Never (Moving Pictures song)

Last updated
"Never"
Moving Pictures - Never.jpg
Japan release cover
Single by Moving Pictures
from the album Footloose
B-side We Share Our Love [1]
ReleasedMay 28, 1984 (1984-05-28)(Australia) [1]
Studio Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, U.S. [2]
Genre Pop rock
Length3:45
Label Columbia
EMI (Australia) [1]
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) John Boylan
Moving Pictures singles chronology
"Back to the Blues and Booze"
(1983)
"Never"
(1984)
"What About Me (Re-release)"
(1989)

"Never" is a song written by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore and recorded by Australian pop rock band Moving Pictures. It was featured on the chart-topping soundtrack album of the 1984 motion picture Footloose . [3] [4] The song is best known for a scene in the film when an angst-ridden Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) punchdances around an abandoned warehouse. [5] [2]

Contents

The song was also included in the soundtrack of the 2007 film Hot Rod , which parodies the punchdance scene with Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) in a forest. [6] [7] More recently, on April 27, 2014, the song was used in "Baby Got Black", the eighteenth episode of season 12 of Family Guy , with Peter Griffin parodying the Footloose punchdance scene. [8]

Despite the popularity of the song, Moving Pictures were never paid royalties from its use. According to lead vocalist Alex Smith, “We were just the lowest part of the food chain. Gobbled up by companies and people that suddenly stopped existing, when we asked where our money was. The things you get talked into doing! Anyway we got to record at Sound City and The Record Plant but a couple of bucks would have been nice. Hence, we 'Never' play the song.” [2] [5] [8] [9] Guitarist Garry Frost also commented: "We performed it, it was written by the guys that made the movie, and we got nothing from it. Someone made a lot of money out of that song, and it wasn’t us." [10]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Never"3:45
2."We Share Our Love"
  • Alex Smith
  • Charlie Cole
2:54

Personnel

MIE version

"Never"
Mie - Never single.jpg
Single by MIE
from the album NEVER
LanguageJapanese
B-side "Otsudane"
ReleasedJune 1, 1984 (1984-06-01) [11]
Genre
Label CBS Sony
Songwriter(s)
MIE singles chronology
"Shampoo"
(1983)
"Never"
(1984)
"Hai to Diamond"
(1984)

A Japanese-language version of "Never" was written by Gorō Matsui and recorded by singer MIE, best known as one-half of the J-pop duo Pink Lady. The single became the most successful in her solo career, peaking at number four in Oricon's singles charts and selling 274,000 copies. [12] "Never" was also used as the theme song for the TBS drama series Furyō Shōjo to Yobarete (不良少女とよばれて, Call Me a Bad Girl). [13]

"Otsudane", the single's B-side, was used for commercials promoting Satsuma Shuzo's Mild Shiranami Otsudane sake. [11]

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Never" Gorō Matsui  
2."Otsudane (おつだね, "That's Good")" Takeshi Shima Ryudo Uzaki  

Charts

Chart (1984)Peak
position
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart [12] 4

Other cover versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Loggins</span> American singer and guitarist

Kenneth Clark Loggins is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded with Jim Messina as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His early soundtrack contributions date back to A Star Is Born in 1976, and he is known as the King of the Movie Soundtrack. As a solo artist, Loggins experienced a string of soundtrack successes, including an Academy Award nomination for "Footloose" in 1985. Finally Home was released in 2013, shortly after Loggins formed the group Blue Sky Riders with Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman. He won a Daytime Emmy Award, two Grammy Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award, a Tony Award and a Golden Globe Award.

<i>Moving Pictures</i> (Rush album) 1981 studio album by Rush

Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on February 12, 1981 by Anthem Records. After touring to support their previous album, Permanent Waves (1980), the band started to write and record new material in August 1980 with longtime co-producer Terry Brown. They continued to write songs with a more radio-friendly sound, featuring tighter and shorter song structures compared to their earlier albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moving Pictures (band)</span> Australian rock band

Moving Pictures are an Australian rock music band formed in 1980. Their debut album, Days of Innocence, was issued in October 1981 and eventually peaked at No. 1 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart in February the following year. In January 1982, they released their single, "What About Me", which reached No. 1 on the Kent Singles Chart. Later that year, Elektra Records issued Days of Innocence and "What About Me" in North America. The single reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and appeared on the associated year-end Hot 100 list for 1983. A proposed series of United States performances supporting REO Speedwagon, Tom Petty, and Hall & Oates fell through when Elektra was substantially reorganised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Will Never Do (Without You)</span> 1990 single by Janet Jackson

"Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson and was composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Janet recorded the song for her fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). It was released as the seventh commercial single from the album by A&M Records on October 2, 1990. In 1991 it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the fifth number-one hit of her career and the fourth number-one single from Rhythm Nation 1814. On both the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Dance Club Songs charts, the single peaked in the top five. It also peaked within the top 40 in several countries. It is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of 500,000 units in the US alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flashdance... What a Feeling</span> 1983 single by Irene Cara

"Flashdance... What a Feeling" is a song from the 1983 film Flashdance with music by Giorgio Moroder and lyrics by Keith Forsey and the song's performer, Irene Cara. Moroder had been asked to score the film, and Cara and Forsey wrote most of the lyrics after they were shown the last scene from it in which the main character dances at an audition for a group of judges. They felt that the dancer's ambition to succeed could act as a metaphor for achieving any dream a person has and wrote lyrics that described what it feels like when music inspires someone to dance. The song wound up being used for the scene they watched as well as during the opening credits as the main character is shown working as a welder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almost Doesn't Count</span> 1999 single by Brandy

"Almost Doesn't Count" is a song by American singer Brandy Norwood. It was written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche and recorded by Norwood for her second studio album, Never Say Never (1998). Atlantic Records consulted Fred Jerkins III to recut the song to be more consistent with the overall sound of the album. He would subsequently share production credit along with Roche. A pop and R&B-ballad combining elements of country, it incorporates Latin flavored riffs. The song's lyrics are based on an on-again, off-again relationship that Peiken had experienced during her college years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holding Out for a Hero</span> 1984 single by Bonnie Tyler

"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the soundtrack to the 1984 film Footloose. It later featured on her sixth studio album, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire (1986). The track was produced by Jim Steinman, who co-wrote the song with Dean Pitchford and was a top 40 hit in several European countries, as well as Canada and the United States. Its 1985 re-release in the United Kingdom reached number two and topped the singles chart in Ireland.

Mitsuyo Nemoto is a Japanese singer and actress, better known by her stage name Mie. She is a member of the popular 1970s idol group Pink Lady, known in the United States for their self-titled TV program. Mie is represented by her own management firm MHO Artist Co., Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Can You Mend a Broken Heart</span> 1971 song by Barry and Robin Gibb

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is a song released by the Bee Gees in 1971. It was written by Barry and Robin Gibb and was the first single on the group's 1971 album Trafalgar. It was their first US No. 1 single and also reached No. 1 in Cashbox magazine for two weeks.

<i>Hot Rod</i> (2007 film) 2007 film by Akiva Schaffer

Hot Rod is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Pam Brady. The film stars Andy Samberg as amateur accident-prone stuntman Rod Kimble, whose stepfather, Frank, continuously mocks and disrespects him. When Frank becomes ill, Rod raises money for his heart operation by executing his largest stunt yet. The film also stars Jorma Taccone, Sissy Spacek, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, Isla Fisher and Bill Hader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What About Me (Moving Pictures song)</span> 1982 single by Moving Pictures

"What About Me" is a song written by Garry Frost and Frances Swan. It was first recorded by Australian rock band Moving Pictures, of which Garry Frost was a member, for its 1981 debut album, Days of Innocence. It became the band's first and only number-one single in Australia, spending six weeks atop the Kent Music Report; it was the second-highest-selling single of 1982 there. At the 1982 Countdown Music Awards, the song won Best Australian Single. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "What About Me" was ranked number 37.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just the Two of Us (Grover Washington Jr. song)</span> 1981 R&B song

"Just the Two of Us" is a 1980 song written by Bill Withers, William Salter, and Ralph MacDonald, and recorded by Grover Washington Jr. with Withers on vocals. Elektra Records released it in Washington's 1980 album Winelight and as a February 1981 single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shy Guy</span> 1995 single by Diana King

"Shy Guy" is a song by Jamaican recording artist and songwriter Diana King for the movie soundtrack album Bad Boys. It also appeared on King's debut studio album, Tougher Than Love (1995). The song was written by King, Kingsley Gardner and Andy Marvel, who produced the song as well. It was released by Sony Music worldwide in March 1995 as the lead single from Tougher Than Love. The song contains a sample from "School Boy Crush" by Average White Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ooh La La (Faces song)</span> 1973 song by Faces

"Ooh La La" is a 1973 song by the band Faces, written by Ronnie Lane and Ronnie Wood. It is the title song of the band's last studio album, Ooh La La.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almost Paradise</span> 1984 single by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson

"Almost Paradise... Love Theme from Footloose" is the title of a duet sung by Mike Reno of Loverboy and Ann Wilson of Heart. It is one of several major hits written by singer Eric Carmen with lyricist Dean Pitchford, another being "Make Me Lose Control".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanted (Shimei Tehai)</span> 1977 single by Pink Lady

"Wanted (Shimei Tehai)" (ウォンテッド (指名手配), Uonteddo (Shimei Tehai), lit. "Wanted (Fugitive Warrant)") is the fifth single released by Pink Lady on September 5, 1977. The single topped the Japan charts at number one, having sold 1,650,000 copies, and spent twelve weeks at the top.

<i>Bad Boys</i> (soundtrack) 1995 soundtrack album by Various artists

Bad Boys (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the 1995 action-comedy film Bad Boys. It was released on March 21, 1995, through Sony Music Entertainment's sub-label Work Records. The album peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Punchdance refers to a form of street dance involving punching in the form of shadowboxing as well as other combat maneuvers to a rhythm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EZ Do Dance</span> 1993 single by TRF

"EZ Do Dance" is a song by the Japanese band TRF. It was released on June 21, 1993, as the band's second single. It was TRF's breakthrough hit and is credited with helping to introduce the general Japanese public to contemporary dance music. The song was given the Music Video Award at the 35th Japan Record Awards and has been used in video games such as Dance Dance Revolution X2 and Just Dance Wii U. "EZ Do Dance" also crossed over to the anime communities, where it is used as both the theme and insert songs in the Pretty Rhythm series and its spin-off, King of Prism.

<i>Never</i> (Mie album) 1984 studio album by MIE

NEVER is the third studio album by Japanese singer MIE. The album was released through CBS Sony on October 5, 1982. The title track, a Japanese-language cover of the Moving Pictures song from the Footloose soundtrack, peaked at No. 4 in Oricon's singles chart. "Never" was also used as the theme song for the TBS drama series Furyō Shōjo to Yobarete.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Moving Pictures - "Never"/"We Share Our Love"". 45cat. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Moving Pictures: Never paid for 'Never'". Newcastle Live!. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  3. Footloose: Original Soundtrack Of The Paramount Motion Picture, 1 January 1987, ASIN   B0000025YY
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Footloose[Original Soundtrack]". AllMusic. TiVo Corporation . Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  5. 1 2 Spree, Kylie (1 May 2011). "Return to Innocence for Iconic Eighties Band Moving Pictures". The Sunday Telegraph . News Limited (News Corporation). Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  6. "Hot Rod (2007)". The SoundtrackInfo Project. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  7. Tyner, Adam (16 December 2008). "Hot Rod (Blu-ray)". DVDTalk. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  8. 1 2 Cashmere, Paul (29 April 2014). "Moving Pictures Family Guy Synch Is Bittersweet For Alex Smith". Noise11. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  9. Chrisfield, Bryget (30 November 2015). "That Time Alex Smith From Moving Pictures Asked, "Who's Shannon Noll?"". The Music. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  10. Rockman, Lisa (22 April 2016). "Moving Pictures are back on the road and ready to record". The Newcastle Herald . Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Mie - Never / おつだね". Discogs . June 1984. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Sales figures of Pink Lady and solos according to the Japanese Oricon Chart". Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  13. "良少女とよばれて". TV Drama Database. Retrieved 15 February 2020.