I'm Gonna Soothe You

"I'm Gonna Soothe You"
Single by Maria McKee
from the album You Gotta Sin to Get Saved
B-side"Why Wasn't I More Grateful (When Life Was Sweet)"
ReleasedMay 10, 1993 (1993-05-10)[1]
Length3:36
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)George Drakoulias
Maria McKee singles chronology
"Sweetest Child"
(1992) 		"I'm Gonna Soothe You"
(1993) 		"I Can't Make It Alone"
(1993)
Music video
"I'm Gonna Soothe You" on YouTube

"I'm Gonna Soothe You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Maria McKee, released in May 1993 by Geffen Records as the lead single from her second studio album, You Gotta Sin to Get Saved (1993). The song was written by McKee, Marvin Etzioni and Bruce Brody, and produced by George Drakoulias.[2][3] It reached No. 35 in the UK and remained on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.[4] The accompanying music video was directed by English film, documentary and music video director Julien Temple.[5][6] It achieved play on Power Play Music Video Television and VH1.[7]

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Larry Flick from Billboard described "I'm Gonna Soothe You" as a "swaying, '70s-fashioned slow-rock number". He noted that listeners will be "soothed by the Motown influences" and added that "it's easy to imagine folks devouring this sound".[8] A reviewer from Cash Box noted its "steady rocking reassurance", adding that "the singer's crystal-line vocals cut straight to the heart".[9] Pan-European magazine Music & Media considered it a "marked change of direction" for McKee, with which she "goes Stax R&B, and Black Crowes producer Drakoulias pushe[s] the right buttons".[10]

In the UK, Ian Gittins of Melody Maker was critical of the song, stating it was "not her finest moment". He commented, "McKee on stage is transcendent, a real wild child, crazy-eyed and howling for glee. But this shoulder-heaving ballad's AOR arrangements confine her natural lust for life."[11] Stuart Bailie of NME was more positive of the song, writing, "It's like an old Memphis stew, with attractive brass bits, gospel voices and the minor chords in joyful places, plus Maria ripping it up with style. Sometimes you wish she'd blast away a bit more, like she does on stage, but this isn't bad."[12]

In a review of You Gotta Sin to Get Saved, Musician said, "The album opens with "I'm Gonna Soothe You," a mid-tempo ballad with enough 70s-redolent strings and horns that you might check to make sure the CD doesn't have a Hi insignia."[13]

Track listings

Personnel

Other
  • Dennis Hopper - photography
  • Janet Wolsborn - art direction

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 160
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 49
Europe (European Hit Radio)[15] 28
UK Singles (OCC)[4] 35
UK Airplay (Music Week)[16] 45
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[17] 34

References

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. May 8, 1993. p. 27.
  2. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine (June 22, 1993). "You Gotta Sin to Get Saved - Maria McKee | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  3. ^ "CD Singles - Maria McKee - I'm Gonna Soothe You / Why Wasn't I More Grateful - Geffen - UK - GFSTD 39". 45worlds.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "MARIA MCKEE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "Maria McKee - I'm Gonna Soothe You". YouTube. October 6, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Maria McKee: I'm Gonna Soothe You". April 11, 1993. Retrieved April 11, 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
  7. ^ "Billboard". Billboard. July 10, 1993. p. 32. Retrieved April 9, 2018 – via Internet Archive. maria mckee i'm gonna soothe you.
  8. ^ Flick, Larry (July 3, 1993). "Single reviews". Billboard. p. 66.
  9. ^ Cash Box. June 5, 1993. "Reviews: talent review". p. 5.
  10. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 21. May 22, 1993. p. 19. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Gittins, Ian (May 15, 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 31.
  12. ^ Bailie, Stuart (May 22, 1993). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 20.
  13. ^ "Musician - Google Books". May 27, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  14. ^ "Maria McKee ARIA Chart History complete to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  15. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 24. June 12, 1993. p. 22. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  16. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. June 12, 1993. p. 16. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  17. ^ "Adult Contemporary Tracks" (PDF). RPM magazine. No. 11 September 1993. p. 14. Retrieved July 6, 2024.