Always There (Side Effect song)

"Always There" is a 1975 song by Ronnie Laws and William Jeffery from Laws' album Pressure Sensitive. After producer Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders enlisted lyricist Paul B Allen III to create a vocal version of the tune, officially making Allen a co-writer, it was re-recorded in 1976 by R&B group Side Effect for their third album, What You Need. It was a minor hit, reaching the top 5 on the US Dance chart; however it was a larger hit for Incognito & Jocelyn Brown in 1991, whose version reached no. 5 in the UK.

"Always There"
Single by Side Effect
from the album What You Need
B-side	"Be Bop Rock"
Released	1976
Genre	Disco, funk
Label	Fantasy Records
Songwriter(s)	Paul B Allen III, William Jeffery, Ronald W Laws
Side Effect singles chronology
"Always There" (1976) "Finally Found Someone" (1977)

Incognito and Jocelyn Brown version

"Always There"
Single by Incognito & Jocelyn Brown
from the album Inside Life
B-side	"Journey Into Sunlight"
Released	17 June 1991
Genre	House soul
Length	3:36 6:38
Label	Talkin' Loud Mercury Records
Songwriter(s)	Paul B Allen III William Jeffery Ronald W Laws
Incognito & Jocelyn Brown singles chronology
"Can You Feel Me" (1990) "Always There" (1991) "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" (1992)
Music video
"Always There" on YouTube

On 17 June 1991, the song was covered and released by British acid jazz band Incognito and American R&B and dance singer Jocelyn Brown, whose version was the biggest version in the UK. This was Incognito's breakthrough hit; however, Brown had been well-known and popular since the late 70s. The song was released as the second single from their second album, Inside Life. It peaked at number 2 in the Netherlands and number 6 in the UK.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor David Jeffries said that "the club side of the band is represented best by the disco flashback "Always There" with Jocelyn Brown.[1] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that they "delivers a domestic version of an R&B houser that has already jammed hard here in clubs". He stated that the track "kicks a tough enough bass line" and complimented the performance from Brown "to push it over the top". He also added that portions of the song's hook have also been prominently featured on "Such a Good Feeling" by English electronic music trio Brothers In Rhythm.[2] Music & Media commented that "with the numerous dance acts of today, only the really good singers can take a song above average level. Thanks to guest vocalist/shouter Jocelyn Brown, that's exactly what happens here."[3] Music Week stated that Brown is "proving she's still a devastating diva", adding the track as "a surefire smash."[4] Lindsay Baker from Spin described it as a "stirring rendition".[5]

Chart performance

"Always There" was a major hit on the charts in Europe and remains the band's most successful song to date. It peaked at number 2 in the Netherlands for two weeks, being held off reaching the top spot by Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You". The single managed to climb into the Top 10 also in Belgium, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the latter, it peaked at number 6 in its third week at the UK Singles Chart, on July 7, 1991.[6] Additionally, "Always There" was a Top 20 hit in Germany and Sweden, and on the Eurochart Hot 100, it hit number 21. Outside Europe, it charted in the United States, reaching number 31 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs.

Track listing

7" single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Always There"	3:36
2.	"Journey Into The Sunlight"

12" single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Always There"	6:38
2.	"Always There (Dub Zone Mix)"	6:05
3.	"Journey Into The Sunlight"	4:06

Charts

Side Effect version

Chart (1976)	Peak Position
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[7]	20
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8]	56

Incognito & Jocelyn Brown version

Chart (1991)	Peak Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9]	8
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[10]	21
France (SNEP)[11]	48
Germany (Official German Charts)[12]	20
Ireland (IRMA)[13]	25
Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)[14]	2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15]	3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16]	2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17]	19
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18]	8
UK Singles (OCC)[19]	6
UK Music Week Dance Singles[20]	1
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[21]	31
US Billboard Dance/Electronic Singles Sales	17
Chart (1996)	Peak Position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[22]	68
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	31

References

1. "Incognito - Millennium Collection: 20th Century Masters". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
2. "Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. 1991-09-07. p. 67. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
3. "Music & Media: New Releases" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 2017-11-23.
4. "Mainstream: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 1991-06-22. p. 8. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
5. Baker, Lindsay (1991). "Singles". Spin. p. 94. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
6. "Official Singles Chart Top 75 07 July 1991 - 13 July 1991". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
7. "Side Effect Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
8. "Side Effect Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
9. "Ultratop.be – Incognito feat. Jocelyn Brown – Always There" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
10. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 1991-07-27. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
11. "Lescharts.com – Incognito feat. Jocelyn Brown – Always There" (in French). Les classement single.
12. "Offiziellecharts.de – Incognito feat. Jocelyn Brown – Always There". GfK Entertainment Charts.
13. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Always There". Irish Singles Chart.
14. Radio Luxembourg Singles, 14 July 1991
15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Incognito feat. Jocelyn Brown – Always There" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
17. "Swedishcharts.com – Incognito feat. Jocelyn Brown – Always There". Singles Top 100.
18. "Swisscharts.com – Incognito feat. Jocelyn Brown – Always There". Swiss Singles Chart.
19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
20. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 1991-06-29. p. 22. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
21. "Incognito Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
22. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 1996-05-18. Retrieved 2018-06-24.

External links

• Side Effect - Always There on Discogs
• Incognito Featuring Jocelyn Brown - Always There on Discogs