When You Come Back to Me (Jason Donovan song)

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"When You Come Back to Me"
Jasondonovanbacktome.jpg
Single by Jason Donovan
from the album Between the Lines
B-side "When You Come Back to Me" (instrumental)
Released27 November 1989
Studio PWL (London)
Genre Pop, dance-pop
Length3:34
Label PWL
Songwriter(s) Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman
Producer(s) Stock, Aitken & Waterman
Jason Donovan singles chronology
"Every Day (I Love You More)"
(1989)		"When You Come Back to Me"
(1989)		"Hang On to Your Love"
(1990)
Music video
"When You Come Back to Me" on YouTube

"When You Come Back to Me" is a song recorded by Australian artist and actor Jason Donovan. It was released on 27 November 1989 as the first single from his second album Between the Lines. [1] It charted in the UK on 9 December 1989, peaking at number two the following week and returning to the same position in January 1990, becoming one of his biggest selling singles in Britain. [2] Reaching a disappointing number 40 in Australia, the track was Jason's final top 40 chart hit in his home country. [3]

Contents

Background

As with all Donovan's early recordings, "When You Come Back to Me" was written and produced by the production team Stock, Aitken & Waterman. In addition, Matt Aitken contributed guitar; Mike Stock provided backing vocals, and both played keyboards on the track. [4]

The track was deliberately composed to evoke the Christmas season in the UK, without making any explicit auditory or lyrical references. [3] Composer Mike Stock did not want to write a song that was "exploitative of the Christmas message" and was conscious an overtly festive song would go quickly out of date after Christmas had finished. [3] However the song's evocation of a London Christmas has been blamed for its chart failure in Australia, where the track received a January 1990 release. [3]

An instrumental version and three remixes augmented the standard edit for the single release. [5]

Critical reception

In 2017, Christian Guiltenane of British magazine Attitude considered the song as "an absolutely delightful sing-song that has choral oohs in the background 'nah nah nahs' in the chorus". [6] In 2019, James Masterton wrote it was "arguably one of the best pop singles Stock-Aitken-Waterman would ever create", adding that it was "crafted as a seasonal epic. The lavish production combined a Phil Spector-esque wall of sound with a tinkling melody, festive chimes and mixed it with a suitable festive lyrical theme"; however, Masterton lamented about the fact that the song he called a "forgotten gem" never became a Christmas classic throughout the years. [7]

Track listings

A. "When You Come Back to Me" – 3:31
B. "When You Come Back to Me" (instrumental) – 3:33
A. "When You Come Back to Me" (the Yuletide Sleigh List Mix mix) – 4:40
B. "When You Come Back to Me" (instrumental) – 3:33
A. "When You Come Back to Me" – 3:31
B. "When You Come Back to Me" (instrumental) – 3:33
A. "When You Come Back to Me (extended)" – 5:48
B1. "When You Come Back to Me (No Probs mix) – 5:34
B2. "When You Come Back to Me (instrumental) – 3:33
  1. "When You Come Back to Me" – 3:31
  2. "When You Come Back to Me" (instrumental) – 3:33
  1. "When You Come Back to Me" – 3:31
  2. "When You Come Back to Me" (extended) – 5:48
  3. "When You Come Back to Me" (instrumental) – 3:33

Note: Mixed by Dave Ford, the "instrumental" version is not the instrumental of the single version to which it accompanied, but rather a stripped back guitar orientated version, identified on the 2009 iTunes releases as the "Guitar instrumental".

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "When You Come Back to Me"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] Gold400,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ The Official Jason Donovan Website
  2. ↑ Official Charts Company
  3. 1 2 3 4 "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 52: Listen To Your Heart to Do They Know It's Christmas? on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  4. ↑ Discogs
  5. ↑ Discogs
  6. ↑ Guiltenane, Christian (7 September 2017). "The very best hits (and misses) of Stock Aitken Waterman". Attitude . London. ISSN   1353-1875 . Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Masterton, James (2019). "Jason Donovan". Chart Watch UK - Hits of 1989. Independently Published. ISBN   9780463138571.
  8. ↑ "Jason Donovan – When You Come Back to Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "Playlist records - The most played records in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 7, no. 6. 10 February 1990. p. 11. OCLC   29800226 . Retrieved 31 July 2023– via World Radio History.
  10. ↑ "Jason Donovan – When You Come Back to Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1322." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Danish Singles Chart 26 January 1990
  13. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 7, no. 3. 20 January 1990. p. IV. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  14. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Jason Donovan". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 66. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – When You Come Back to Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Radio Luxembourg Singles". umdmusic.com. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  17. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 4, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "Jason Donovan – When You Come Back to Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  19. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  20. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jason Donovan – When You Come Back to Me" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  22. ↑ "Year-End Charts '89 – Top 100 Singles". Music Week . London, England: Spotlight Publications. 3 March 1990. p. 16.
  23. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  24. ↑ "British single certifications – Jason Donovan – When You Come Back to Me". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 23 April 2020.
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