Who Can I Run To

1995 single by Xscape
"Who Can I Run To"
Song by The Jones Girls
from the album The Jones Girls
A-side"You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else"
Released1979
GenreR&B, Philadelphia soul, soul
Length3:25
LabelPhiladelphia International
Songwriter(s)Alstin, Roebuck, Simmons
"Who Can I Run To"
Single by Xscape
from the album Off the Hook
ReleasedOctober 3, 1995
GenreR&B[1]
Length3:34
LabelSo So Def
Songwriter(s)Alstin, Roebuck, Simmons
Producer(s)Jermaine Dupri
Xscape singles chronology
"Feels So Good"
(1995) 		"Who Can I Run To"
(1995) 		"Do You Want To/Can't Hang"
(1996)

"Who Can I Run To" is a song written by Charles B. Simmons, Frank Alstin Jr, and Richard Roebuck, first released by the Jones Girls in 1979. The song was the B-side to "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else". After Xscape took the song to number 1 in 1995, Billboard named the song number 58 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[2]

Xscape version and samples

  • A 1995 cover version by R&B group, Xscape, spent one week at number one on the U.S. R&B Singles chart and reached number eight on the pop chart.[3]
  • A remix was also made, which sampled former labelmate Teddy Pendergrass's "Love T.K.O."
  • R&B artist Anderson Paak sampled the Xscape version for his song "Might Be" from the album Venice in 2014. This song would later be covered by DJ Luke Nasty in 2015, also sampling the Xscape version.
  • American rapper Joyner Lucas samples the record on track 8 "When I Need Love" of his sophomore album, "Not Now I'm Busy".

Other versions

  • In 1995, R&B group Sista sampled the original version on "Good Thang" on their album 4 All the Sistas Around da World.
  • In 1996, Ricky Dillard and the New Generation Chorale released the album, Worked It Out. It included a version of "Who Can I Run To?" that answered the question with "I need the Lord."[4]
  • At the end of 2008, this song was reworked into a house music track with vocals from Dawn Tallman, released on Thick Recordings.
  • Juvenile sampled the original version of the song in 2007 for a song also called "Who Can I Run To?" featuring Mannie Fresh and Soulja Slim. It was on an album entitled "Diary of a Soulja" that was never released.[5]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995–1996) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[6] 23
Scotland (OCC)[7] 85
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 31
UK Dance (OCC)[9] 11
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[10] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 8
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[12] 1
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[13] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1995) Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] 57

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[15] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

  • R&B number-one hits of 1995 (USA)

References

  1. ^ Billboard Staff (July 10, 2017). "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2024. ..."Who Can I Run To?" found new life in the mid-'90s thanks to the vocal prowess of hitmakers Xscape, rightly turning the syrupy slow jam into one of the defining R&B hits in his era.
  2. ^ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  3. ^ "Chart Archive". AllMusic. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
  4. ^ "Amazon.com". Amazon. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Cash Money Degreez". Cmdegreez.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Xscape – Who Can I Run To?". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  7. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  8. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  9. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  10. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "Xscape Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  12. ^ "Xscape Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  13. ^ "Xscape Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  14. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "American single certifications – Xscape – Who Can I Run To". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
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