If You Really Cared

{{Infobox song

| name = If You Really Cared

| cover = Gabrielle_-_If_You_Really_Cared_(CD_2).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Gabrielle

| album = Gabrielle

| released = 23 September 1996

| recorded =

| studio =

| length = 4:52

| label = {{hlist|Go Beat|Universal}}

| writer = {{hlist|Gabrielle|Benjamin Barson|Ben Wolff|Andrew Dean}}

| producer = The Boilerhouse Boys

| prev_title = Forget About the World

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = If You Ever

| next_year = 1996

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|zBR25M-k_kM|"If You Really Cared"}}}}

}}

"If You Really Cared" is the third single from English singer-songwriter Gabrielle's second album, Gabrielle (1996). It was written by Gabrielle, Ben Barson of the Boilerhouse Boys, Ben Wolff and Andrew Dean. "If You Really Cared" was released in September 1996 by Go Beat and Universal, and returned Gabrielle to the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 15.

Critical reception

Caitlin Moran from Melody Maker praised the song as "an inner-London C&W smooch that builds and builds into a deliciously sparse crescendo."{{cite magazine|first=Caitlin|last=Moran|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53688074004/|title=Albums|magazine=Melody Maker|date=29 June 1996|page=50|access-date=14 May 2024|author-link=Caitlin Moran}} Another Melody Maker editor, Simon Price, named it one of the Singles of the Week, writing, "'If You Really Cared' is another gorgeous period piece (shades of Lorraine Ellison's "Stay with Me" this time). I've had it on Repeat eight times in a row and I'm not bored yet. I want her to marry me."{{cite magazine|first=Simon|last=Price|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53719585020/|title=Singles|magazine=Melody Maker|date=21 September 1996|page=54|access-date=17 May 2024|author-link=Simon Price}} A reviewer from Music Week gave it three out of five, adding, "Gabrielle shows her class with this timeless ballad which captures a vintage soulful sound, but remains distinctly modern."{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-09-07.pdf|first=|last=|title=Reviews: Singles|magazine=Music Week|date=7 September 1996|page=8|accessdate=5 September 2021}}

Track listings

{{tracklist

| headline = UK CD:1 {{small|(GODCD 153)}}{{cite AV media notes|title= If You Really Cared|others=Gabrielle|year=1996|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Go! Beat|id= GODCD 153, 850 709-2}}

| title1 = If You Really Cared

| note1 = radio edit

| length1 = 3:52

| title2 = Baby I've Changed

| note2 = Ole' Ruffneck sound

| length2 = 4:53

| title3 = Baby I've Changed

| note3 = Carl McIntosh

| length3 = 5:48

| title4 = Baby I've Changed

| note4 = D*Note remix

| length4 = 5:48

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = UK CD:2 {{small|(GOLCD 153)}}{{cite AV media notes|title= If You Really Cared|others=Gabrielle|year=1996|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Go! Beat|id= GOLCD 153, 850 711-2}}

| title1 = If You Really Cared

| note1 = radio edit

| length1 = 3:52

| title2 = Give Me A Little More Time

| note2 = Def mix

| length2 = 7:54

| title3 = Give Me A Little More Time

| note3 =

| length3 = 4:57

| title4 = Dreams

| note4 = original and unreleased version

| length4 = 6:21

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = UK cassette single {{small|(GODMCD 153)}}{{cite AV media notes|title= If You Really Cared|others=Gabrielle|year=1996|type= UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Go! Beat|id= GODMCD 153, 850 708-4}}

| title1 = If You Really Cared

| note1 = radio edit

| length1 = 3:52

| title2 = Baby I've Changed

| note2 = Ole' Ruffneck sound

| length2 = 4:53

}}