I Won't Let You Down (Ph.D. song)

Last updated
"I Won't Let You Down"
Phd004.jpg
UK 7-inch single cover
Single by Ph.D.
from the album Ph.D.
B-side "Hideaway"
Released17 April 1981 [1]
Studio Ramport (London)
Genre Synth-pop [2]
Length4:10
Label WEA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Ph.D.
Ph.D. singles chronology
"Little Suzi's on the Up"
(1981)		"I Won't Let You Down"
(1981)		"There's No Answer to It"
(1982)

"I Won't Let You Down" is a song by British band Ph.D., released as the second single from their eponymous debut studio album (1981). It entered the Australian charts in October 1981 and reached number five; [3] it entered the UK Singles Chart in April 1982 at number 34, peaked at number three the following month. It went on to become the 23rd best-selling single of 1982 in the UK.

Contents

It was the band's best known biggest selling single and indeed became one of lead singer Jim Diamond's signature songs (the song is often incorrectly credited to Diamond himself). Diamond re-recorded the song on his eponymous 1993 album Jim Diamond with a slightly different arrangement, and it remained a staple of his live shows up until his death in 2015.

Music video

The original music video for the song was set in and around the Queensway area of West London. As with the band's previous single "Little Suzi's on the Up", the video is shot in a slapstick comedy style and features Jim Diamond as a well-dressed man trying to win back the affections of his lover (played by Nina Carter) (thus mirroring the theme of the song) using presents and taking her to upmarket bars and restaurants. Tony Hymas appears as the video's antagonist; in various scenes dressed in various disguises he makes unsuccessful attempts to assassinate, or maim Diamond's character in order to win the affections of the woman. He is finally successful when, posing as a car dealer, he lures Diamond into a second hand car, which is revealed to be on the end of a crane in a scrapyard being lifted up, whilst Hymas walks away with the girl as the camera zooms out and fades to black.

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "I Won't Let You Down"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI) [21] Gold100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [22] Silver250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Diamond (singer)</span> Scottish singer-songwriter (1951–2015)

James Aaron Diamond was a Scottish singer-songwriter, best known for his three top 5 hits: "I Won't Let You Down" (1982), as the lead singer of PhD; and his solo performances "I Should Have Known Better", a United Kingdom No. 1 in 1984, and "Hi Ho Silver", the theme song from Boon, which reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Ceberano</span> Australian singer

Catherine Yvette Ceberano is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar. Her single "Bedroom Eyes" received a platinum sales certification in 1989. In 2019, she was one of the contestants in season one of The Masked Singer Australia as ‘The Lion’, where she was unmasked in episode seven, placing sixth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stars on 45 (song)</span> Single by Stars on 45

"Stars on 45" is a song medley issued in January 1981 by Dutch studio group Stars on 45. In some countries, including the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, the band was credited as 'Starsound' and only the medley itself was named "Stars on 45".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ph.D. (band)</span> British music duo

Ph.D. were a British duo best known for their UK top 10 hit "I Won't Let You Down" in April 1982, which had been a hit the previous year throughout Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Whatever</span> 2003 single by Westlife

"Hey Whatever" is a song by Irish boy band Westlife. It was released on 15 September 2003 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Turnaround (2003). The song is a re-written version of "Rainbow Zephyr", a popular song by Irish rock band Relish. Released on 15 September 2003, the song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Should Have Known Better (Jim Diamond song)</span> 1984 single by Jim Diamond

"I Should Have Known Better" is a song by Jim Diamond, released in 1984 as the lead single from his debut solo album Double Crossed (1985). It was a UK number one single for one week in December 1984. The song was displaced after one week by Frankie Goes to Hollywood's song "The Power of Love". Diamond publicly requested that people not buy his single, but instead buy the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me</span> 1983 single by Nik Kershaw

"I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song by English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw from his debut studio album, Human Racing (1984). It was his first single, released on 9 September 1983 to limited success. When re-released on 4 June 1984, the song became Kershaw's highest-charting single on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number two. It features the non-album track "Dark Glasses" as the B-side, which was also released as a bonus track on the 2012 re-release of the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me</span> 1974 single by Elton John

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was originally recorded by John for his eighth studio album, Caribou (1974), and was released as a single that peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let Your Love Flow</span> 1976 single by The Bellamy Brothers

"Let Your Love Flow" is the debut single by country music duo the Bellamy Brothers, recorded in the autumn of 1975 and released in January 1976. The song was written by Larry E. Williams and produced by Phil Gernhard and Tony Scotti. It became an international hit, reaching number one in several countries including the United States and Germany, while reaching the top ten in at least nine others including the United Kingdom and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Groove</span> 1981 single by Earth, Wind & Fire

"Let's Groove" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released as the first single from their eleventh studio album, Raise! (1981). It is written by Maurice White and Wayne Vaughn, and produced by White. The song was a commercial success, and was the band's highest-charting single in various territories. It peaked inside the top 20 in countries including the United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada and other component charts in America. In 1979 and the early 1980s, there was a severe backlash against disco music. In spite of this, the band decided to revive the disco sound that was included on their previous works and later records. Musically, "Let's Groove" is post-disco, pop and funk which includes instrumentation of synthesizers and keyboards along with live electric guitars.

<i>Ph.D.</i> (Ph.D. album) 1981 studio album by Ph.D.

Ph.D. is the 1981 debut album by the band of the same name. It was later reissued with a different cover when "I Won't Let You Down" became a hit in several countries in early 1982. The original cover was designed by Mike Payne and was the first release of his "Electrograph" artwork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime</span> 1980 single by the Korgis

"Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" is a 1980 single written by James Warren and first performed by British pop band the Korgis, with Warren as the lead singer. It has subsequently been covered by numerous other artists.

Anthony James Keith "Tony" Hymas is an English keyboard player, pianist, and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Won't Let You Go (James Morrison song)</span> 2011 single by James Morrison

"I Won't Let You Go" is a song by British singer James Morrison. The song was released as the first single from his third studio album, The Awakening. The song was first released on 25 August 2011, with the first country receiving a release being Belgium. According to Songfacts, Morrison wrote the mid-tempo ballad about Gill, his long-term girlfriend and the mother of his daughter. The song was used as a promo for the 2012 season of Home and Away.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let Her Go</span> 2012 single by Passenger

"Let Her Go" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Passenger. It was recorded at Sydney's Linear Recording and co-produced by Passenger and Chris Vallejo. The recording features Australian musicians Stu Larsen, Georgia Mooney, Stu Hunter, Cameron Undy, and Glenn Wilson. "Let Her Go" was released on 24 July 2012 as the second single from Passenger's fourth album, All the Little Lights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Porsche</span> 2013 single by Nelly

"Hey Porsche" is a song by American rapper Nelly, released as the lead single from his seventh studio album M.O. (2013). The song's music video, directed by Ethan Lader and featuring a vintage Porsche 356A convertible, was released on March 1, 2013. The song has peaked at number forty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, "Hey Porsche" peaked within the top ten of the charts in Australia, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Mama (David Guetta song)</span> 2015 single by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack

"Hey Mama" is a song recorded by French record producer David Guetta featuring Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj, American singer Bebe Rexha and co-production by Dutch record producer Afrojack. The song was released on 16 March 2015, as the fourth single from Guetta's sixth studio album, Listen (2014). It was produced by David Guetta, Afrojack, and Giorgio Tuinfort, who also wrote the song with Rexha, Minaj, Ester Dean, and Sean Douglas. American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax is also credited as a writer, as the track samples his recording of "Rosie", a field holler sung by an Afro-American chain gang at the Mississippi State Penitentiary.

<i>All the Best</i> (Zucchero album) 2007 compilation album by Zucchero

All the Best is a compilation album by Italian singer-songwriter Zucchero Fornaciari, released in November 2007, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the release of his first studio album Un po' di Zucchero, released in 1983. It was promoted during Zucchero's All the Best World Tour in 2008, in its 85 concerts in Europe, Morocco, Armenia, North America, and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say You Won't Let Go</span> 2016 single by James Arthur

"Say You Won't Let Go" is a song by English singer and songwriter James Arthur. The song was released as a digital download on 9 September 2016 in the United Kingdom by Columbia Records as the lead single from his second studio album Back from the Edge (2016). The single peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart, a position it maintained for three weeks. Outside the United Kingdom, the single has topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland. It also became his breakthrough hit in the US, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In early March, it had gone double platinum in the UK. In May 2018, it was reported that The Script had launched legal proceedings against Arthur due to alleged copyright infringement in regards to the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Ceberano discography</span>

Australian singer Kate Ceberano has released 18 studio albums, three compilation albums, five live albums, two soundtrack album, and 44 singles.

References

  1. ↑ "Releases". Record Mirror . 25 April 1981. p. 26. Retrieved 8 February 2021– via Flickr.
  2. ↑ Sweeting, Adam; MacAskill, Ewen (11 October 2015). "Jim Diamond obituary". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  3. 1 2 Kent, David (2007). Australian Top 20 Book 1940–2006. Turramurra, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   978-0-646-47665-0.
  4. 1 2 "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. 4 January 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 11 January 2022– via Imgur.
  5. ↑ "Ph.D. – I Won't Let You Down" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – PHD". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  7. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 8 June 2022.Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "I Won't Let You Down" in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
  8. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – PH-D" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  9. ↑ "Ph.D. – I Won't Let You Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  10. ↑ "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts P". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  11. ↑ "Ph.D. – I Won't Let You Down". Swiss Singles Chart.
  12. ↑ "P-H-D: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ph.D. – I Won't Let You Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  14. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1982 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  15. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  16. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts . Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  17. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1982". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  18. ↑ Rees, Dafydd; Lazell, Barry; Jones, Alan (1983). "The Top 100 UK Singles". Chart File Volume 2. London: Virgin Books. pp. 80–81. ISBN   0-907080-73-1.
  19. ↑ Copsey, Rob (12 March 2021). "The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1982". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  20. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1982" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  21. ↑ "Dutch single certifications – Ph. D. – I Won't Let You Down" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved July 16, 2022.Enter I Won't Let You Down in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1981 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  22. ↑ "British single certifications – Ph D – I Won't Let You Down". British Phonographic Industry. 1 May 1982. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  23. ↑ "Kate Ceberano - I Won't Let You Down - Hey Hey It's Saturday 1999". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 23 April 2016– via YouTube.
  24. ↑ "australian-charts.com - Kate Ceberano - I Won't Let You Down". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  25. ↑ "italiancharts.com - Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari - Tutti i colori della mia vita". italiancharts.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  26. ↑ Major, Michael. "Armand Van Helden Enlists Karen Harding For Rework of 'Wings (I Won't Let You Down)'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.