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{{Short description|1998 single by Edwin McCain}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox song
{{Infobox song
| name = I'll Be
| name = I'll Be
Line 7: Line 9:
| album = [[Misguided Roses]]
| album = [[Misguided Roses]]
| B-side = Grind Me in the Gears
| B-side = Grind Me in the Gears
| released = January 26, 1998
| released = {{start date|1998|9|8}}<ref name="usretail"/>
| recorded =
| format = [[Gramophone record|7-inch]], [[CD single]], [[Music download|digital download]]
| recorded = 1997
| studio =
| studio =
| venue =
| venue =
| genre =
| genre = <!-- Do not add unsourced genres -->
| length = 4:25
| length = 4:27

| label = [[Lava Records|Lava]]
| label = [[Lava Records|Lava]]
| writer = Edwin McCain
| writer = Edwin McCain
Line 21: Line 23:
| next_title = What Matters
| next_title = What Matters
| next_year = 1998
| next_year = 1998
| misc = {{External music video|{{Youtube|5qrTmNDZ-nc|I'll Be}}
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|5qrTmNDZ-nc|I'll Be}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
"'''I'll Be'''" is a song written and performed by American singer [[Edwin McCain]]. The song was serviced to US radio in October 1997 and was commercially released on September 8, 1998, as the first single from his second album, ''[[Misguided Roses]]'' (1997). McCain recorded an acoustic version of the song for his follow-up album, ''[[Messenger (Edwin McCain album)|Messenger]]''. The radio version of "I'll Be", which was released on a CD single with "Grind Me in the Gears" as the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]], differs from the album version. Its opening melody is played with electric guitar (as opposed to acoustic on the album) and the vocal and saxophone lines differ. Upon its release, the song reached number five in the United States and number 52 in Canada.


On December 22, 1999, McCain recorded a version with [[Warren Haynes]] on the live concert album from the [[The Warren Haynes Christmas Jam|11th Annual Christmas Jam]], a benefit concert for [[Habitat for Humanity]] in Asheville, North Carolina. The album is titled ''Wintertime Blues: The Benefit Concert''.<ref>Answers.com. [http://www.answers.com/topic/wintertime-blues-the-benefit-concert "Wintertime Blues: The Benefit Concert"]</ref> In 2015, McCain re-recorded "I'll Be" for his [[Extended play|EP]] ''Phoenix''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oydgJjPb_xU|title = I'll be (2015)|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>
"'''I'll Be'''" is a song written and sung by American singer [[Edwin McCain]]. The song was released in January 1998 as the first single from his second album, ''[[Misguided Roses]]''. McCain recorded an acoustic version of the song for his follow-up album, ''[[Messenger (Edwin McCain album)|Messenger]]''.

The radio version of "I'll Be", which was released on a CD-single with "Grind Me in the Gears" as the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]], differs from the album version. Its opening melody is played with electric guitar (as opposed to acoustic on the album) and the vocal and saxophone lines differ.

On December 22, 1999, McCain also recorded a version with [[Warren Haynes]] on the live concert album from the [[The Warren Haynes Christmas Jam|11th Annual Christmas Jam]], a benefit concert for [[Habitat for Humanity]] in Asheville, North Carolina. The album is titled ''Wintertime Blues: The Benefit Concert''.<ref>Answers.com. [http://www.answers.com/topic/wintertime-blues-the-benefit-concert "Wintertime Blues: The Benefit Concert"]</ref>

In 2015, McCain re-recorded "I'll Be" for his album "Phoenix (EP)".<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oydgJjPb_xU</ref>


==Content==
==Content==
Although "I'll Be" has become a popular wedding song, McCain said "it's really more of a prayer" written in a moment of personal desperation after a break-up, the idea being that "maybe if I write my future, it'll come true."<ref>Better.tv. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks3oeDgqR_U Edwin McCain interviewed about "I'll Be"] (video).</ref>
Although "I'll Be" has become a popular wedding song, McCain said "it's really more of a prayer" written in a moment of personal desperation after a break-up, the idea being that "maybe if I write my future, it'll come true."<ref>Better.tv. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks3oeDgqR_U Edwin McCain interviewed about "I'll Be"] (video).</ref>


McCain said, "It was the end of a relationship for me, and it was also an admission of my inability to function in a relationship, hence the love suicide line. And it was the hope that I would be better, grow and be better as a person. I was struggling with some personal problems at the time, as well, so it was all of those things. It was this admission of failure and this prayer that I could be a better person, wrapped up as sort of the end of a relationship kind of thought. And it was something that I said to a girl that I'd been going out with. I knew that she was waiting, and I always said to her, 'Don't ever look back on this in any other way than I'll be your biggest fan.' You know, 'I'll always be a fan.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/edwin-mccain|title=Edwin McCain : Songwriter Interviews|last=MacIntosh|first=Dan|website=Songfacts|date=October 4, 2011|access-date=February 26, 2021}}</ref>
==In popular culture==
{{In popular culture|date=October 2018}}
At the height of the song's popularity back in 1998 it was featured during a pivotal moment in the first-season finale of the hit WB series, ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'', titled "Decisions".<ref>IMDb.com. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1272512/ Edwin McCain Soundtrack Filmography]</ref>


==Chart performance==
In 2000, the song was featured in an episode of the television show ''[[Higher Ground (TV series)|Higher Ground]]''.
In the United States, "I'll Be" debuted on the [[Hot 100 Airplay|''Billboard'' Hot 100 Airplay]] chart on the issue dated February 28, 1998, and went on to peak at number four there in November, in its 39th week on the chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/edwin-mccain/chart-history/hsb/|title=Edwin McCain Chart History (Radio Songs)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=April 24, 2022}}</ref> Under the chart rules at the time, which required songs to have a physical single release, "I'll Be" was initially ineligible for the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], but on September 8, 1998, a "very limited pressing" of the song was issued, making it then eligible;<ref name="usretail">{{cite magazine|url={{Google books|GwoEAAAAMBAJ|page=PA105|plainurl=yes}}|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Hot 100 Singles Spotlight|first=Theda|last=Sandiford-Waller|date=September 19, 1998|volume=110|issue=38|page=105|issn=0006-2510|access-date=April 24, 2022|via=[[Google Books]]|quote=A very limited pressing of Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" (Lava/Atlantic) hit shelves Sept. 8, making the song eligible to appear on next issue's Hot 100.}}</ref> it debuted at number seven on the Hot 100 on the issue dated September 26, 1998, and ultimately peaked at number five the following week.<ref name="hot100"/> While it was only McCain's second single to chart, it became his first and only top-10 hit and his biggest hit.<ref name="hot100"/>


==Track listings==
The song was used in the masquerade ball scene in ''[[A Cinderella Story]]''.
'''US CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=I'll Be|others=[[Edwin McCain]]|year=1998|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=[[Atlantic Records]], [[Lava Records]]|id=2-84191}}</ref>
# "I'll Be" – 4:28
# "Grind Me in the Gears" – 4:22
# "I'll Be" (full-length music video)


'''US 7-inch single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=I'll Be|others=Edwin McCain|year=1998|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Atlantic Records, Lava Records|id=7-84191}}</ref>
It was covered by [[Dean Geyer]] on his debut album ''[[Rush (Dean Geyer album)|Rush]]''.
# "I'll Be" – 4:28
# "Grind Me in the Gears" – 4:22
In the episode of ''[[The Office (U.S. TV series)|The Office]]'' "[[Here Comes Treble]]", the song is covered by [[Andy Bernard]]'s a cappella group.{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}}


'''European CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=I'll Be|others=Edwin McCain|year=1998|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Atlantic Records, Lava Records|id=7567-84115-2}}</ref>
[[Blake Jenner]] performed the song in the finale of ''[[The Glee Project]]''.
# "I'll Be" (edit)
# "Solitude"
# "I'll Be" (LP version)


'''Digital download'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ill-be-single/id513677822|title=I'll Be – Single by Edwin McCain|publisher=[[iTunes]]|date=April 20, 1999}}</ref>
==Chart performance==
# "I'll Be" (LP version) – 4:26
"I'll Be" ended up being a success for McCain in the United States, peaking at #5 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] after debuting at #7 on the issue dated September 26, 1998. While it was only his second single to chart, it became his first and only Top 10 hit and his biggest hit.
# "I'll Be" (acoustic version) – 4:37
# "I'll Be" (video) – 4:07


==Track listing==
==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
;7" vinyl/CD single
{{col-2}}
# "I'll Be" - 4:25
# "Grind Me in the Gears" - 4:19


===Weekly charts===
;Digital download<ref>https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ill-be-single/id513677822</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
# "I'll Be" <small>(LP Version)</small> - 4:26
!Chart (1998–1999)
# "I'll Be" <small>(Acoustic Version)</small> - 4:37
!Peak<br/>position
# "I'll Be" <small>(Music Video)</small> - 4:07
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|52|chartid=6987|rowheader=true|access-date=August 31, 2019}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|6|chartid=7022|rowheader=true|access-date=August 31, 2019}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|5|artist=Edwin McCain|rowheader=true|access-date=September 29, 2018|refname="hot100"}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|10|artist=Edwin McCain|rowheader=true|access-date=August 31, 2019}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|6|artist=Edwin McCain|rowheader=true|access-date=September 29, 2018}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|6|artist=Edwin McCain|rowheader=true|access-date=September 29, 2018}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|10|artist=Edwin McCain|rowheader=true|access-date=September 29, 2018}}
|}
{{col-2}}


===Year-end charts===
==Charts==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
===Chart positions===
!Chart (1998)
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Position
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6979&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6979.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6979|title=RPM's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|via=[[Library and Archives Canada]]|date=December 14, 1998|access-date=August 31, 2019}}</ref>
! Chart (1998–99)
|61
! Peak<br/>Position
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1998|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{Google books|Mw0EAAAAMBAJ|pg=RA1-PA2-IA4|plainurl=yes}}|title=The Year in Music 1998 – Hot 100 Singles|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|via=[[Google Books]]|volume=110|issue=52|page=YE-44|date=December 26, 1998|issn=0006-2510|access-date=April 24, 2022}}</ref>
| Canada Top Singles (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref>[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.6987&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=j86d3uqb5jajlou8j8ag1r4lv4 Canadian peak]</ref>
|74
| style="text-align:center;"|52
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best of '98: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs|magazine=[[Airplay Monitor]]|volume=6|issue=52|page=56|date=December 25, 1998}}</ref>
| Canada Adult Contemporary (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref>[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.7022&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=7q9hgo0o3uomqu4fjdiuuq2eu1 Canadian AC peak]</ref>
|48
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{Google books|Mw0EAAAAMBAJ|pg=RA1-PA44|plainurl=yes}}|title=The Year in Music 1998 – Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks|magazine=Billboard|via=Google Books|volume=110|issue=52|page=YE-96|date=December 26, 1998|issn=0006-2510|access-date=April 24, 2022}}</ref>
{{singlechart|Billboardhot100|5|artist=Edwin McCain|accessdate=September 29, 2018}}
|6
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Mainstream Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1998|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=6|issue=52|page=45|date=December 25, 1998}}</ref>
{{singlechart|Billboardpopsongs|10|artist=Edwin McCain|accessdate=September 29, 2018}}
|18
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Triple-A (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best of '98: Most Played Triple-A Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=6|issue=52|page=35|date=December 25, 1998}}</ref>
{{singlechart|Billboardadultpopsongs|6|artist=Edwin McCain|accessdate=September 29, 2018}}
|28
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1999)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{Google books|9w0EAAAAMBAJ|pg=SL680-PA99|plainurl=yes}}|title=1999 The Year in Music – Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks|magazine=Billboard|via=Google Books|volume=111|issue=52|page=YE-99|date=December 25, 1999|issn=0006-2510|access-date=April 24, 2022}}</ref>
|11
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=7|issue=52|page=47|date=December 24, 1999}}</ref>
{{singlechart|Billboardadultcontemporary|6|artist=Edwin McCain|accessdate=September 29, 2018}}
|33
|}
|}
{{col-end}}


==Release history==
===End of year charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|-
!scope="row" rowspan="2"|United States
!align="left"|End of year chart (1998)
|{{start date|1997|10}}
! style="text-align:center;"|Position
|[[Mainstream rock]] radio
|rowspan="2"|[[Lava Records|Lava]]
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Lava's McCain Delivers with Late-Blooming 'Roses'|last=Reece|first=Doug|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=24|page=13|date=June 13, 1998|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YQ4EAAAAMBAJ&q=Edwin|quote=...at mainstream rock stations. Even the follow-up, 'I'll Be,' serviced to stations last October...}}</ref>
|-
|-
|{{start date|1998|9|8}}
|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD}}
| style="text-align:center;"|74
|<ref name="usretail"/>
|}
|}


Line 104: Line 146:
| album = [[Home (Kian Egan album)|Home]]
| album = [[Home (Kian Egan album)|Home]]
| released = {{start date|2014|5|12}}
| released = {{start date|2014|5|12}}
| format = [[Music download|Digital download]], [[streaming media|streaming]]
| recorded =
| recorded =
| studio =
| studio =
| venue =
| venue =
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| genre = <!-- Do not add unsourced genres -->
| length = 4:00
| length = 4:00
| label = [[Rhino Records|Rhino]]
| label = [[Rhino Records|Rhino]]
| writer = [[Edwin McCain]]
| writer = [[Edwin McCain]]
| producer = Brian Rawling
| producer = [[Brian Rawling]]
| prev_title = [[Home (Kian Egan song)|Home]]
| prev_title = [[Home (Kian Egan song)|Home]]
| prev_year = 2014
| prev_year = 2014
| next_title =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| next_year =
| misc = {{External music video|{{Youtube|OB7kPkaPUkc|I'll Be}}
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|OB7kPkaPUkc|I'll Be}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
In 2014, "I'll Be" was covered by [[Irish people|Irish]] musician [[Kian Egan]]. The song was included on his [[Home (Kian Egan album)|debut album]], and was released as a single on 12 May 2014 through [[Rhino Records]].<ref name="DS">digitalspy.co.uk. [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a566286/kian-egan-announces-second-single-ill-be-listen.html "Kian Egan announces second single 'I'll Be' - listen"]</ref>
In 2014, "I'll Be" was covered by Irish musician [[Kian Egan]]. The song was included on his [[Home (Kian Egan album)|debut album]], and was released as a single on May 12, 2014, through [[Rhino Records]].<ref name="DS">digitalspy.co.uk. [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a566286/kian-egan-announces-second-single-ill-be-listen.html "Kian Egan announces second single 'I'll Be' - listen"]</ref>


===Background and production===
===Background and production===
Line 127: Line 168:
===Music video===
===Music video===
The footage was shot in Egan's hometown of Sligo, in County Sligo, and the singer can be seen strumming a guitar while wandering along the deserted beach.
The footage was shot in Egan's hometown of Sligo, in County Sligo, and the singer can be seen strumming a guitar while wandering along the deserted beach.
In the visual, Egan also throws pebbles out to sea before meeting up with friends around a campfire. Lyrics to the pop rock ballad include: "I'll be your crying shoulder, I'll be love's suicide. I'll be the greatest fan of your life."
In the visual, Egan also throws pebbles out to sea before meeting up with friends around a campfire.

Sharing some cute pictures which showed the trio on the beach in between takes, [[Jodi Albert|Jodi]] told her Instagram followers at the time: "#daddyandkoa #beachlife #newvideo."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reveal.co.uk/lifestyle/news/a570391/kian-egan-releases-video-for-new-single-ill-be-filmed-in-ireland.html |title=Kian Egan releases video for new single 'I'll Be' filmed in Ireland |accessdate=2014-05-12|publisher=Reveal.co.uk}}</ref>


===Artwork===
===Artwork===
The single cover of the song shows Egan sitting on a plush red sofa and holding a white guitar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reveal.co.uk/showbiz-celeb-gossip/news/a563494/kian-egan-reveals-artwork-and-name-of-his-second-single-ill-be.html |title=Kian Egan reveals artwork and name of his second single 'I'll Be' |accessdate=2014-04-09|publisher=Reveal.co.uk}}</ref>
The single cover of the song shows Egan sitting on a plush red sofa and holding a white guitar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reveal.co.uk/showbiz-celeb-gossip/news/a563494/kian-egan-reveals-artwork-and-name-of-his-second-single-ill-be.html |title=Kian Egan reveals artwork and name of his second single 'I'll Be' |access-date=April 9, 2014|publisher=Reveal.co.uk}}</ref>
{{Clear}}


==In popular culture==
===Track listing===
At the height of the song's popularity in 1998, it was featured during a pivotal moment in the first-season finale episode titled "Decisions" on the [[The WB|WB]] series ''[[Dawson's Creek]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCain |first=Edwin |date=May 19, 2018 |title=20 years ago 'I'll Be' was on Dawson's Creek. This song had a pretty big part in the season 1 finale and I'm thankful for everyone who watched it back in 1998. |url=https://twitter.com/theedwinmccain/status/997878775575695362 |access-date=May 11, 2022 |website=[[Twitter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 9, 1998 |title='Dawson's Creek' gives musician McCain a boost |url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9809/09/edwin.mccain/index.html |access-date=May 11, 2022 |website=CNN}}</ref> In the episode of ''[[The Office (U.S. TV series)|The Office]]'' "[[Here Comes Treble]]", the song is covered by [[Andy Bernard]]'s a cappella group.<ref name=ledger>{{cite web|last=Barbuto |first=Dana |title=Marshfield native performs on 'The Office,' 'Pitch Perfect' |url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/milton/fun/entertainment/x470409085/Marshfield-native-performs-on-The-Office-Pitch-Perfect |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209080638/http://www.wickedlocal.com/milton/fun/entertainment/x470409085/Marshfield-native-performs-on-The-Office-Pitch-Perfect |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |work=[[The Patriot Ledger]] |publisher=[[GateHouse Media]] |access-date=October 24, 2012 |date=October 23, 2012 }}</ref>
*;Promotional CD single<ref name="I'll Be">{{cite AV media notes |title=I'll Be |type=single |others=[[Kian Egan]] |date=2014 |publisher=[[Rhino Records]]}}</ref>
#"I'll Be" <small>(radio mix)</small> – 3:09

*;Promotional CD single<ref name="I'll Be"/>
#"I'll Be" <small>(radio mix)</small>
#"[[I Run to You]]" <small>(featuring [[Jodi Albert]])</small>

===Chart performance===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (2014)
! Peak<br />position
|-
| UK Airplay Top 200
| style="text-align:center;"| 71
|-
|}


In the 2022 movie [[Shotgun Wedding (2022 film)|''Shotgun Wedding'']], the song is sung by the cast during the climax of the film.<ref>{{Citation |title=Shotgun Wedding (2022) - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9686790/soundtrack/ |language=en |access-date=2023-01-28}}</ref>
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
* {{MetroLyrics song|edwin-mccain|ill-be}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->
{{Edwin McCain|state=autocollapse}}
{{Edwin McCain|state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1997 songs]]
[[Category:1997 songs]]
[[Category:1998 singles]]
[[Category:1998 singles]]
[[Category:2014 singles]]
[[Category:Edwin McCain songs]]
[[Category:Edwin McCain songs]]
[[Category:Rock ballads]]
[[Category:Lava Records singles]]
[[Category:Rhino Entertainment singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Brian Rawling]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Matt Serletic]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Matt Serletic]]
[[Category:2014 singles]]

Latest revision as of 18:00, 19 May 2024

"I'll Be"
Single by Edwin McCain
from the album Misguided Roses
B-side"Grind Me in the Gears"
ReleasedSeptember 8, 1998 (1998-09-08)[1]
Length4:27
LabelLava
Songwriter(s)Edwin McCain
Producer(s)Matt Serletic
Edwin McCain singles chronology
"See the Sky Again"
(1997) 		"I'll Be"
(1998) 		"What Matters"
(1998)
Music video
I'll Be on YouTube

"I'll Be" is a song written and performed by American singer Edwin McCain. The song was serviced to US radio in October 1997 and was commercially released on September 8, 1998, as the first single from his second album, Misguided Roses (1997). McCain recorded an acoustic version of the song for his follow-up album, Messenger. The radio version of "I'll Be", which was released on a CD single with "Grind Me in the Gears" as the B-side, differs from the album version. Its opening melody is played with electric guitar (as opposed to acoustic on the album) and the vocal and saxophone lines differ. Upon its release, the song reached number five in the United States and number 52 in Canada.

On December 22, 1999, McCain recorded a version with Warren Haynes on the live concert album from the 11th Annual Christmas Jam, a benefit concert for Habitat for Humanity in Asheville, North Carolina. The album is titled Wintertime Blues: The Benefit Concert.[2] In 2015, McCain re-recorded "I'll Be" for his EP Phoenix.[3]

Content

[edit]

Although "I'll Be" has become a popular wedding song, McCain said "it's really more of a prayer" written in a moment of personal desperation after a break-up, the idea being that "maybe if I write my future, it'll come true."[4]

McCain said, "It was the end of a relationship for me, and it was also an admission of my inability to function in a relationship, hence the love suicide line. And it was the hope that I would be better, grow and be better as a person. I was struggling with some personal problems at the time, as well, so it was all of those things. It was this admission of failure and this prayer that I could be a better person, wrapped up as sort of the end of a relationship kind of thought. And it was something that I said to a girl that I'd been going out with. I knew that she was waiting, and I always said to her, 'Don't ever look back on this in any other way than I'll be your biggest fan.' You know, 'I'll always be a fan.'"[5]

Chart performance

[edit]

In the United States, "I'll Be" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart on the issue dated February 28, 1998, and went on to peak at number four there in November, in its 39th week on the chart.[6] Under the chart rules at the time, which required songs to have a physical single release, "I'll Be" was initially ineligible for the Billboard Hot 100, but on September 8, 1998, a "very limited pressing" of the song was issued, making it then eligible;[1] it debuted at number seven on the Hot 100 on the issue dated September 26, 1998, and ultimately peaked at number five the following week.[7] While it was only McCain's second single to chart, it became his first and only top-10 hit and his biggest hit.[7]

Track listings

[edit]

US CD single[8]

  1. "I'll Be" – 4:28
  2. "Grind Me in the Gears" – 4:22
  3. "I'll Be" (full-length music video)

US 7-inch single[9]

  1. "I'll Be" – 4:28
  2. "Grind Me in the Gears" – 4:22

European CD single[10]

  1. "I'll Be" (edit)
  2. "Solitude"
  3. "I'll Be" (LP version)

Digital download[11]

  1. "I'll Be" (LP version) – 4:26
  2. "I'll Be" (acoustic version) – 4:37
  3. "I'll Be" (video) – 4:07

Charts

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 1997 (1997-10) Mainstream rock radio Lava [26]
September 8, 1998 (1998-09-08)
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [1]

Kian Egan version

[edit]
"I'll Be"
Single by Kian Egan
from the album Home
ReleasedMay 12, 2014 (2014-05-12)
Length4:00
LabelRhino
Songwriter(s)Edwin McCain
Producer(s)Brian Rawling
Kian Egan singles chronology
"Home"
(2014) 		"I'll Be"
(2014)
Music video
I'll Be on YouTube

In 2014, "I'll Be" was covered by Irish musician Kian Egan. The song was included on his debut album, and was released as a single on May 12, 2014, through Rhino Records.[27]

Background and production

[edit]

In an interview with Digital Spy, Egan said "I chose 'I'll Be' for my second single, as I've always absolutely loved this song. This song means a lot to me and being able to record it was an honour. I'm incredibly excited to be able to perform this for all my fans."[citation needed]

Music video

[edit]

The footage was shot in Egan's hometown of Sligo, in County Sligo, and the singer can be seen strumming a guitar while wandering along the deserted beach. In the visual, Egan also throws pebbles out to sea before meeting up with friends around a campfire.

Artwork

[edit]

The single cover of the song shows Egan sitting on a plush red sofa and holding a white guitar.[28]

[edit]

At the height of the song's popularity in 1998, it was featured during a pivotal moment in the first-season finale episode titled "Decisions" on the WB series Dawson's Creek.[29][30] In the episode of The Office "Here Comes Treble", the song is covered by Andy Bernard's a cappella group.[31]

In the 2022 movie Shotgun Wedding, the song is sung by the cast during the climax of the film.[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Sandiford-Waller, Theda (September 19, 1998). "Hot 100 Singles Spotlight". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 38. p. 105. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 24, 2022 – via Google Books. A very limited pressing of Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" (Lava/Atlantic) hit shelves Sept. 8, making the song eligible to appear on next issue's Hot 100.
  2. ^ Answers.com. "Wintertime Blues: The Benefit Concert"
  3. ^ "I'll be (2015)". YouTube.
  4. ^ Better.tv. Edwin McCain interviewed about "I'll Be" (video).
  5. ^ MacIntosh, Dan (October 4, 2011). "Edwin McCain : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  6. ^ "Edwin McCain Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "Edwin McCain Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  8. ^ I'll Be (US CD single liner notes). Edwin McCain. Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1998. 2-84191.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ I'll Be (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Edwin McCain. Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1998. 7-84191.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ I'll Be (European CD single liner notes). Edwin McCain. Atlantic Records, Lava Records. 1998. 7567-84115-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "I'll Be – Single by Edwin McCain". iTunes. April 20, 1999.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6987." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7022." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  14. ^ "Edwin McCain Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  15. ^ "Edwin McCain Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  16. ^ "Edwin McCain Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  17. ^ "Edwin McCain Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  18. ^ "RPM's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98". RPM. December 14, 1998. Retrieved August 31, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  19. ^ "The Year in Music 1998 – Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 52. December 26, 1998. p. YE-44. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 24, 2022 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ "Best of '98: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 56.
  21. ^ "The Year in Music 1998 – Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 52. December 26, 1998. p. YE-96. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 24, 2022 – via Google Books.
  22. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 45.
  23. ^ "Best of '98: Most Played Triple-A Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 35.
  24. ^ "1999 The Year in Music – Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-99. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 24, 2022 – via Google Books.
  25. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 47.
  26. ^ Reece, Doug (June 13, 1998). "Lava's McCain Delivers with Late-Blooming 'Roses'". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 24. p. 13. ...at mainstream rock stations. Even the follow-up, 'I'll Be,' serviced to stations last October...
  27. ^ digitalspy.co.uk. "Kian Egan announces second single 'I'll Be' - listen"
  28. ^ "Kian Egan reveals artwork and name of his second single 'I'll Be'". Reveal.co.uk. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  29. ^ McCain, Edwin (May 19, 2018). "20 years ago 'I'll Be' was on Dawson's Creek. This song had a pretty big part in the season 1 finale and I'm thankful for everyone who watched it back in 1998". Twitter. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  30. ^ "'Dawson's Creek' gives musician McCain a boost". CNN. September 9, 1998. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  31. ^ Barbuto, Dana (October 23, 2012). "Marshfield native performs on 'The Office,' 'Pitch Perfect'". The Patriot Ledger. GateHouse Media. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  32. ^ Shotgun Wedding (2022) - IMDb, retrieved January 28, 2023
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