As If We Never Said Goodbye

Last updated
"As If We Never Said Goodbye"
Song by Andrew Lloyd Webber
from the album Sunset Boulevard
Released1993
Songwriter(s)

"As If We Never Said Goodbye" is a show tune from the musical Sunset Boulevard . It was written by Don Black, Christopher Hampton (with additional lyrics by Amy Powers), and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Ben Rimalower on Playbill calls it Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest song. [1]

In Sunset Boulevard, the main character, Norma Desmond, reveals her longing to return to the spotlight of fame. [2]

The song has been performed by Barbra Streisand. It is featured on her album Back to Broadway and the live albums The Concert and Back to Brooklyn.

Elaine Paige recorded the song for her album Encore .

Countertenor Chris Colfer (as Kurt Hummel) sings the song in the Glee season 2 episode "Born This Way". A review in Salon describes Colfer's performance as turning the song "into a valentine to self-knowledge and self-improvement—and a young, gay singer's dream of treating the world as a stage and commanding it like a star." [3]

English tenor Alfie Boe, recorded his version on his album “Bring Him Home” in 2010.

Jason Manford recorded the song for his 2017 album A Different Stage which was later used to open the 2020 Royal Variety Performance.

Barbra Streisand version

"As If We Never Said Goodbye"
Barbra Streisand-As If We Never Said Goodbye.jpg
Single by Barbra Streisand
from the album Back to Broadway
ReleasedJanuary, 14 1994
Genre
Length4:45
Label Columbia Records
Songwriter(s)
Barbra Streisand singles chronology
"The Music of the Night"
(1993)
"As If We Never Said Goodbye"
(1994)
"I Finally Found Someone"
(1996)
Music video
"As If We Never Said Goodbye" on YouTube

In 1994, American singer Barbra Streisand released her cover version of "As If We Never Said Goodbye". It is taken from Streisands album Back to Broadway and peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

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References

  1. "Unexpected Songs: Top Ten Compositions By Andrew Lloyd Webber | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  2. Everett, Nicholas; Everett, William A. & Laird, Paul R. (2002). The Cambridge Companion to the Musical. Cambridge University Press. p. 258. ISBN   9780521796392.
  3. "The genius of Chris Colfer". Salon. 2011-04-27. Retrieved 2021-01-02.