Only You (Portishead song)

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"Only You"
Single by Portishead
from the album Portishead
Released2 March 1998
Recorded1996–1997
GenreTrip hop, alternative hip hop
LabelGo! Discs/London
Songwriter(s)Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley, Ken Thorne, Trevant Hardson & Derrick Stewart
Producer(s)Portishead
Portishead singles chronology
"Over"
(1997)
"Only You"
(1998)
"Machine Gun"
(2008)

"Only You" is a single by English band Portishead, released in 1998 by Go! Discs and London Records as the third single from the band's self-titled second album (1997). The song was later released in a promotional French language lyrics version.[citation needed] Portishead performed the song on American television variety show Saturday Night Live on January 17, 1998.

Critical reception[edit]

British magazine Music Week gave "Only You" three out of five, writing, "Beth Gibbons's vocals are in typically gothic form on this smoky single, accompanied by Geoff Barrow's loping bassline and hip hop scratching."[1]

Music video[edit]

The music video to "Only You" was directed by Chris Cunningham, who has also worked with Aphex Twin, Björk, and Placebo. It involved Beth Gibbons floating in air, and a young boy. The people were shot in a tank of water and then digitally inserted into an alleyway of a street scene.

Track listing[edit]

  1. "Only You" (Edit)
  2. "Elysium" (Parlour Talk Remix)
  3. "Only You" (NYC)
  4. "Only You"

Personnel[edit]

  • Beth Gibbons – vocals, production
  • Adrian Utley – bass, guitar, Rhodes, production
  • Geoff Barrow – drums, turntables, samples, programming, production
  • John Baggot – organ
  • Dave McDonald – production

Charts[edit]

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 131
New Zealand (RMNZ)[3] 37
UK Singles (OCC)[4] 35

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 21 February 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2015-07-15". Imgur. Archived from the original on 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2015-10-10.
  3. ^ "Portishead – Only You". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  4. ^ "Portishead". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 June 2013.