Swear It Again
| "Swear It Again" | ||||||||||||||||
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 Standard European artwork | ||||||||||||||||
| Single by Westlife | ||||||||||||||||
| from the album Westlife | ||||||||||||||||
| B-side | "Forever" | |||||||||||||||
| Released |
April 12, 1999 (UK) February 25, 2000 (US) | |||||||||||||||
| Format | ||||||||||||||||
| Recorded |
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| Genre | Pop | |||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:07 | |||||||||||||||
| Label | BMG, RCA | |||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | ||||||||||||||||
| Producer(s) | Steve Mac | |||||||||||||||
| Westlife singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||
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"Swear It Again" is a song by Irish boy band Westlife, released as the first single from their debut album Westlife. It peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in May 1999.[1] It moved to 182,000 units in the first two weeks of its release and spent 13 weeks on the charts.[2] This made it the first of fourteen UK number-one singles. To date, it is Westlife's only single to have charted in the U.S., peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranking number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 Year End Charts, in 2000. The song was performed live on Miss Teen USA 2000. The single has sold over 600,000 copies to date in the UK and the US and also achieved gold status there.[3][4]
Background
"Swear It Again" is notable for being, along with "Flying Without Wings", one of the first two songs that Steve Mac wrote for both Westlife and Simon Cowell. The success of the two tracks led to Mac becoming Cowell's first choice producer and songwriter.[5] The song's B-side, "Forever", was a significant choice because it was the song - as originally recorded by Damage - that first alerted Cowell to the talent of Steve Mac and then led to the producer working with Westlife.[5]
Music video
The British video features the band in a mini theatre, singing on a stage fitted with lighting panel flooring while facing a screen with black and white videos of their studio recording process. This version was directed by Wayne Isham and aired in May 1999. The video was shot at Pinewood Studios in March 1999.[6]
The United States video features the band at a car wash and subsequently washing a white car. This version was directed by Nigel Dick and aired in June 2000.[6]
Tours performed at
- Where Dreams Come True Tour (2001)
- World of Our Own Tour (2002)
- Unbreakable Tour (2003)
- Turnaround Tour (2004)
- The Number Ones Tour (2005)
- Face To Face Tour (2006)
- Back Home Tour (2008)
- Where We Are Tour (2010)
- The Farewell Tour (2012)
Track listing
- United Kingdom
- CD1
- "Swear It Again" (Radio Edit) - 4:04
- "Forever" - 5:05
- "Interview" (Video)
- CD2
- "Swear It Again" (Radio Edit) - 4:04
- "Swear It Again" (Rokstone Mix) - 4:07
- "Interview" (Audio) - 3:36
- Japan
- "Swear It Again" (Radio Edit) - 4:04
- "Until The End Of Time" - 3:12
- "Forever" - 5:05
- "Everybody Knows" (Demo Version) - 4:09
- "Let's Make Tonight Special" - 4:57
- "Don't Calm The Storm" - 3:47
- "Interview" (Audio) - 3:36
- America
- "Swear It Again" (Radio Edit) - 4:04
- "Album Snippet Medley" - 4:55
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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Chart successions
| Preceded by "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears |
Irish IRMA number one single 3 April 1999 - 8 May 1999 (5 weeks) |
Succeeded by "No Scrubs" by TLC |
| Preceded by "Sometimes" by Britney Spears |
New Zealand Singles Chart 25 July 1999 to 1 August 1999 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez |
| Preceded by "Perfect Moment" by Martine McCutcheon |
UK Singles Chart 25 April 1999 - 9 May 1999 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys |
Personnel
Song credits
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CD production
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Cover versions
American boyband, WoW, has a remake of the song which became the band's single in mid-2010. The band also supported Westlife on their 2010 world tour, Where We Are.
References
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 633. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "WESTLIFE | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
- ↑ Archived November 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Westlife | Official Top 20 | MTV UK". Mtv.co.uk. 2009-10-28. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
- 1 2 "Interview With Steve Mac". HitQuarters. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- 1 2 "Westlife artist videography". mvdbase.com. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
- ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Westlife – Swear It Again". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Westlife – Swear It Again" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ Billboard - Google Books. 1999-05-22. Retrieved 2014-02-01 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Westlife search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Westlife – Swear It Again". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 1999-04-25". Scottish Singles Top 40.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Westlife – Swear It Again" Canciones Top 50.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Westlife – Swear It Again". Singles Top 100.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Westlife – Swear It Again". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ↑ "Westlife Album & Song Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Westlife – Swear It Again". Recorded Music NZ.
- ↑ "British single certifications – Westlife – Swear It Again". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Swear It Again in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "American single certifications – Westlife – Swear It Again". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
- ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 2000". Billboard. BPI Communications Inc. 113 (6): 64. February 10, 2001. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
