"Whenever You Need Me"
Single by T'Pau
from the album The Promise
B-side"All the Love"
Released6 May 1991[1]
GenrePop rock
Length4:06
LabelSiren, Virgin
Songwriter(s)Carol Decker, Ron Rogers
Producer(s)Andy Richards
T'Pau singles chronology
"Only the Lonely"
(1989)		 "Whenever You Need Me"
(1991)		 "Walk on Air"
(1991)

"Whenever You Need Me" is a song by English band T'Pau, released as the lead single from their third studio album, The Promise (1991). It was written by Carol Decker and Ron Rogers, and produced by Andy Richards. "Whenever You Need Me" reached No. 16 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the charts for six weeks. It was the band's last Top 40 hit in the UK.[2]

The 7" single's B-side, "All the Love", was a non-album track exclusive to the single.[3] In the UK, a limited edition box-set of the single was issued, featuring the 12" vinyl single and a life-size colour poster of Decker.[4]

A music video was filmed to promote the single.[5] The band also performed the song on the UK music show Top of the Pops,[6] and the UK Saturday morning children show Gimme 5.[7]

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Mark Frith of Smash Hits stated, "T'Pau! How tired life was without them. Welcome back indeed! More of the same 'melodic rock' that the nation will be humming for the next three years? Certainly. The charts are over here just where you left them."[8] Peter Kinghorn of the Newcastle Evening Chronicle described the song as "a potent rock ballad."[9] Tonia Macari of Aberdeen Evening Express praised it as "four minutes of perfected, polished, pop-rock with raunchy red-head Carol Decker's vocals as ear-shattering as ever". He added, "This will no doubt welcome the band back to Chartsville."[10]

Steve Stewart of Aberdeen Press & Journal gave a mixed review, stating, "T'Pau, if anything, have a knack of composing artful hooklines that strike a chord somewhere. The trouble is Decker's irritating vocals whenever they reach anything above soft-ballad level. Still, a successful mix of keyboard overlays and pop-rock guitars."[11] Music & Media wrote, "Serious comeback of the band who had a huge European hit with 'China in Your Hands' in 1987. This new single sounds as grotesque as melodic."[12] In a review of The Promise, Adam Sweeting of The Guardian described the song as "a Eurovision fourth-placer if ever there was one" with "Decker's masonry-toppling vocals piled up in layers like a particularly indigestible aural lasagne".[13]

Track listing

  • 7" single
  1. "Whenever You Need Me" - 4:06
  2. "All the Love" - 4:00
  • 12" single
  1. "Whenever You Need Me (Extended)" - 6:15
  2. "Whenever You Need Me (Single Version)" - 4:06
  3. "All the Love" - 4:00
  • CD single
  1. "Whenever You Need Me" - 4:06
  2. "Heart and Soul" - 3:40
  3. "China in Your Hand" - 4:05
  4. "I Will Be with You" - 4:06

Personnel

T'Pau

  • Carol Decker – lead vocals
  • Dean Howard – lead guitar
  • Ronnie Rogers – rhythm guitar
  • Michael Chetwood – keyboards
  • Paul Jackson – bass guitar
  • Tim Burgess – drums

Production

  • Andy Richards - producer of "Whenever You Need Me", engineer on "Whenever You Need Me (Extended)"
  • Ian Taylor - mixing on "Whenever You Need Me"
  • Bob Ludwig - mastering on "Whenever You Need Me"
  • Steve Williams - additional production and engineering on "Whenever You Need Me (Extended)"
  • Chris Lord-Alge - mixing on "Whenever You Need Me (Extended)"
  • T'Pau - producers of "All the Love"
  • Ian Caple - engineer on "All the Love"
  • Roy Thomas Baker - producer of "Heart and Soul", "China in Your Hand" and "I Will Be with You"

Other

  • Tony McGee - photography
  • An Old Friend with The Graphic Edge - artwork design

Charts

Chart (1991) Peak
position
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 51
Ireland (IRMA)[15] 26
UK Singles (OCC)[2] 16

References

  1. ↑ "T'Pau - Whenever You Need Me / All The Love - Siren - UK - SRN 140". 45cat. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  2. 1 2 "T'PAU | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  3. ↑ "T'Pau - Whenever You Need Me (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  4. ↑ "T'Pau Whenever You Need Me - Box UK box set (56646)". Eil.com. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  5. ↑ "T'pau - Whenever You Need Me (1991)". BFI. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  6. ↑ YouTube. "T'pau - Whenever You Need Me (TOTP)". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  7. ↑ YouTube. "T'pau - Whenever You Need Me". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  8. ↑ Frith, Mark (15 May 1991). "Review: Singles". Smash Hits.
  9. ↑ Kinghorn, Peter (7 May 1991). "Singles choices". Newcastle Evening Chronicle.
  10. ↑ Macari, Tonia (9 May 1991). "Vinyl verdict". Aberdeen Evening Express.
  11. ↑ Stewart, Steve (2 May 1991). "Record round-up". Aberdeen Press and Journal.
  12. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music & Media. 1 June 1991.
  13. ↑ Sweeting, Adam (6 June 1991). "Humdrum music, venomous lyrics". The Guardian.
  14. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche". musicline.de. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  15. ↑ Jaclyn Ward (1962-10-01). "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
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