its big hook and instantly memorable chorus."[9] St. Petersburg Times described the song as one of the album's "radio-ready cuts".[10] In a retrospective review of the album, AllMusic described the song as "taut, power pop".[11] In his 2017 book Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick, Robert Lawson noted the song "could be a deep cut from Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever".[12]

Track listing

CD single
  1. "I've Always Got You" - 3:40
  2. "Everlasting Love" - 4:34
CD single (American promo)
  1. "I've Always Got You" - 3:40
CD single (German Maxi-CD release)
  1. "I've Always Got You" - 3:40
  2. "Everlasting Love" - 4:34
  3. "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake" - 4:48
Cassette single
  1. "I've Always Got You" - 3:40
  2. "Everlasting Love" - 4:34

Personnel

  • Robin Zander - lead vocals, acoustic guitar on "I've Always Got You"
  • Mike Campbell - guitar, synthesizer, Dobro resonator guitar, bass guitar on "I've Always Got You", guitar on "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
  • Carlos Vega - drums on "I've Always Got You"
  • JD Souther - additional vocals on "I've Always Got You"
  • Mick MacNeil - keyboards on "Everlasting Love"
  • Gary Taylar - guitar on "Everlasting Love"
  • Derrick Forbes - bass guitar on "Everlasting Love"
  • Brian McGhee - drums on "Everlasting Love"
  • Bonnie Hayes - keyboards on "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
  • Richard Ruce - bass guitar on "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
  • Clem Burke - drums on "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
  • Maria McKee, Edna Wright - background vocals on "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
Production
  • Jimmy Iovine - producer of "I've Always Got You", Everlasting Love" and "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
  • Mike Campbell - producer of "I've Always Got You"
  • David Bianco - mixing on "I've Always Got You"
  • Robin Zander - producer of "Everlasting Love" and "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
  • Phil Kaffel - mixing on "Everlasting Love", co-producer and engineering on "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
  • Mick MacNeil - co-producer and programming on "Everlasting Love"
  • Bob Clearmountain - mixing on "Stone Cold Rhythm Shake"
Other
  • Tom Whalley - A&R direction
  • Ken Adamany - management
  • Gabrielle Raumberger - art direction
  • Dylan Tran - typography
  • Mark Seliger - photography

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles[3] 64
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[2] 13
US AOR Tracks (Radio & Records)[13] 8

References

  1. ^ "Robin Zander - Robin Zander at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  2. ^ a b "Robin Zander - Robin Zander". AllMusic. 1993-07-06. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  3. ^ a b "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  4. ^ YouTube (2012-06-03). "Robin Zander I've Always Got You". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  5. ^ "Robin Zander - I've Always Got You (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  6. ^ Billboard magazine - Single reviews: new & noteworthy - June 26, 1993 - page 84
  7. ^ "Hard Acts to Follow" (PDF). Hard Report. No. 329. June 11, 1993. p. 3. Retrieved November 22, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  8. ^ Righi, Len (August 21, 1993). "Records". The Morning Call.
  9. ^ Krochak, Gerry (August 23, 1993). "Albums". The Leader-Post.
  10. ^ "SOUND BITES Series%3A SOUND BITES". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 1993-07-23. Retrieved 2012-10-30.[dead link‍]
  11. ^ Demalon, Tom (1993-07-06). "Robin Zander - Robin Zander". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  12. ^ Lawson, Robert (13 November 2017). Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick. ISBN 9781525512254.
  13. ^ "AOR Tracks". Radio & Records. No. 1003. Radio & Records, Inc. 30 July 1993. p. 56. ISSN 0277-4860.