Recorded at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios, the house band MFSB provided the backing.

The production of the song gives it a smooth, mid-tempo feel, with the signature guitar riff (in octaves) played by Norman Harris at the forefront and punctuation from female background singers, the MFSB horns & strings and conga-playing from Larry Washington.

Jamaican reggae artist Otis Gayle also recorded a rocksteady version of "I'll Be Around" for the Studio One label in the early 1970s, that features the recognizable organ playing of Jackie Mittoo.

US singer Terri Wells had a hit in 1984 with her version, which reached No.17 in the UK Singles Chart.

In 2015, the German group, Hotlane (Agnes Lindström & Jack Tennis) sampled "I'll Be Around" on the song "Whenever", featured on their first album titled "The EP".