If I Only Had Time

"If I Only Had Time" is a song recorded by the New Zealand singer John Rowles in 1968 that became a worldwide hit single. It is based on a French song "Je n'aurai pas le temps" by Michel Fugain. Rowles' song was his first release in the United Kingdom where it reached number 3 on the chart.

"If I Only Had Time"
Single by John Rowles
B-side	"Now Is the Hour"
Released	17 February 1968
Genre	Pop
Length	3:20
Label	MCA MU 1000
Songwriter(s)	Michel Fugain Pierre Delanoë Jack Fishman
Producer(s)	Mike Leander
John Rowles UK singles chronology
"If I Only Had Time" (1968) "Hush ... Not a Word to Mary" (1974)

Background

"If I Only Had Time" is an English version of "Je n'aurai pas le temps", a French ballad written by Michel Fugain and Pierre Delanoë, and recorded by Fugain. Fugain's recording was released as a single and charted in 1967.^[1][2]

Manager Peter Gormley signed the New Zealander John Rowles to MCA in London, and for his first record release in the UK; Mike Leander was chosen to produce and arrange the song.^[3] New lyrics in English were written by Jack Fishman.^[4] It was released in the UK on 17 February 1968.^[3]

Rowles' version peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, number 2 in New Zealand, Belgium and the Netherlands, number 15 in Germany, and number 17 in Austria. It also performed well in the Australian cities, registering at number 5 in Sydney, number 14 in Melbourne, number 3 in Brisbane, number 6 in Adelaide and number 7 in Perth.^[5]

The song was re-released in 1988 on the Old Gold label. It was backed with "Hush Not a Word to Mary".^[6]

Charts

Chart (1968)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7]	17
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8]	2
Ireland (IRMA)[9]	6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10]	2
New Zealand[11]	2
UK Singles (OCC)[12]	3
West Germany (GfK)[13]	15

Other versions

• Jean-Claude Pascal recorded "Je n'aurai pas le temps" for his album Chansons d'hier et de toujours in 1968.^[5]
• Nick DeCaro released an instrumental version of "If I Only Had Time" as a single in 1968, and it reached No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[14] and 12 on the Easy Listening chart in 1969.^[15] It is included on his 1969 album Happy Heart.^[16]