The Foote FIles: Yvonne Elliman
(CBS 11) - Yvonne Elliman (born December 29, 1951 in Honolulu) is an American pop singer and actress. She has been a backup singer for Eric Clapton and played the role of Mary Magdalene in the rock opera/movie "Jesus Christ Superstar."
Her genres of singing are Broadway, pop, and disco. She had a #1 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1977, "Hello Stranger," released a few years earlier by singer Barbara Lewis.
She charted five times on the Billboard Hot 100, scoring her only #1 hit on the Hot 100 in the spring/summer of 1978 called "If I Can't Have You." The song was recorded by Elliman for the movie "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack and later for the 1999 movie "Big Daddy."
Written by the Brothers Gibb, produced by them, Abbey Galuten and Karl Richardson, running 3:25 on the RSO label, the lyrics go like this:
Don't know why I'm surviving ev'ry lonely day
When there's got to be no chance for me
My life would end
And it doesn't matter how I cry
My tears of love a waste of time
If I turn away
Can't let go and it doesn't matter how I try
I gave it all so easily to you my love
To dreams that never will come true
Am I strong enough to see it through
Go crazy is what I will do
Am I strong enough to see it through?
Go crazy is what I will do
If I can't have you, I don't want no other, baby
If I can't have you, uh huh, ah!
If I can't have you, I don't want no other, baby
If I can't have you, uh huh, ah!
Enjoy!