I'll Be There for You
Theme song for the sitcom Friends, later a worldwide hit.
"I'll Be There for You" is a song by the American pop rock duo the Rembrandts, written by David Crane, Marta Kauffman, and Allee Willis as the main theme for the NBC sitcom Friends (1994–2004). The song became a global hit after a Nashville radio station looped the original short version, leading the Rembrandts to expand it into a full-length track for their third studio album, L.P. (1995).
Quick Facts
- Artist
- the Rembrandts
- Album
- L.P. and Friends (Music from the TV Series)
- B-side
- Album snippets (US); "Fixin' to Blow" (UK)
- Released
- 23 May 1995
- Genre
- Power pop; alternative rock
- Length
- 3:09
- Label
- EastWest America; Elektra
- Composer
- Michael Skloff
Facts from the source article.
Background
The song was created after R.E.M. declined to allow their song "Shiny Happy People" for the Friends theme. Warner Bros. Television then selected the only available band on Warner Bros. Records, the Rembrandts, to record the theme. The Rembrandts initially did not want to record it but relented. The original theme, under one minute, was later re-recorded as a three-minute pop song after a Nashville radio station looped the short version, causing the song to become popular. The extended version was serviced to US radio on May 23, 1995, and issued in the UK on August 7, 1995.
Did You Know?
- The handclaps at the end of the first line were a last-minute addition, which Phil Sōlem called the best part of the track.
- The music video was shot on the set of SNL (Studio 8H), as disclosed by the Rembrandts on The Today Show on September 20, 2019.
More in Behind the Scenes & Trivia
Elsewhere in Friends
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced