"Can We Still Be Friends" is a song written and originally performed by Todd Rundgren.
| "Can We Still Be Friends" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Todd Rundgren | ||||
| from the album Hermit of Mink Hollow | ||||
| B-side | "Out of Control" (US), "Determination" (UK) | |||
| Released | May 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 3:34 | |||
| Label | Bearsville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Todd Rundgren | |||
| Producer(s) | Todd Rundgren | |||
| Todd Rundgren singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Todd Rundgren version
editTodd Rundgren released his version on his 1978 album Hermit of Mink Hollow. This was the only hit single on the album, reaching #29 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[1] and also peaking at #8 in Australia. The lyrics describe a relationship to which Rundgren and the woman to whom he is singing have made great efforts to fix, but simply cannot make it work. Rundgren explains this, but wishes to part amicably, asking several times if he and his partner can "still be friends." The song is generally assumed to be about Rundgren's breakup with long-time companion Bebe Buell in 1977. Rundgren played all the instruments and performed all the vocals on the track, as he did with the rest of the album.
In 1994, the song made a prominent appearance in the film Dumb and Dumber, for which Rundgren had composed the score. It also appears on the soundtrack for the 2001 film Vanilla Sky, and the TV series Nip/Tuck.
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] | 8 |
| United States (Billboard 100) | 29 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1978) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] | 54 |
Robert Palmer version
edit| "Can We Still Be Friends" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Robert Palmer | ||||
| from the album Secrets | ||||
| B-side | "Too Good To Be True" | |||
| Released | 9 November 1979[4] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Island | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Todd Rundgren | |||
| Producer(s) | Robert Palmer | |||
| Robert Palmer singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio video | ||||
| "Can We Still Be Friends?" on YouTube | ||||
In 1979, "Can We Still Be Friends" became a hit again when Robert Palmer recorded a version for his album Secrets.
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1979-80) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] | 52 |
| Dutch Top 40[7] | 32 |
Mandy Moore version
edit| "Can We Still Be Friends" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Mandy Moore | |
| from the album Coverage | |
| Released | 2003 |
| Genre | R&B |
| Length | 3:38 |
| Label | Epic |
| Songwriter(s) | Todd Rundgren |
| Producer(s) | John Fields |
| Audio | |
| "Can We Still Be Friends" on YouTube | |
In 2003, Mandy Moore recorded her own version of the song from her third studio album Coverage, composed entirely of cover songs.
Other versions
edit- Colin Blunstone recorded a version on his 1979 album "Late Nights in Soho".
- Rod Stewart recorded the song as a track for his 1984 album Camouflage. His version is performed at a faster tempo than Rundgren's and Palmer's versions and features more prominent use of the synthesizer.
- Marc Jordan recorded the song as a track for his 1990 album COW.
- In 2001, Vonda Shepard's version appeared on a soundtrack for the television show Ally McBeal.
- Kate Markowitz recorded it for her 2003 album Map of the World.
- Argentine rock musicians Charly García and Nito Mestre, founding members of the band Sui Generis, recorded a Spanish version entitled "Yo soy su papá" ("I am his father"), which appeared on their 2000 album Sinfonías para adolescentes (Symphonies for Teenagers).
- Filipino singer, actress and TV host Toni Gonzaga covered the song as part of the soundtrack of the 2017 film of the same name starring Gerald Anderson and Arci Muñoz.
References
edit- ^ "Billboard Hot 100, Chart Listing For The Week Of sep 02 1978". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 261. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 32.
- ^ Deggans, Eric (January 1, 1998). "Robert Palmer". In Graff, Gary; du Lac, Josh; McFarlin, Jim (eds.). MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 439.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100, Chart Listing For The Week Of feb 16 1980". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
- ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 51, 1979". Retrieved September 25, 2022.
