{{Short description|1990 single by the Charlatans}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox song | name = The Only One I Know | cover = Charlatans The Only One I Know.jpg | caption = UK 12-inch cover artwork | alt = | type = single | artist = [[The Charlatans (English band)|the Charlatans]] | album = [[Some Friendly]] | B-side = *"Everything Changed" *"Imperial 109" *"You Can Talk to Me" | released = {{start date|1990|5|14|df=y}} | recorded = March 1990 | studio = The Winding Studios (Wrexham, Wales) | genre = *[[Madchester]]<ref name="BBC"/> *[[baggy]]<ref>{{Citation |title=Version (Bonus Tracks) by Mark Ronson on Apple Music |date=14 April 2007 |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/version-bonus-tracks/270051041 |access-date=1 August 2025}}</ref> | length = 4:00 | label = [[Situation Two]] | writer = *John Baker *Martin Blunt *Jon Brookes *[[Tim Burgess (musician)|Tim Burgess]] *[[Rob Collins (musician)|Rob Collins]] | producer = Chris Nagle | prev_title = Indian Rope | prev_year = 1990 | next_title = [[Then (The Charlatans song)|Then]] | next_year = 1990 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|0RJwW77Lsj8|"The Only One I Know"}}}} }}
"'''The Only One I Know'''" is the second single by English rock band [[The Charlatans (UK band)|the Charlatans]]. It was their first top-10 hit, reaching {{abbr|No.|Number}} 9 on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. In the UK, it was the highest-charting single from the ''[[Some Friendly]]'' album. Its best showing in the United States was on the [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock Chart]], where it reached No. 5 in September 1990.
==Background== The song contained lines directly lifted from [[the Byrds]]' 1967 song "Everybody's Been Burned,"<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|title= BBC – Music TV – Pop on trial – 1950s-1990s |publisher= [[BBC Online]] |accessdate= 5 October 2014 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/popontrial/decades/index.shtml?d=90s&a=show&t=show&c=show&n=18&q=hide&m=hide}}</ref> while the melody prominently features an organ riff lifted from the [[Deep Purple]] rendition of the song "[[Hush (Billy Joe Royal song)|Hush]]".<ref>{{cite web|first= Ned |last= Raggett |title= The Charlatans UK – Only One I Know |publisher= [[AllMusic]] |accessdate= 22 March 2014 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/only-one-i-know-mw0000674831}}</ref> In addition, Martin Blunt has described Jon Baker's guitar part as resembling that of [[the Supremes]]' "[[You Keep Me Hangin' On]]".
[[Tim Burgess (musician)|Tim Burgess]] has described the song as being "about teenage feelings: I like somebody, why do they not like me? I was 21 or 22, but still had those powerful emotions". According to him, the band initially intended to record a different song, "Polar Bear", for release as their second single, but after both a friend of Burgess' and their record label [[Beggars Banquet Records]] suggested that "The Only One I Know" would be a better choice they changed plans. Burgess has described the song as having an unusual construction: "I’m still not sure which bit is the chorus. The title and main hook is in the verse, but the intro – before the main song crashes in – gives people just enough time to get on the dancefloor". Blunt has said that the [[Breakdown (music)|breakdown]] to his bass part after the second verse was influenced by [[funk]] and [[Stax Records]]' [[southern soul]] sound. After the band recorded the track at The Winding Studios in Wrexham, it underwent further mixing by Chris Nagle at [[Strawberry Studios]] in [[Stockport]].<ref>{{cite news|first= Dave |last= Simpson |title= The Charlatans: how we made The Only One I Know – 'I'm still not sure which bit's the chorus' |newspaper= [[The Guardian]] |date= 15 November 2021 |access-date= 24 December 2021 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/nov/15/charlatans-how-we-made-the-only-one-i-know-chorus-spencer-davis}}</ref> but filming resumed after brief negotiations.
The song was also included as a track on the 1990 compilation album ''[[Happy Daze (compilation album)|Happy Daze]]''.
== Music video == A music video was released for the song and was directed by Kim Peters in her directorial debut, a friend of the band's then-manager Steve Harrison whom previously worked as a graphic designer with no prior experience of filming music videos,<ref>Burgess 2013, p. 49</ref> and depicts the band performing the song at a warehouse in [[Sandbach]], owned by a friend of Harrison, which was filmed in the evening with an audience of friends and fans. Police officers, having been informed that an illegal [[rave]] was allegedly happening at the venue, arrived,<ref name=WillsSheehan39>Wills; Sheehan 1999, pp. 39</ref> and filming resumed after brief negotiations. Some of these officers appear in the final video.<ref name=WillsSheehan3940>Wills; Sheehan 1999, pp. 39–40</ref>
==Track listings== All tracks were written by Baker, Blunt, Brookes, [[Tim Burgess (musician)|Burgess]], and [[Rob Collins (musician)|Collins]], except "[[Then (The Charlatans song)|Then]]", written by Blunt, Brookes, Burgess, and Collins.
'''7-inch single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |year= 1990 |type= UK 7-inch single vinyl disc |publisher= [[Situation Two]] |id= SIT 70}}</ref> #"The Only One I Know" – 3:56 #"Everything Changed" – 3:21
'''12-inch single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |year= 1990 |type= UK 12-inch single vinyl disc |publisher= Situation Two |id= SIT 70 T}}</ref> :A1. "The Only One I Know" – 4:00 :B1. "Imperial 109" (edit) – 3:44 :B2. "Everything Changed" – 3:23
'''UK CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |year= 1990 |type= UK CD single liner notes |publisher= Situation Two |id= SIT 70 CD}}</ref> #"The Only One I Know" – 3:56 #"Imperial 109" (edit) – 3:41 #"Everything Changed" – 3:21 #"You Can Talk to Me" – 4:49 *"You Can Talk to Me" was recorded on 20 March 1990 for the [[John Peel]] Show, [[BBC Radio 1]], first broadcast on 9 April 1990. The US CD single switches tracks two and three.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |year= 1990 |type= US CD single liner notes |publisher= [[RCA Records]] |id= 2690-2-HS}}</ref>
'''US cassette single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title= The Only One I Know |year= 1990 |type= US cassette single sleeve |publisher= RCA Records |id= 2451-4-HS}}</ref> #"The Only One I Know" (edit) – 3:25 #"Then" (alternative take) – 5:45
==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable" !Chart (1990–1991) !Peak<br/>position |- |Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite book|first= Gavin |last= Ryan |year= 2011 |title= Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 |publisher= Moonlight Publishing |location= Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref> |align="center"|75 |- {{single chart|Ireland2|11|song=The Only One I Know|accessdate=5 October 2014}} |- {{single chart|Dutch100|56|artist=The Charlatans|song=The Only One I Know|accessdate=5 October 2014}} |- {{single chart|UK|9|date=19900616|accessdate=5 October 2014|refname="UK"}} |- |US [[Album Rock Tracks]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="Mainstream">{{cite magazine|title= Mainstream Rock Airplay |magazine= [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date= 19 January 1991 |access-date= 11 August 2025 |url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks/1991-01-19/ |url-access= subscription}}</ref> |align="center"|37 |- |US [[Modern Rock Tracks]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="Alternative">{{cite magazine|title= Alternative Airplay |magazine= Billboard |date= 15 September 1990 |access-date= 11 August 2025 |url= https://www.billboard.com/charts/alternative-airplay/1990-09-15/ |url-access= subscription}}</ref> |align="center"|5 |}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Charlatans|title=The Only One I Know|award=Gold|relyear=2004|certyear=2024|id=16036-551-1|accessdate=7 June 2024}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
==Release history== {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" !Region !Date !Format(s) !Label(s) !{{abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}} |- !scope="row" rowspan="2"|United Kingdom |14 May 1990 |{{hlist|12-inch vinyl|CD}} |rowspan="2"|[[Situation Two]] |align="center"|<ref>{{cite magazine|title= New Singles |magazine= [[Music Week]] |date= 12 May 1990 |page= 43}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Singles |access-date= 19 July 2022 |url= http://www.thecharlatans.net/singles.html |archive-date= 1 May 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060501065530/http://www.thecharlatans.net/singles.html}}</ref> |- |21 May 1990 |7-inch vinyl |align="center"|<ref>{{cite magazine|title= New Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 19 May 1990 |page= 37}}</ref> |- !scope="row"|Australia |16 July 1990 |{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|cassette}} |{{hlist|Situation Two|[[RCA Records|RCA]]|[[Beggars Banquet Records|Beggars Banquet]]}} |align="center"|<ref>{{cite magazine|title= New Release Summary: Singles |magazine= [[The ARIA Report]] |issue= 27 |page= 19 |date= 15 July 1990}}</ref> |}
==Notable cover versions== The song was covered in a [[funk]]-infused take by English musician, DJ and producer [[Mark Ronson]] for his 2007 studio album of cover versions, ''[[Version (album)|Version]]'', featuring vocals by pop superstar and former [[Take That]] member [[Robbie Williams]] (having previously co-produced Williams' seventh studio album ''[[Rudebox]]'' the year prior).<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Mark Ronson feat. Robbie Williams - The Only One I Know - hitparade.ch |url=https://hitparade.ch/song/Mark-Ronson-feat.-Robbie-Williams/The-Only-One-I-Know-324324 |access-date=11 July 2025}}</ref> The [[Apple Music]] description of ''Version'' dubs Ronson and Williams' rendition as having "transformed a [[baggy]] anthem into a [[Northern soul]] stomper".<ref>{{Citation |title=Version (Bonus Tracks) by Mark Ronson on Apple Music |date=14 April 2007 |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/version-bonus-tracks/270051041 |access-date=1 August 2025 |language=en-US}}</ref> This version was also featured on select editions of Williams' 2010 greatest hits album ''[[In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990–2010]]''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Robbie Williams - The Greatest Hits 1990-2010 In And Out Of Consciousness (3CD Deluxe Edition) - CDs at Play.com (UK) |url=http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/16101726/The-Greatest-Hits-1990-2010-In-And-Out-Of-Consciousness/Product.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821093448/http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/16101726/The-Greatest-Hits-1990-2010-In-And-Out-Of-Consciousness/Product.html |archive-date=21 August 2010 |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=www.play.com}}</ref> When Ronson performed the song during his set at the 2007 [[BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms|BBC Electric Proms]], after Williams was unavailable, the Charlatans' frontman [[Tim Burgess (musician)|Tim Burgess]] stepped in on vocals alongside [[Mark Collins (musician)|Mark Collins]], the band's guitarist since 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - Electric Proms 2007 - Mark Ronson and special guests with the BBC Concert Orchestra |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2007/artists/markronson/ |access-date=11 July 2025 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{YouTube|0RJwW77Lsj8|The Charlatans "The Only One I Know" music video}} *{{YouTube|ozUr19F0NRo|Mark Ronson "The Only One I Know" audio featuring Robbie Williams}}
{{The Charlatans}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Only One I Know, The}} [[Category:1990 singles]] [[Category:1990 songs]] [[Category:Beggars Banquet Records singles]] [[Category:The Charlatans (English band) songs]] [[Category:Mark Ronson songs]] [[Category:RCA Records singles]] [[Category:Song recordings produced by Mark Ronson]] [[Category:UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles]]