I'll Be There for You (Rembrandts song)

Infobox Single
Name = I'll Be There for You
Type = Single
Artist = The Rembrandts
from Album = LP


Released = 1995
Genre = Power pop
Length = 3:09
Label = Atlantic / Wea
Writer = David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Michael Skloff, Allee Willis, Phil Sōlem, Danny Wilde
Producer = Kevin Bright, David Crane, Marta Kauffman

"I'll Be There for You", performed by The Rembrandts is the theme song to the hit American sitcom "Friends", which premiered in 1994. Although The Rembrandts write most of their own songs, this one was written specifically for the show by Michael Skloff and Allee Willis and was initially offered to They Might Be Giants and R.E.M. [ [http://tmbw.net/wiki/Trivia Trivia - TMBW: The They Might Be Giants Knowledge Base ] ]

After a Tennessee disc jockey looped the original short version into a full-length track and played it on the air, it became so popular that they had to record it. "Our record label said we had to finish the song and record it. There was no way to get out of it," lead singer Phil Sōlem said. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20041221174718/http://wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=1846556 Nashville DJ helped turn "Friends" song into radio hit ] ]

The song made it onto "L.P.", the album The Rembrandts released in 1995, at the last moment. The song was not released as a single at first, a then common practice by record companies who feared it would cannibalize album sales.

The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for eight weeks. When the single was finally released, it reached number three in the UK and reached number seventeen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 as the flipside to "This House is not a Home". It also reached #1 on the U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

Rarely heard on UK radio after its early popularity, the song was frequently played on UK pop radio in 2004 around the time of the series finale.

The song was also ranked at #15 on "Blender" magazine's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever". [ [http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=819 Run for Your Life! It's the 50 Worst Songs Ever!] from "Blender.com"]

"I'll Be There for You" has been included on the following albums:

* "" (1994 soundtrack compilation)
* "LP" - The Rembrandts (1995)
* "Friends Again" (1999 soundtrack compilation)
* "Serial TV: Les Plus Grands Hits Des Séries TV" (compilation)
* "Happy Songs" (compilation)
* "Billboard Top Hits: 1995" (compilation)

The music video of this song was also popular worldwide, featuring all the six main stars of the show where they gradually take the singing and dancing roles of the band. The video was included as a bonus feature on several of the show's Complete Season DVD Boxsets.

European Maxi CD tracklist

# "I'll Be There for You" (3:09)
# "Fixin' to Blow" (5:03)
# "Just The Way It Is Baby" (4:06)
# "Snippets Medley" (6:46)
#*Don't Hide Your Love
#*End Of The Beginning
#*Lovin' Me Insane
#*Drowning In Your Tears
#*This House Is Not A Home

Additional Information

*American rock band The Goo Goo Dolls recorded their own version of this song which contained slightly altered lyrics, and a more uptempo, rockier sound.
*The song is often mistaken for "Closer to Free" by fellow American rock band, BoDeans, which was also the theme song of a popular TV show, Party of Five.

References