If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time
| If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time | |
|---|---|
| R. Kelly | |
| publication | July 24, 1999 |
| length | 6:17 (album version) 4:56 (radio edit) |
| Genre (s) | Soul , R&B |
| Author (s) | R. Kelly |
| album | R. |
If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time, a soul ballad by American singer R. Kelly . The song was released as a single from his studio album R. at the end of 1999 .
Commercial win
If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time is next to I'm Your Angel , Gotham City and I Believe I Can Fly another global chart success for the singer from his album R. While the title missed the top ten in the USA , it reached Top of the charts in Flanders , Wallonia , Switzerland and the Netherlands . The song also reached number two in Germany , Austria , France and Great Britain . In various other countries, the song was also in the top ten. The song received three platinum records in Belgium for its high sales . The title also received platinum and gold records for its sales in numerous other countries .
composition
R. Kelly wrote and produced the song himself. The title tells of a past love and how the protagonist wished he could turn back the wheel of time. Entertainment Weekly compared the song with Unchained Melody , best known in the version of the soul duo Righteous Brothers . Even if it is a contemporary R&B ballad, the Rolling Stone attributes the title to gospel elements.
reception
Charts
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Chart placements | ||
 Germany (GfK)
|
2 (19 weeks) | 19th |
 Austria (Ö3)
|
2 (18 weeks) | 18th |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
|
1 (34 weeks) | 34 |
 United Kingdom (OCC)
|
2 (25 weeks) | 25th |
 United States (Billboard)
|
12 (17 weeks) | 17th |
Awards for music sales
| Country / Region | Award | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales) |
||
 Belgium (BEA)
|
 3 × platinum
|
150,000 |
|
Germany (BVMI)
|
platinum
|
500,000 |
 France (SNEP)
|
 gold
|
250,000 |
|
Austria (IFPI)
|
gold
|
25,000 |
 Sweden (IFPI)
|
platinum
|
30,000 |
|
Switzerland (IFPI)
|
gold
|
25,000 |
|
United States (RIAA)
|
gold
|
500,000 |
|
United Kingdom (BPI)
|
platinum
|
600,000 |
| All in all |
4 × gold 6 × platinum |
2,080,000 |
Main article: R. Kelly / Music Sales Awards
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=R%2E+Kelly&titel=If+I+Could+Turn+Back+The+Hands+Of+Time&cat=s
- ↑ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,285739,00.html
- ↑ You can hear that Kelly really does believe in sin, and that gives him moral weight in gospel moves like "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time." ( Memento from June 13, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ a b c d e Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US