1 9 7 8 , ▁ending ▁an ▁eight - week ▁number ▁ 1 ▁ten ure ▁by ▁" N ight ▁F ever ". ▁" If ▁I ▁Can ' t ▁Have ▁You " ▁was ▁the ▁fourth ▁consecutive ▁US ▁number ▁ 1 ▁to ▁be ▁co - written ▁by ▁Barry ▁Gib b , ▁and ▁the ▁R SO ▁record ▁label ' s ▁sixth ▁consecutive ▁number ▁one ▁on ▁the ▁US ▁Hot ▁ 1 0 0 . ▁The ▁B - side ▁of ▁the ▁Ell iman ▁single ▁was ▁a ▁song ▁from ▁the ▁Love ▁Me ▁album , ▁" Good ▁Sign ", ▁a ▁composition ▁by ▁Mel issa ▁Manchester ▁and ▁Car ole ▁Bayer ▁S ager ▁which ▁had ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁B - side ▁of ▁Ell iman ' s ▁hit ▁" Hello ▁Str anger ". ▁ ▁Far ▁from ▁the ▁success ▁going ▁to ▁Ell iman ' s ▁head ▁or ▁giving ▁her ▁ideas ▁of ▁following ▁up ▁the ▁sudden ▁disco ▁success ▁with ▁a ▁deeper ▁for ay ▁into ▁the ▁genre , ▁a ▁contemporary ▁interview ▁by ▁journalist ▁Peter ▁J . ▁Bo yer ▁found ▁Ell iman ▁dismiss ive ▁of ▁her ▁number ▁ 1 ▁hit , ▁referring ▁to ▁it ▁in ▁conversation ▁only ▁cas ually ▁as ▁" that ▁current ▁thing ▁from ▁Saturday ▁Night ▁F ever ". ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁co att ail ▁success ▁she ' s ▁had ▁with ▁" If ▁I ▁Can ' t ▁Have ▁You ", ▁it ' s ▁a ▁disco ▁song ▁and ▁Ell iman ▁decided ▁her ▁broad , ▁hus ky ▁vocals ▁are ▁best ▁su ited ▁elsewhere . ▁" If ▁I ▁Can ' t ▁Have ▁You " ▁was ▁featured ▁on