Searchin' My Soul

"Searchin' My Soul"
Single by Vonda Shepard
from the album The Radical Light and Songs from Ally McBeal
B-side	"I Started a Joke" "I Only Want to Be with You" "100 Tears Away"
Released	April 7, 1998 (1998-04-07)
Studio	Conway, Ocean Way, A&M (Hollywood, California) Groove Masters (Santa Monica, California)
Genre	Pop rock [1]
Length	4:26 (album version) 3:59 (single version)
Label	Sony Music Soundtrax 550 Music
Songwriter(s)	Vonda Shepard
Producer(s)	Vonda Shepard
Vonda Shepard singles chronology
"Wake Up the House" (1992) "Searchin' My Soul" (1998) "Hooked on a Feeling" (1998)
Music video
"Searchin' My Soul" on YouTube

"Searchin' My Soul" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer and actress Vonda Shepard. It originally appeared on her second studio album, The Radical Light (1992), as the first track. ^[2] In 1997, it served as the opening theme to the American legal comedy drama television program Ally McBeal and was included on the show's first soundtrack album, Songs from Ally McBeal , which was released in 1998. In April of that same year, "Searchin' My Soul" was released as a single from the soundtrack.

"Searchin' My Soul" exposed Shepard's music to a worldwide audience and became a chart hit. ^[3] It reached number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and peaked at number 14 on both the Billboard Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 rankings. In the United Kingdom, it debuted and peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, giving Shepard her only top-10 hit there. In Canada and Finland, the song entered the top 10, reaching numbers six and eight, respectively.

Critical reception

Billboard magazine reviewed the song in April 1998, calling the track an equal sum of its parts and highlighting its "infectious, sing-along" chorus, noting it is not instantly forgettable. ^[1]

Track listings

UK CD1 [4] "Searchin' My Soul" (single version) – 3:59 "I Started a Joke" – 3:27 "I Only Want to Be with You" – 2:12 UK CD2 [5] "Searchin' My Soul" (single edit) – 3:14 "100 Tears Away" – 4:50 "I Only Want to Be with You" – 2:12 UK cassette single [6] "Searchin' My Soul" (single version) – 3:59 "Hooked on a Feeling" – 2:58

European CD single [7] "Searchin' My Soul" "I Started a Joke" European maxi-CD single [8] "Searchin' My Soul" "I Started a Joke" "100 Tears Away" Australian CD single [9] "Searchin' My Soul" "100 Tears Away" "I Started a Joke"

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Songs from Ally McBeal album booklet. ^[10]

Studios

• Recorded at Conway Studios, Ocean Way Recording, A&M Studios (Hollywood, California), and Groove Masters (Santa Monica, California)
• Mastered at A&M Mastering Studios (Hollywood, California)

Personnel

• Vonda Shepard – writing, vocals, background vocals, piano, production
• Jeff Young – background vocals, Hammond B3
• Val McCallum – guitars, mandolin
• Jim Hanson – bass
• Andy Kamman – drums
• Paul Dieter – recording
• Eddie DeLena – recording
• Tom Lord-Alge – mixing
• Dave Collins – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1998–1999) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [11] 82 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [12] 6 Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [13] 22 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [14] 37 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [15] 8 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [16] 22 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [17] 21 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [18] 94 Norway (VG-lista) [19] 16 Scotland (OCC) [20] 7 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [21] 20 UK Singles (OCC) [22] 10 US Hot 100 Airplay ( Billboard ) [23] 16 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [24] 22 US Adult Top 40 ( Billboard ) [25] 14 US Mainstream Top 40 ( Billboard ) [26] 14

Year-end charts Chart (1998) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM) [27] 49 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) [28] 86 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) [29] 34 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) [30] 62

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	April 7, 1998	Airplay	Sony Music Soundtrax 550 Music	[31]
United Kingdom	November 23, 1998	CD cassette		[32]

References

1. Flick, Larry, ed. (April 18, 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles". Billboard . Vol. 110, no. 16. p. 65.
2. "The Radical Light: Vonda Shepard". AllMusic . Retrieved January 30, 2025.
3. Taylor, Chuck (June 6, 1998). "'Ally McBeal's' Venda Shepard Is a Pop Success and She Plays One on TV". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 23. p. 88.
4. Searchin' My Soul (UK CD1 liner notes). Sony Music Soundtrax, 550 Music. 1998. 666633 2.
5. Searchin' My Soul (UK CD2 liner notes). Sony Music Soundtrax, 550 Music. 1998. 666633 5.
6. Searchin' My Soul (UK cassette single sleeve). Sony Music Soundtrax, 550 Music. 1998. 666633 4.
7. Searchin' My Soul (European CD single liner notes). Sony Music Soundtrax, 550 Music. 1998. FFM 666137 1.
8. Searchin' My Soul (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Sony Music Soundtrax, 550 Music. 1998. FFM 666137 2.
9. Searchin' My Soul (Australian CD single liner notes). Sony Music Soundtrax, 550 Music. 1998. 666137 2.
10. Songs from Ally McBeal (US CD album booklet). Sony Music Soundtrax, 550 Music. 1998. BK 69365.
11. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3584." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
13. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3593." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
14. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media . Vol. 15, no. 50. December 12, 1998. p. 10.
15. "Vonda Shepard: Searching My Soul" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
16. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (8.1–15.1. 1999)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 8, 1999. p. 10. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
17. "Vonda Shepard – Searchin' My Soul". Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved January 30, 2025.
18. "Vonda Shepard – Searchin' My Soul" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
19. "Vonda Shepard – Searchin' My Soul". VG-lista. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
20. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
21. "Vonda Shepard – Searchin' My Soul". Singles Top 100. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
22. "Vonda Shepard: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
23. "Radio Songs". Billboard. June 6, 1998. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
24. "Adult Contemporary". Billboard. June 13, 1998. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
25. "Adult Pop Airplay". Billboard. June 20, 1998. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
26. "Pop Airplay". Billboard. June 6, 1998. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
27. "RPM's Top 100 Hit Tracks of '98" (PDF). RPM . Vol. 63, no. 12. December 14, 1998. p. 20. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
28. "RPM's Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98". RPM. Retrieved January 30, 2025– via Library and Archives Canada.
29. "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor . Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 55.
30. "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 45.
31. "Soundtracking: The Sequel". Hits . Vol. 12, no. 587. April 3, 1998. p. 16. A single of the show's theme, 'Searching My Soul,' is being rushed to radio stations [...] on April 7.
32. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . November 21, 1998. p. 23.