She's the One (World Party song)

Not to be confused with The One (Elton John song).

"She's the One"
UK promotional CD single
Promotional single by World Party
from the album Egyptology
Released	16 June 1997 (1997-06-16) [1]
Length	4:56
Label	Chrysalis (UK) The Enclave (US)
Songwriter(s)	Karl Wallinger
Producer(s)	Karl Wallinger
World Party singles chronology
"Beautiful Dream" (1997) "She's the One" (1997) "Call Me Up (promotional only)" (1997)

"She's the One" is a song by the British rock band World Party. It was written and produced by Karl Wallinger for World Party's fourth studio album, Egyptology (1997). It won an Ivor Novello Award in 1997. ^[2]

The English singer Robbie Williams recorded a cover of the song for his second album, I've Been Expecting You (1998). It was released as a single in 1999, and reached number one on the UK singles chart.

World Party version

"She's the One" was written by Karl Wallinger for World Party's fourth studio album, Egyptology (1997). ^[3] The keyboardist, Guy Chambers, felt it was unfinished, likening it to a demo, and said it was "thrown together in one night". ^[4] The song won an Ivor Novello Award in 1997. ^[2]

Robbie Williams version

"She's the One"
Single by Robbie Williams
from the album I've Been Expecting You
A-side	"It's Only Us"
B-side	"Coke & Tears"
Released	8 November 1999 (1999-11-08) [5]
Length	4:18
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Karl Wallinger
Producer(s)	Guy Chambers Steve Power
Robbie Williams singles chronology
"Strong" (1999) "She's the One" / "It's Only Us" (1999) "Win Some Lose Some" (2000)
Music video
"She's the One" on YouTube

Without Wallinger's knowledge, the English singer Robbie Williams recorded a version with Chambers and Wallinger's touring band. ^[4] It was included on his 1998 album I've Been Expecting You and released as a single on 8 November 1999. ^{[6] [7]} It was Williams's second ballad after the success of the 1997 single "Angels". After "Millennium", it was his second number one on the UK singles chart on 14 November. ^[7] It became one of Williams's signature songs. ^[7]

"She's the One" won awards including a 2000 Brit Awards for British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year in 2000, and it also won a Capital Radio Award for Best Single.^{[ citation needed ]} In 2022, the Guardian critic Alexis Petridis named "She's the One" the 11th-greatest Williams song, writing: “It's a great song, but Williams's less fragile, less Beatles-y take turned it into the kind of single that goes platinum." ^[8]

Wallinger was irritated that his band and Williams had recorded a version without his knowledge, and that Williams had changed the lyrics. However, he said it had made him a large amount in royalties, which were helpful after he suffered an aneurysm in 2001. ^[3]

Music video

In the video, Williams is a coach to an ice skating couple, portrayed by Pamela O'Connor and Jonathon O'Dougherty. When the male skater gets injured during practice, Williams takes his place for the final and gets the highest scores. The video ends with Williams and the female skater celebrating with the male skater, who had been watching from the sidelines. Philip Woods, a 10-year-old figure skater from Chelmsford, played the young Williams in a flashback.^{[ citation needed ]} The UK version features commentary by Barry Davies. ^[9]

Track listings

UK CD1 ^[10]

1. "It's Only Us" – 2:50
2. "She's the One" – 4:18
3. "Coke & Tears" – 4:24
4. "It's Only Us" (video)

UK CD2 ^[11]

1. "She's the One" – 4:18
2. "It's Only Us" – 2:50
3. "Millennium" (live at Slane Castle) – 4:40
4. "She's the One" (video)

UK cassette single ^[12]

1. "She's the One" – 4:18
2. "It's Only Us" – 2:50
3. "Millennium" (live at Slane Castle) – 4:40

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the I've Been Expecting You album booklet. ^[13]

Studio

• Mastered at Metropolis Mastering

Personnel

• Karl Wallinger – writing
• Robbie Williams – vocals
• Gary Nuttall – background vocals
• Steve McEwan – background vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• David Catlin-Birch – bass guitar
• Guy Chambers – piano, production, arrangement
• Chris Sharrock – drums
• London Session Orchestra – orchestra
• Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader
• Nick Ingman – orchestral arrangement
• Steve Power – production, recording, mixing, programming
• Steve McNichol – programming
• Steve Price – orchestral engineering
• Tony Cousins – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1999–2000) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [14] 16 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [15] 40 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [16] 21 Czech Republic (IFPI) [17] 14 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [18] 9 Europe (European Hit Radio) [19] 3 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [20] 13 France (SNEP) [21] 74 Germany (GfK) [22] 27 Greece (IFPI) [23] 1 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [24] 8 Ireland (IRMA) [25] 4 Italy (FIMI) [26] 8 Latvia (Latvijas Top 40) [27] 14 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [28] 29 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [29] 33 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [30] with "It's Only Us" 3 Paraguay (El Siglo de Torreón) [31] 7 Scotland (OCC) [32] with "It's Only Us" 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [33] 42 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [34] 20 UK Singles (OCC) [35] with "It's Only Us" 1

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Europe (European Hit Radio) [36] 85 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [37] 191 UK Singles (OCC) [38] 48 UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [39] 17

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI) [40]	Gold	50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [41]	Gold	15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [42]	Platinum	781,000 [43]
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "New Releases: Albums". Music Week . 14 June 1997. p. 43.
2. Cassidy, Andy (7 October 2012). "World Party: Interview with Karl Wallinger". pennymusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
3. Graeme, Thomson (15 August 2012). "Karl Wallinger: The song that saved my bacon". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 23 February 2025.
4. McNair, James (12 March 2024). "Karl Wallinger remembered: 'Music is the greatest thing for me, because it takes me somewhere that it's safe to be.'". Mojo . Retrieved 23 February 2025.
5. "New Releases – For Week Starting 8 November, 1999: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 6 November 1999. p. 31. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
6. "1,000 Number ones: A chart history". BBC News. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
7. "Number 1 today in 1999: Robbie Williams – She's The One". Official Charts . 14 November 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
8. Petridis, Alexis (25 August 2022). "Robbie Williams' 20 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 24 February 2025.
9. Stevenson, Andy (29 January 2015). "Vox in the Box: Barry Davies". The Set Pieces. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
10. It's Only Us / She's the One (UK CD1 liner notes). Chrysalis Records. 1999. CDCHSS5112, 7243 8 87913 0 4.
11. She's the One / It's Only Us (UK CD2 liner notes). Chrysalis Records. 1999. CDCHS 5112, 7243 8 87914 0 3.
12. She's the One / It's Only Us (UK cassette single sleeve). Chrysalis Records. 1999. TCCHS 5112, 7243 887913 4 2.
13. I've Been Expecting You (UK CD album booklet). Chrysalis Records. 1998. 497 8372.
14. "Robbie Williams – She's the One" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
15. "Robbie Williams – She's the One" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
16. "Robbie Williams – She's the One" (in French). Ultratop 50.
17. "Hitparada radia – 8/2000" (in Czech). IFPI CR. Archived from the original on 3 March 2000. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
18. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 16, no. 48. 27 November 1999. p. 11. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
19. "EHR Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 16, no. 52. 25 December 1999. p. 16. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
20. "Robbie Williams: She's the One" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
21. "Robbie Williams – She's the One" (in French). Le classement de singles.
22. "Robbie Williams – She's the One" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
23. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 52. 25 December 1999. p. 9. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
24. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (4.11 – 11.11 1999)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 5 November 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
25. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – She's the One". Irish Singles Chart.
26. "Robbie Williams – She's the One". Top Digital Download.
27. "The most popular songs in Latvia" (in Latvian). Lanet.lv. 26 December 1999. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
28. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
29. "Robbie Williams – She's the One" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
30. "Robbie Williams – She's the One / It's Only Us". Top 40 Singles.
31. "Los Discos Más Vendicos En Iberoamérica y Estados Unidos". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 2000. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
32. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
33. "Robbie Williams – She's the One". Singles Top 100.
34. "Robbie Williams – She's the One". Swiss Singles Chart.
35. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
36. "European Radio 1999" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 13. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
37. "Jaarlijsten 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 11 May 2022.
38. "Best Sellers of 1999: Singles Top 100". Music Week. London, England. 22 January 2000. p. 27.
39. "Most Broadcast of 1999: Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music Week. 22 January 2000. p. 31. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
40. "Italian single certifications – Robbie Williams – She The One" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 19 September 2024.
41. "New Zealand single certifications – Robbie Williams – She's The One". Radioscope. Retrieved 13 May 2025.Type She's The One in the "Search:" field.
42. "British single certifications – Robbie Williams – She's The One/It's Only Us". British Phonographic Industry.
43. "Robbie Williams' Official Top 40 Biggest Dingles in the UK Revealed". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 13 September 2022.

External links

• World Party website