Songfacts®:

• Australian singer-songwriter Gino Cunico introduced this breakup ballad on his major-label debut album in 1976. While it didn't make much of an impression on the market, the album did reach some influential ears, including Cunico's Arista labelmate Barry Manilow. Three years later, Manilow's version was included on his One Voice album. The single was a Top 20 hit on the Hot 100 and his 10th #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
• Cunico's follow-up to "When I Want You" was "Can't Smile Without You," which Manilow also spun into a hit on his previous album, Even Now.
• While ballads are Manilow's bread and butter, he pointed out that there's much more to his catalog than love songs if people are willing to look beyond the singles.
  
  "The words I sing best to a melody are words about love," he told People, "Listening only to my singles, you'd think that's all I sing about. On albums I do take it a step or two further. I'm possibly breaking through into slightly new ground with more intelligent lyrics than 'Baby, oh, baby' and more sophisticated rhythm and arrangements that go beyond a guitar and a drum. Arranging is my strongest suit."
• One Voice, Manilow's sixth studio album, featured two other Top 40 singles that were also covers: Ian Hunter's "Ships" and the '40s standard "I Don't Want To Walk Without You."