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The Only One I Know

{{Short description|1990 single by The Charlatans}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}

{{Infobox song

| name = The Only One I Know

| cover = Charlatans The Only One I Know.jpg

| caption = UK 12-inch cover artwork

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Charlatans

| album = Some Friendly

| B-side =

  • "Everything Changed"
  • "Imperial 109"
  • "You Can Talk to Me"

| released = {{start date|1990|5|14|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio = The Winding Studios (Wrexham, Wales)

| genre = Madchester

| length = 4:00

| label = Situation Two

| writer =

| producer = Chris Nagle

| prev_title = Indian Rope

| prev_year = 1990

| next_title = Then

| next_year = 1990

}}

"The Only One I Know" is the second single by English rock band the Charlatans. It was their first top-10 hit, reaching {{abbr|No.|Number}} 9 on the UK Singles Chart. In the UK, it was the highest-charting single from the Some Friendly album. Its best showing in the United States was on the Modern Rock Chart, where it reached No. 5 in September 1990.

Background

The song contained lines directly lifted from the Byrds' 1967 song "Everybody's Been Burned,"{{cite web|title= BBC – Music TV – Pop on trial – 1950s-1990s |publisher= BBC Online |accessdate= 5 October 2014 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/popontrial/decades/index.shtml?d=90s&a=show&t=show&c=show&n=18&q=hide&m=hide}} while the melody prominently features an organ riff lifted from the Deep Purple rendition of the song "Hush".{{cite web|first= Ned |last= Raggett |title= The Charlatans UK – Only One I Know |publisher= AllMusic |accessdate= 22 March 2014 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/only-one-i-know-mw0000674831}} In addition, Martin Blunt has described Jon Baker's guitar part as resembling that of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On".

Tim Burgess has described the song as being "about teenage feelings: I like somebody, why do they not like me? I was 21 or 22, but still had those powerful emotions". According to him, the band initially intended to record a different song, "Polar Bear", for release as their second single, but after both a friend of Burgess' and their record label Beggars Banquet Records suggested that "The Only One I Know" would be a better choice they changed plans. Burgess has described the song as having an unusual construction: "I’m still not sure which bit is the chorus. The title and main hook is in the verse, but the intro – before the main song crashes in – gives people just enough time to get on the dancefloor". Blunt has said that the breakdown to his bass part after the second verse was influenced by funk and Stax Records' southern soul sound. After the band recorded the track at The Winding Studios in Wrexham, it underwent further mixing by Chris Nagle at Strawberry Studios in Stockport.{{cite news|first= Dave |last= Simpson |title= The Charlatans: how we made The Only One I Know – 'I'm still not sure which bit's the chorus' |newspaper= The Guardian |date= 15 November 2021 |access-date= 24 December 2021 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/nov/15/charlatans-how-we-made-the-only-one-i-know-chorus-spencer-davis}}

The song was included as a track on the compilation album Happy Daze. A funk-styled cover version with vocals by Robbie Williams appeared on Mark Ronson's 2007 album, Version. In 2012 the song featured in the film California Solo.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

Track listings

All tracks were written by Brookes, Day, Collins, Blunt and Burgess except "Then", written by Brookes, Collins, Blunt and Burgess.

7-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |others= The Charlatans |year= 1990 |type= UK 7-inch single vinyl disc |publisher= Situation Two |id= SIT 70}}

  1. "The Only One I Know" – 3:56
  2. "Everything Changed" – 3:21

12-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |others= The Charlatans |year= 1990 |type= UK 12-inch single vinyl disc |publisher= Situation Two |id= SIT 70 T}}

:A1. "The Only One I Know" – 4:00

:B1. "Imperial 109" (edit) – 3:44

:B2. "Everything Changed" – 3:23

UK CD single{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |others= The Charlatans |year= 1990 |type= UK CD single liner notes |publisher= Situation Two |id= SIT 70 CD}}

  1. "The Only One I Know" – 3:56
  2. "Imperial 109" (edit) – 3:41
  3. "Everything Changed" – 3:21
  4. "You Can Talk to Me" – 4:49
  • "You Can Talk to Me" was recorded on 20 March 1990 for the John Peel Show, BBC Radio 1, first broadcast on 9 April 1990. The US CD single switches tracks two and three.{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |others= The Charlatans |year= 1990 |type= US CD single liner notes |publisher= RCA Records |id= 2690-2-HS}}

US cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |others= The Charlatans |year= 1990 |type= US cassette single sleeve |publisher= RCA Records |id= 2451-4-HS}}

  1. "The Only One I Know" (edit) – 3:25
  2. "Then" (alternative take) – 5:45

Charts

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1990)

!Peak
position

Australia (ARIA){{cite book|first= Gavin |last= Ryan |year= 2011 |title= Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 |publisher= Moonlight Publishing |location= Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}

|align="center"|75

{{single chart|Ireland2|11|song=The Only One I Know|accessdate=5 October 2014}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|56|artist=The Charlatans|song=The Only One I Know|accessdate=5 October 2014}}
{{single chart|UK|9|date=19900616|accessdate=5 October 2014|refname="UK"}}
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks{{cite web|title= Some Friendly – Awards |publisher= AllMusic |accessdate= 5 October 2014 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/some-friendly-mw0000309718/awards}}

|align="center"|37

US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks{{cite magazine|title= September 15, 1990 – Alternative Songs |magazine= Billboard |date= 15 September 1990 |accessdate= 5 October 2013 |url= http://www.billboard.com/charts/1990-09-15/alternative-songs}}

|align="center"|5

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Charlatans|title=The Only One I Know|award=Gold|relyear=2004|certyear=2024|id=16036-551-1|accessdate=7 June 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!Region

!Date

!Format(s)

!Label(s)

!{{abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"|United Kingdom

|14 May 1990

|{{hlist|12-inch vinyl|CD}}

|rowspan="2"|Situation Two

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|title= New Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 12 May 1990 |page= 43}}{{cite web |title= Singles |access-date= 19 July 2022 |url= http://www.thecharlatans.net/singles.html |archive-date= 1 May 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060501065530/http://www.thecharlatans.net/singles.html}}

21 May 1990

|7-inch vinyl

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|title= New Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 19 May 1990 |page= 37}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{The Charlatans}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Only One I Know, The}}

Category:1990 singles

Category:1990 songs

Category:The Charlatans (English band) songs

Category:Mark Ronson songs

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Mark Ronson

Category:UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles