When You're Gone (Bryan Adams song)

"When You're Gone" was written by Adams and Eliot Kennedy during the production of Adams' eighth studio album On a Day Like Today (1998).[1] Adams initially sought out American musician Sheryl Crow to perform the song as a duet, but did not receive a response back from her.[2] He unexpectedly encountered Chisholm inside of a hotel elevator in Los Angeles, where he asked her to appear on the track. Adams first met her on British music chart television program Top of the Pops, during the Spice Girls' performance of their 1996 song "Wannabe".[3] "When You're Gone" was recorded at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver from June to August 1998, with Adams and Bob Rock handling production.[1]

"When You're Gone" is Chisholm's debut single since becoming the first member of the Spice Girls to begin a solo career.[4][5] It was first released on radio airplay in Europe, before being distributed as a single on November 30, 1998.[6]

"When You're Gone" is a pop rock[7] and soft rock[8] song, which contains similarities to jangle-pop.[9] The song is performed as a duet between Adams and Chisholm.[10] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is based on ⁴
₄ common time, the tempo is 126 beats per minute, and is played in the key of C major. The vocal range of both artists spans from the low note of G₄ to the high note of A₅.[11]

Writing for Billboard, Chuck Taylor praised the natural melody, radiant hook, and infectious energy of "When You're Gone", which he compared to Adams' 1985 song "Summer of '69". However, he stated that Chisholm's "rousing background vocals" were used as a gimmick to give the song exposure in the United Kingdom.[7] Daily Record stated that it is a "catchy tune".[12] Dave Simpson of The Guardian wrote that it was Adams' best written song.[13] However, Sam Taylor of The Observer considered it to be "jarring", criticizing Chisholm's vocals as "wailing atonally".[14] Writing about the rendition performed by Adams and Pamela Anderson on the former's 2005 compilation album Anthology, Keith Caulfield of Billboard criticized Anderson's "featherweight background vocals", which he noted for being buried in the song and considered "novelty" for radio stations.[9]

"When You're Gone" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart dated December 12, 1998, where it remained on the chart for 15 weeks.[15] The song sold 830,000 combined equivalent-sales in the UK as of May 2019,[16] and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) as a result.[17] In Scotland, it bowed at number two on the Scottish Singles Sales Chart dated December 6, 1998.[18] The song peaked at number three on the Irish Singles Chart, where it remained for 16 weeks.[19] "When You're Gone" peaked at number six on the Norwegian VG-lista, where it spent 15 weeks on the chart,[20] and was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).[21] On the Swedish Sverigetopplistan, the song bowed at number eight, where it remained on the chart for 17 weeks.[22]

On the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, "When You're Gone" peaked at number four for three weeks, and charted for 21 weeks.[23] It received a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for selling 70,000 equivalent units in the country.[24] In New Zealand, the song charted at number 15 on the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it spent 13 weeks on the chart.[25] In Canada, "When You're Gone" peaked at number 12 on the RPM Top 100 Singles chart dated February 15, 1999.[26]

The music video, which was released in 1998, depicts Adams and Chisholm trapped inside of a three-story, nine-room household. Individual shots of the two are used to show them singing against a narrow, green-lit corridor, while quick camera cuts are used showing the two isolated from each other in separate rooms. In some scenes, the former is seen vacuuming the corridor, while the latter stares at a fish tank. During the guitar solo, multiple cutaway shots are used of the two acting frustrated and running around throughout the multiple rooms.[27] As of January 2020, the video has over 19 million views on YouTube.[28]

"When You're Gone" is frequently performed at Adams' concerts as an acoustic version, which he picks an audience member to sing the song alongside him.[29][30][31] Chisholm also regularly performs the song in her live concerts.[4] Chisholm and Adams performed "When You're Gone" as a duet on Top of the Pops on January 8, 1999.[32]

Adams has also performed "When You're Gone" in several international versions of The X Factor. He appeared mid-performance in Week 7 of the UK's eighth season to perform alongside the six remaining contestants, which included eventual winner Little Mix.[33][34] He also performed in the first week of the live show in the third season of the Australian version.[10]