"If You Want My Love" is a song by American rock band

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen ...

, released in 1982 as the lead single from their sixth studio album '' One on One''. It was written by guitarist

Rick Nielsen Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, inclu ...

and produced by

Roy Thomas Baker Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s. Career Baker began his career at Decca Records at the age of 14 and later worked as an a ...

. It reached number 45 on the US '' Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart. The song was the first single release from the band to feature new bassist Jon Brant. A music video was filmed to promote the single, which received regular airing on MTV. The single's B-side, "Four Letter Word", was featured as the closing track on ''One on One'', and was written by Rick Nielsen and

Robin Zander Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a ...

. A live version of "If You Want My Love" was performed at the band's 25th anniversary concert in Rockford, Illinois during 1999. The performance saw Brant rejoining Cheap Trick on stage to play bass on the track, along with "She's Tight". The concert was later released in 2001 as ''

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

''. Speaking of the song in an interview featured on the ''Silver'' DVD, bassist

Tom Petersson Thomas John Peterson, better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known for being the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick. Career Before joining Cheap Trick, Petersson played in a number of bands, including t ...

stated that it was "the best Beatle song we ever recorded". He, however, was referring to Cheap Trick as a band, as he had not been with the group at the time the track was originally recorded. The song is used in the films ''

Joe Dirt ''Joe Dirt'' is a 2001 American adventure comedy film, directed by Dennie Gordon (in her feature film directorial debut), starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Adam Beach, Brian Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Jaime Pressly, Eri ...

'' and '' Super''.

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, '' Billboard'' felt "If You Want My Love" showed the more "romantic side" to the band and commented, "Robin Zander's vocals is anything but timid though, while Rick Nielsen's massed acoustic and electric guitars add widescreen scale." '' Cash Box'' wrote, "A dense yet extremely melodic confection, this tune marks somewhat of a return to the more Beatlesque sound which graced the band's earlier LPs." Critic Robert Christgau described the song as "the most eloquently eclectic Beatle tribute ever recorded". Christopher Connelly of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' noted it was "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 The 32- bar form, also known as the AABA song form, American popular song form and the ballad form, is a song structure commonly found in Tin Pan Alley songs and other American popular music, especially in the first half of the 20th century. ...

to that of The Beatles' "

While My Guitar Gently Weeps "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album '' The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Harrison wrote "While ...

." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Michael Quinn rated it Cheap Trick's 5th best song, saying that it features "a nice harmony between Zander’s voice and Nielsen’s guitar" and also commenting on the resemblance of the middle eight to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". ''Classic Rock'' critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Cheap Trick's 9th greatest song, saying that it effectively combines their "eccentric" 1970s style with their more commercial 1980s style. In a review of the 1996 box set ''

Sex, America, Cheap Trick ''Sex, America, Cheap Trick'' is a 1996 box set by the rock band Cheap Trick. It includes 17 previously unreleased songs (among them the earliest studio recording of the 1979 hit " I Want You to Want Me"), as well as the band's biggest hits. A ...

'', ''Billboard'' commented: "Cheap Trick never ceased producing the occasional Beatlesque gem, such as "If You Want My Love"..." 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. "If You Want My Love" was included, with the author John M. Borack writing: "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'."

Track listing

7-inch single #"If You Want My Love" - 3:35 #"Four Letter Word" - 3:39 7-inch single (Dutch release) #"If You Want My Love" - 3:06 #"Four Letter Word" - 3:41

Personnel

Cheap Trick *

– lead vocals, rhythm guitar *

– lead guitar, backing vocals * Jon Brant – bass, backing vocals *

Bun E. Carlos Brad M. Carlson, better known by the stage name Bun E. Carlos, is the original drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He recorded and performed with the band from 1973 to 2010. Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 ...

– drums, percussion Production *

– producer * Ian Taylor – engineer * Paul Klingberg – assistant * George Marino – mastering * David Michael Kennedy – photographer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

References

{{Authority control 1982 songs 1982 singles Cheap Trick songs Songs written by Rick Nielsen Song recordings produced by Roy Thomas Baker Epic Records singles