"If"
Single by Bread
from the album Manna
B-side	"Take Comfort"
Released	March 21, 1971 (1971-03-21)
Genre	Soft rock
Length	2:33
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	David Gates
Producer(s)	David Gates
Bread singles chronology
"Let Your Love Go" (1971) "If" (1971) "Mother Freedom" (1971)

"If" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates in 1971. Originally popularized by his group Bread, "If" charted at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 when released as a single in 1971 and No. 6 in Canada. It also spent three weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Easy Listening chart, ^[1] and one week at the top of the Canadian AC chart. ^[2]

Record World said that the "gentle song by group's own David Gates (he produced and arranged also) will score in short order." ^[3]

In the U.S., Bread's tune was the shortest song title to become a top ten hit until 1993, when Prince hit No. 7 with " 7", later matched by Britney Spears' No. 1 hit " 3" in 2009. The song is distinguished by its opening line "If a picture paints a thousand words..."

Chart performance

Telly Savalas version

Telly Savalas recorded a mostly-spoken interpretation which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks and No. 1 in Ireland in March 1975. ^{[12] [13]} It has the shortest title of any song to reach No. 1 in the UK. ^[14] This version also charted at No. 12 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart in late 1974. ^[15] In Canada, "If" reached No. 88 on the Pop chart, and No. 40 on the AC chart. ^{[16] [17]} It also peaked at number 12 in Australia and was the 81st biggest selling single in Australia in 1975. ^[18]

Other versions

Olivia Newton-John was one of the first to cover the song, recording a version for her 1971 debut solo album, If Not for You, performing the song during her first American TV performance that year on The Dean Martin Show.

A parody take on Savalas' rendition, by voice over artists Chris Sandford and Bill Mitchell performing as Yin and Yan, ^[19] reached No. 25 in the UK in 1975. ^[20]

References