So Help Me Girl
| "So Help Me Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:JD - So Help Me Girl single.png | ||||
| Single by Joe Diffie | ||||
| from the album Third Rock from the Sun | ||||
| B-side | "The Cows Came Home"[1] | |||
| Released | January 30, 1995 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriters | Howard Perdew, Andy Spooner | |||
| Producers | Johnny Slate, Joe Diffie | |||
| Joe Diffie singles chronology | ||||
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"So Help Me Girl" is a song written by Howard Perdew and Andy Spooner and recorded by American country music singer Joe Diffie. It was released in January 1995 as the third single from his fourth studio album, Third Rock from the Sun (1994). The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, where it debuted at number 59 for the week of February 4, 1995, and number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]
Music video
[edit | edit source]The music video for "So Help Me Girl" was directed by Gerry Wenner and premiered in early 1995.
Charts
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Weekly charts[edit | edit source]
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Year-end charts[edit | edit source]
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Gary Barlow version
[edit | edit source]| "So Help Me Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | ||||
| Single by Gary Barlow | ||||
| from the album Open Road | ||||
| B-side | "Million to One", "Offer My Peace" | |||
| Released | July 14, 1997 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:29 | |||
| Label | RCA, BMG | |||
| Songwriters | Howard Perdew, Andy Spooner | |||
| Producer | David Foster | |||
| Gary Barlow UK singles chronology | ||||
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| Gary Barlow US singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "So Help Me Girl" on YouTube | ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing American cover | ||||
"So Help Me Girl" was covered by English singer and songwriter Gary Barlow, and released as the third single from his debut solo album, Open Road (1997), in the United Kingdom on July 14, 1997, and as the lead single from the album in the US later in the year. Following the success of the album in the UK, Barlow signed a record deal with Arista records for it to be released in the US. He reworked the album for the American market and subsequently released a remixed version of "So Help Me Girl" as the lead single there.
Produced by David Foster, "So Help Me Girl" was released in 65 countries around the world and topped the charts in 13 countries.[7] In the UK, it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, the single peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 (Barlow's only solo hit on that chart), number three on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart and number 58 on the Billboard Radio Charts.[8]
Critical reception
[edit | edit source]Larry Flick from Billboard gave the American version of "So Help Me Girl" a positive review, saying that it did not stray from Barlow's work in the group Take That. He also praised his "boyish teen-idol charm" and "flexible tenor."[9] A reviewer from Music Week rated it three out of five, adding that "the song's Nashville roots are barely discernible on this David Foster update which turns it into a swoony, low-key ballad to give Barlow another hit."[10] David Sinclair from The Times wrote, "Old country song given a dreary, pop ballad treatment."[11]
Music video
[edit | edit source]Two music videos were released for So Help Me Girl. The first video, accompanying the European release of the single, similar to the music video for Diffie's version, features Barlow taking a girl home after a night out, and waking up the next morning and realising that he has cheated on his girlfriend. He performs the majority of the song in the bedroom, before moving to a piano for the final scenes, which depict a fight between his girlfriend and the girl he took home. The second video, accompanying the American release of the single, begins with Barlow sitting alone on a bridge and throwing a rose into the water below, whilst a mysterious woman looks on. He then continues to perform the song whilst looking through the windows of a darkened house, where he spots a young girl. The video continues with Barlow walking through a lighted tunnel of moving cars, before returning to the house and performing the final line of the song to the girl personally.[12]
Track listings
[edit | edit source]- "So Help Me Girl"
- "Million to One"
- "Offer My Peace"
- "So Help Me Girl" (C Swing mix)
- UK CD2[15]
- "So Help Me Girl"
- "So Help Me Girl" (Peter Mokran mix)
- "Interview"
- "So Help Me Girl"
- "Million to One"
- "So Help Me Girl" – 4:29
- "Back for Good" (live) – 4:03
- Japanese CD single[20]
- "So Help Me Girl"
- "Million to One"
- "Offer My Peace"
Charts
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Weekly charts[edit | edit source]
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Year-end charts[edit | edit source]
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Release history
[edit | edit source]| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | July 14, 1997 |
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[43] | |
| Japan | July 24, 1997 | CD | [44] |
Other versions
[edit | edit source]Mark Wills and Nate Smith covered the song on Hardy's 2024 mixtape, Hixtape: Vol. 3: Difftape.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 9044." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. May 1, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- ^ "Joe Diffie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ "Joe Diffie Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ http://springbarrelsongpluggingservices.com/success.html Gary Barlow So Help Me Girl SpringBarrell Songwriter Services. Accessed 28/12/13
- ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/gary-barlow/chart-history/
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Sinclair, David (July 19, 1997). "Albums; The week's top pop releases". The Times.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSoJ5uR1rqU Official Music Video of So Help Me Girl
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- ^ "Gary Barlow – So Help Me Girl". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ "Gary Barlow – So Help Me Girl" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3404." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 7 December 1997. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ "Gary Barlow – So Help Me Girl" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Gary Barlow". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
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- ^ "Gary Barlow – So Help Me Girl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ IFPI Taiwan - Single Top 10 (1997/31)
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Gary Barlow Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ "Gary Barlow Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
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- 1990s ballads
- 1994 songs
- 1995 singles
- 1997 singles
- Arista Records singles
- Country ballads
- Epic Records singles
- Joe Diffie songs
- Gary Barlow songs
- Nate Smith (singer) songs
- Mark Wills songs
- Music videos credited to Alan Smithee
- Pop ballads
- RCA Records singles
- Song recordings produced by Bob Montgomery (songwriter)
- Song recordings produced by David Foster