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I'll Be There

Rating:
4.1 / 5

Words & Music: Bobby Darin

I'll be there when all your dreams are broken
To answer your unspoken prayer, oh....
When the little things you're doin', ooh, don't turn out right
Don't you worry darlin' I'll be there

There whenever you need to know that there is someone who cares, oh yeah!
So if your new love isn't your true love
Don't you worry darlin', I'll be there

There whenever you need to know that there is someone who cares, oh yeah!
So if your new love isn't your true love
Don't you worry darlin', I'll be there
Don't you worry darlin', I'll be there
Don't you worry darlin', I'll be there

Recordingdate: 1969/01/23, first released on: Let's Be Friends (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of I'll Be There:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(sitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)

Others*

(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(french horn)
(french horn)
(sax)
(sax)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with I'll Be There.

bastiaanvinke wrote on June 09, 2009
Love this song. When all the others have gone. I'll be there.
old shep wrote on September 30, 2009
I really prefer Gerry & The Pacemakers doing this song not one of my favourite Elvis recordings
dgirl wrote on September 30, 2009
I prefer Darin's original, then Gerry's , then Elvis. I love the Elvis vocal, but the arrangement was below par.
My boy, my boy wrote on September 30, 2009
I never skip this one. I like the organ on it a lot !
Marty_TCE wrote on September 30, 2009
Vocals are superb, but I agree with dgirl that the arrangement could be better. Even considering this, it is a great track with a very strong performance by the King.
derekd wrote on September 30, 2009
like it, but why hide it on a budget release. Elvis must have record enough to release a 3rd memphis album
hounddawgs6499 wrote on September 30, 2009
They could have released it on the "Back In Memphis" section of the two-record set album in '69. There were only ten songs on there - while the "From Elvis In Memphis " abum had twelve. "I'll Be There" and "If I'm A Fool" would have fit in well with the other ten songs. Plus, fans would have gotten their money's worth. BTW, this is not to take away from the "Back In Memphis" abum.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on September 30, 2009
Love this song. The 69 Memphis sessions, produced so many great songs.
Steve V wrote on October 01, 2009
Not quite as good as Darin's version and they must have thought so too since it skipped 2 Memphis albums and wound up on a Camden. Still , not a bad recording.
Steve Morse wrote on December 06, 2009
I am familiar with the Gerry and The Pacemakers version, which is taken at a slower pace and is more wistful in the process. The extra verse, "I'll miss you, and in my dreams I'll kiss you" (etc), is beautiful but probably wouldn't have suited Elvis's up-tempo version. Pity.
Deano1 wrote on December 06, 2009
Great vocal, elementary arrangement on this Bobby Darin penned song. Recorded at the famous Memphis Sessions in 1969, but not considered strong enough to be on the LP's "From Elvis In Memphis" or "Back In Memphis". It was released on the Camden budget LP "Let's Be Friends" in 1970 because RCA had either released all the Memphis Session material or had plans for the remaining material. "Kentucky Rain", "Rubberneckin", "Don't Cry Daddy", "My Little Friend", "Mama Liked The Roses" were designated for single release. "Hey Jude", "Who Am I", "If I'm A Fool" and "I'll Be There" were considered leftovers. It is funny because if you add "Suspicious Minds" (a single not yet on an album in early 1970) you would have had nine decent songs for an LP and one stinker (Hey Jude).
Steve V wrote on December 06, 2009
Nice version but not the best version. Still there should have been a Memphis follow-up LP with this, S. Minds, My Little Friend, If I'm A Fool & Dont Cry Daddy/or Kentucky Rain on it. Scrap the dumb Camden LPs and kill Hey Jude all together from being released. That's how a good manager & record company would have handled these releases. Could have been an LP worthy of classic status like the first one.
Marty_TCE wrote on December 06, 2009
Very, very underated. Great to sing along to!
NONE000000 wrote on December 07, 2009
Nice, but a little dull. And I love Bobby Darin and Elvis, but it just is not a song I find very memorable. Nothing wrong with it, and Elvis can sing the hell out of anything, but it's just a bit forgettable.
kink56 wrote on February 02, 2013
The Colonel did not have 45 RPM EPs to market, so the Camdens took their place. The Camdens were perfect for colllecting non-LP tracks, like "Almost In Love" did. But to use it as a way to premier songs, it wasted a lot of opportunities. I'll Be There is a fine song, but no a recording Chips or Felton thought worth doing anything with.
Gorse wrote on February 02, 2013
Yes one of the lesser lights of the Memphis Sessions but easy on the ear without being too demanding. Pleasant but not overly memorable but I never skip it.
Lou A wrote on February 03, 2013
I like this version alot. (But I also like Bobby D. and Gerry/ Pacemakers renditions . Can't recall any other versions.) Nice looping, easy going sound, with sort of a relaxed vocal. I agree with Steve and the others, that a third Memphis LP should have been released atf the time , but it's still not too late for FTD to issue one.
ElvisSacramento wrote on February 05, 2013
I've always liked this song and Elvis' rendition of it was good. Bobby Darin has the very best rendition of it though.
sugartummy wrote on March 23, 2013
A good song with a lovely organ on it. The version that Jarvis later did with this track was awful. You can find it on the Too much monkey business CD. No background vocals are a relief too.
atomic powered poste wrote on April 19, 2018
A nice song, a nice recording, but nothing special by any means. 3 stars.
Cruiser621 wrote on October 29, 2020
Bobby Darin's version is the one; not Elvis. 2-stars for this dribble.
JerryNodak wrote on October 29, 2020
Elvis sings it well, but it doesn't rise above filler material. Good choice for the "Let's Be Friends" Camden LP. I never cared for Bobby Darin.
DerekH wrote on December 14, 2022
A perfect album filler, as good as many others.
Milky White Way wrote on December 15, 2022
A cheerful, light and breezy song in the same ilk as Have a happy. I like it a lot. In 1969 Elvis could sing the phone book and it would still sound good (except Hey Jude).
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