I Swear

"I Swear"
Single by John Michael Montgomery
from the album Kickin' It Up
Released December 13, 1993
Format
Recorded 1993
Genre Country
Length 4:22
Label Atlantic Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Scott Hendricks
John Michael Montgomery singles chronology
"Beer and Bones"
(1993)		 "I Swear"
(1993)		 "Rope the Moon"
(1994)

"Beer and Bones"
(1993)		 "I Swear"
(1993)		 "Rope the Moon"
(1994)

"I Swear" is a song written by Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers that became a hit for two acts in 1993 and 1994. First released in December 1993 as the first single from his album Kickin' It Up, it was a four week number-one single on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for American country music artist John Michael Montgomery in February 1994. His version crossed over to pop radio and climbed to number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Two months after Montgomery's version hit Number One, American R&B group All-4-One covered the song and achieved great success in many countries. In Latin America it has been translated "Juraré" performed by the Costa Rican group Centinelas Vocal Band.[1] In 1998, the Mexican country band Caballo Dorado recorded a Spanish version called "Ya sé".

Content

The song is a ballad in which the narrator promises his significant other that he will always love her.

Music video

The music video was directed by Marc Ball and premiered in late 1993.

Track listings

CD maxi—United States (1993)
  1. "I Swear" – 4:23
  2. "Line on Love" – 2:37
  3. "Dream on Texas Ladies" – 3:08
  4. "Friday at Five" – 2:41

Charts

"I Swear" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the week of December 18, 1993.

Chart (1994) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[2] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 42
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1994) Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5] 8
US Country Songs (Billboard)[6] 1

All-4-One version

"I Swear"
Single by All-4-One
from the album All-4-One
Released April 28, 1994
Format
Recorded 1993
Genre
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) David Foster
All-4-One singles chronology
"So Much in Love"
(1993)		 "I Swear"
(1994)		 "(She's Got) Skillz"
(1994)

"So Much in Love"
(1993)		 "I Swear"
(1994)		 "(She's Got) Skillz"
(1994)
Music video
"I Swear" on YouTube

Several months after John Michael Montgomery had released his original version, All-4-One recorded their own version with record producer David Foster.

All-4-One's version hit number one in numerous countries, including the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., where it remained for eleven consecutive weeks. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, where it stayed for seven consecutive weeks, being held off number one by Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around", which went on to spend 15 weeks at number one. This version spent a total of 18 weeks in the UK charts.

The All-4-One version of the song is slightly different to the original, in that the line "And when there's silver in your hair" from the second verse was replaced by "And when just the two of us are there." This version ranks number 88 on Billboard's All-Time Top 100 Songs list.[7]

On May 9, 2016, All-4-One posted a video on YouTube recording a new version of the song with Montgomery.

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single. It portrays the members of All-4-One hanging out on a rooftop singing interspersed with scenes with a young woman walking on the sidewalk below. They go down to walk and talk with her as they implore her not to leave. Ultimately, she says goodbye to each member before boarding a departing bus.

Track listings

CD single
  1. "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:19
CD maxi
  1. "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "I Swear" (radio mix) – 4:18
  3. "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:18
  4. "I Swear" (album version) – 4:18
7" single
  1. "I Swear" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "I Swear" (radio remix) – 4:19

Charts and sales

Other versions

In 1997, Sandy Lam, Chyi Yu, Prudence Liew and Teresa Carpio released a cover of the song[44], along with What A Wonderful World[45]

POPSTARS Germany 2010 finalists version

"I Swear"
Single by Gary Baker featuring POPSTARS
from the album No Sleep
Released 19 November 2010 (2010-11-19)
Format
Genre Pop
Length 4:03
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Gary Baker
LaViVe singles chronology
"I Swear"
(2010) I Swear2010		 "No Time for Sleeping"
(2010) No Time for Sleeping2010

The final eleven contestants from Popstars: Girls forever, ninth season of TV talent show POPSTARS in Germany, they released a cover version of the song with Gary Baker on November 19, 2010. The finalists premiered the song live on the November 18th edition of the programme; the single was available for digital download on November 16, 2010 and a physical release followed the day after the live performance of the song. The song was recorded at Noiseblock Studios in Florence, Alabama.

Track listings

CD single
  1. "I Swear" – 04:03
  2. "Empire of Love" – 03:28

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
German Singles Chart 68

References

  1. ↑ Revernation Artist, CENTINELAS VOCAL BAND.
  2. ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2387." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. February 14, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  3. ↑ "John Michael Montgomery Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  4. ↑ "John Michael Montgomery Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  5. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1994". RPM. December 12, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Best of 1994: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Bronson, Fred (August 2, 2013). "Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "I Swear", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
  9. ↑ Belgian peak Archived 2012-04-09 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2508." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2517." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  12. ↑ Danish peak
  13. ↑ Eurochart peak
  14. ↑ source: Pennanen, Timo: Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 2006. ISBN 9789511210535. page: 280
  15. ↑ "All-4-One singles, German Singles Chart" (in German). musicline. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  16. ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie Archived 2009-06-03 at WebCite (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
  17. ↑ "Single top 100 over 1994" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  18. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – All-4-One – I Swear" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  20. ↑ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 10, 2008)
  22. ↑ 1994 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
  23. ↑ 1994 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
  24. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1994". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  25. ↑ "RPM Top 100 AC tracks of 1994". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  26. ↑ http://www.dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1994&cat=s
  27. ↑ 1994 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived 2011-08-20 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
  28. ↑ "End Of Year Charts - Top 5 Singles 1994". Retrieved 2011-08-29.
  29. ↑ 1994 New Zealand Singles Chart (Retrieved April 26, 2015)
  30. ↑ 1994 Norwegian Singles Chart (Retrieved April 26, 2015)
  31. ↑ 1994 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch Archived 2013-11-05 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved April 26, 2008)
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Singles 1994". Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 9.
  33. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  34. ↑ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  35. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1994". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – All 4 One – I Swear" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter All 4 One in the field Interpret. Enter I Swear in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen. 
  37. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (All-4-One; 'I Swear')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  38. ↑ Dutch certifications nvpi.nl (Retrieved December 9, 2008)
  39. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – All-4-One – I Swear". Recorded Music NZ.
  40. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  41. ↑ "British single certifications – All-4-One – I Swear". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type I Swear in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  42. ↑ "American single certifications – All 4 One – I Swear". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  43. ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 1994". Billboard. BPI Communications. 107 (3): 57. January 21, 1995. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  44. ↑ 滾石唱片 ROCK RECORDS (2016-02-22), 林憶蓮 齊豫 劉美君 杜麗莎 Sandy Lam & Chyi Yu & Prudence Liew & Teresa Carpio【I SWEAR】Official Music Video, retrieved 2017-09-30
  45. ↑ 滾石唱片 ROCK RECORDS (2010-12-30), 林憶蓮 Sandy Lam&齊豫 Chyi Yu&劉美君 Prudence Liew【What a wonderful world】Official Music Video, retrieved 2017-09-30
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.