"I Just Can't Wait" is the debut

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

by the English singer

Mandy Smith Amanda Louise Smith (born 17 July 1970) is an English pop music, pop singer and Model (person), model. She became known in the mid-1980s for her underage relationship with, and subsequent marriage to, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, who is 3 ...

, produced by

Stock Aitken Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW and also known as the Hit Factory) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s throug ...

, and was the first release by

Pete Waterman Peter Alan Waterman (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, and television personality. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting team, he co-wrote and co-produced many UK hit singles. An av ...

's new label, PWL in January 1987. Despite intense publicity in the wake of Smith's relationship with

Bill Wyman William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...

, the song charted poorly in the UK — a result the producers blamed on the hostility of the British media. It proved, however, to be a substantial hit in a number of European countries. Remixed versions of the song were released in the UK in 1992 and 1995, but did not chart.

Critical reception

While "I Just Can't Wait" missed the top 40 in her home country, the track's

Balearic beat Balearic beat, also known as Balearic house, Balearic, Ibiza house or Ibizan chillout, is an eclectic blend of DJ-led dance music that emerged in the mid-1980s. It later became the name of a more specific style of electronic dance/house music th ...

version, the "Cool and Breezy Jazz Mix", was critically well received, and has been called "one of the coolest records SAW ever made". '' Smash Hits Australia'' slated the song as "awful ndmildly suggestive", though songwriter

Mike Stock Michael Stock (born 3 December 1951) is an English songwriter, record producer, musician, and member of the songwriting and production trio Stock Aitken Waterman. He has been responsible for over a hundred top-40 hits in the UK, including 16 n ...

denied that the title was a reference to the scandal surrounding Smith's underage relationship with Wyman. In 2023, Alexis Petridis of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' listed the Cool and Breezy Jazz Version at number 15 in his "Stock Aitken Waterman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!", adding: "It expunges almost all of Smith's vocal in favour of an acoustic guitar solo, and sounds suitably sun-drenched and blissful".

Chart performance

"I Just Can't Wait" was a commercial failure in the UK and Australia, where it peaked at number 91 in both countries, with three weeks of charting in the UK in February and March 1987. The song, however, did better in Continental Europe, particularly in Norway, the only nation in which it entered the top ten, attaining number nine. It was also a top 20 hit in Germany where it reached number 14 with a 12-week chart run, Switzerland where it culminated at number 16 and charted for eight weeks, and Italy where it peaked at number 19 and totaled 11 weeks on the chart. In addition, it spent two weeks in the top 50 of the New Zealand Singles Chart, with number 37 as highest position, and was present for two weeks on the ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...

''s Pan-

Eurochart Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by ''Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately f ...

singles chart, peaking at number 90 in its first week.

Track listings

* UK 7-inch single :A. "I Just Can't Wait" – 3:24 :B. "You're Never Alone" – 3:40 * UK 12-inch single :A. "I Just Can't Wait" – 7:00 :B1. "I Just Can't Wait" (Instrumental) – 4:25 :B2. "You're Never Alone" – 3:40 * UK 12" single - 1992 mixes :A. "I Just Can't Wait" (Garage Discotech mix) :B1. "I Just Can't Wait" (the Vocal Loc mix) :B2. "I Just Can't Wait" (the Vocal Loc mix) (instrumental) * UK 12" single - 1995 mixes :A1. "I Just Can't Wait" (Brandon Block/Alex P remix) :A2. "I Just Can't Wait" (Shades of Rhythm Dub mix) :B1. "I Just Can't Wait" (Keith Mac Project remix) :B2. "I Just Can't Wait" (the Cool and Breezy Jazz version)

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from the ''Mandy'' album and 7-inch single liner notes: *

– vocals *

– songwriter, producer * Mark McGuire – engineering * Brian Aris – cover art, photographer

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1987 songs 1987 debut singles Mandy Smith songs Song recordings produced by Stock Aitken Waterman Songs written by Matt Aitken Songs written by Mike Stock (musician) Songs written by Pete Waterman Pete Waterman Entertainment singles