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"Never Can Say Goodbye" | ||||
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Single by Jackson 5 | ||||
from the album Maybe Tomorrow | ||||
B-side | "She's Good" | |||
Released | March 16, 1971 (U.S.) | |||
Recorded | June 1970 | |||
Studio | Hitsville West (Los Angeles, CA) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:58 | |||
Label | Motown | |||
Songwriter(s) | Clifton Davis | |||
Producer(s) | Hal Davis | |||
Jackson 5 singles chronology | ||||
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"Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by the Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first single released from the group's 1971 album Maybe Tomorrow , and was one of the group's most successful records. It has been covered numerous times, most notably in 1974 by Gloria Gaynor and in 1987 by British pop group the Communards.
Recorded in June 1970 and released as a single in March 1971, the song features a young Michael Jackson singing a serious song about love, with accompaniment from his brothers. Although such a record was unusual for a teenage group, "Never Can Say Goodbye" was a number-two hit for three consecutive weeks on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, stuck behind Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" (May 8–22, 1971), and a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the United States. [3] In the United Kingdom, it reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart.
Notable televised performances of the song by the Jackson 5 (and their newer incarnation, The Jacksons) include:
In addition, the song appeared on the animated TV show The Jackson 5ive in the episode "A Rare Pearl", which aired on January 15, 1972.
This version appears in the 1994 movie Crooklyn and on the second volume of its soundtrack album.
"Never Can Say Goodbye" | ||||
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Single by Isaac Hayes | ||||
from the album Black Moses | ||||
B-side | "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" | |||
Released | April 1971 (U.S.) | |||
Recorded | 1971 | |||
Genre | Soul | |||
Length |
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Label | Enterprise | |||
Songwriter(s) | Clifton Davis | |||
Producer(s) | Isaac Hayes | |||
Isaac Hayes singles chronology | ||||
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Isaac Hayes first recorded the song for his 1971 album Black Moses . Released as a single, this version reached number five on the Billboard R&B chart, number 19 on the Easy Listening chart, and number 22 on the Hot 100. Hayes re-recorded the tune for the soundtrack of the 2008 film Soul Men , in which he appears alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac. The film's producers dedicated the 2008 version to Mac and Hayes, who both died before the project was released.
"Never Can Say Goodbye" | ||||
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Single by Gloria Gaynor | ||||
from the album Never Can Say Goodbye | ||||
B-side | "We Just Can't Make It" | |||
Released | October 27, 1974 (U.S.) | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Genre | Disco [1] [10] | |||
Length |
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Label | MGM | |||
Songwriter(s) | Clifton Davis | |||
Producer(s) |
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Gloria Gaynor singles chronology | ||||
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A major version by Gloria Gaynor, re-imagined as a disco record in 1974, was a number-nine hit on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and went to number 34 on the Soul Singles chart. [11] The Gloria Gaynor version became one of the defining recordings of the disco era. Indeed, her version peaked at number two in the United Kingdom during January 1975, and number three in Canada, surpassing the Jackson Five's original recording in those nations.
Gaynor's cover, released on MGM records, was produced by the Disco Corporation of America, a production company newly formed by Meco Monardo and Tony Bongiovi to which Gaynor was signed. Also working on this production were Jay Ellis and Harold Wheeler. [12]
Gaynor's cover has the distinction of occupying the number-one spot on the first Dance/Disco chart to appear in Billboard magazine. Never Can Say Goodbye was also the title of Gaynor's debut album on which the single appeared.
Gaynor has re-recorded the song on more than one occasion, in increasingly fast tempos, and subsequent remixes have hit the dance charts.
Gaynor's version of the song was heard on the TV series Charmed ("That '70s Episode"), and is featured on the video game series Just Dance 2015 .
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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"Never Can Say Goodbye" | ||||
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Single by the Communards | ||||
from the album Red | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 26 October 1987 [34] | |||
Recorded | 1987 | |||
Genre | Hi-NRG [35] | |||
Length |
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Label |
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Songwriter(s) | Clifton Davis | |||
Producer(s) | Stephen Hague (Remix and additional production by Shep Pettibone) | |||
The Communards singles chronology | ||||
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In 1987, British synth-pop band the Communards had a hit with a hi-NRG cover of the song, which was featured on their second album, Red.
Their version reached number one in Spain and number two in Ireland, number four on the UK Singles Chart, number 51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and number two on the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco chart in the U.S. The group had reached number one on those charts covering another 1970s song, "Don't Leave Me This Way", in 1986. The cover was also a top 10 hit in several European countries and New Zealand.
A music video was produced for this version of the song, directed by Andy Morahan. [36]
The Communards version of the song was used as the signature tune to the 2013 British comedy series Vicious .
Richard Lowe of Smash Hits named "Never Say Goodbye" "Single of the Fortnight" and considered it "a work of such splendour and vigour". [37]
Chart (1987–1988) | Peak position |
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Australia (Australian Music Report) [38] | 13 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [39] | 6 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [40] | 4 |
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [41] | 7 |
France (SNEP) [42] | 9 |
Ireland (IRMA) [43] | 2 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [44] | 3 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [45] | 3 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [46] | 6 |
South Africa (Springbok Radio) [22] | 15 |
Spain (AFYVE) [47] | 1 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [48] | 12 |
UK Singles (OCC) [49] | 4 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [50] | 51 |
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [51] | 2 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [52] | 58 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [53] | 6 |
Chart (1987) | Position |
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Scotland Dance [54] | 20 |
UK Singles (OCC) [55] | 51 |
Chart (1988) | Position |
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Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [56] | 84 |
France [57] | 56 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [58] | 62 |
Other artists who have covered the song include:
Dianna Agron covered the song in 2012 during the eleventh episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee , entitled "Michael". The performance received mostly positive reviews. Jen Chaney of The Washington Post gave the song a "B−", and said it "worked much better than every track that preceded it" because it adapted the song to the show "instead of trying to out-Jackson Jackson". [67] Entertainment Weekly 's Joseph Brannigan Lynch called it "a nice summation of her character's journey, but not vocally impressive enough to justify listening to outside of the episode" and gave it a "B". [68] Crystal Bell of HuffPost TV described it as a "blah performance", but Kate Stanhope of TV Guide said it was "sweet and reflective". [69] [70] Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone wrote that it was "a tune well-suited for Quinn's sultry voice and the flipped meaning she gives the lyrics", and TVLine 's Michael Slezak had a similar take: he gave it an "A" and called it a "remarkably lovely fit" for her voice. [71] [72]
The Neptunes remixed "Never Can Say Goodbye" on the 2009 Michael Jackson remix album The Remix Suite . [73]
Astro rapped over the song on a 2011 episode of The X Factor USA .
In 2012, Wu-Tang Clan rapper Raekwon released his cover version of the song in which he raps over the instrumental. [74]
While appearing on The Hollywood Squares Clifton Davis sang a bit of the song a capella and then was asked who wrote the song. His answer was "I did" to which the contestant agreed (and was correct).
"Never Can Say Goodbye" was originally copyrighted on June 10, 1970 [EU0000187089] and then was copyrighted again on December 21, 1970 [EP0000281027].
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), "Let Me Know " (1979), "I Am What I Am" (1983), and her version of "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1974).
The Communards were a English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985. They consisted of Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles. They are most famous for their cover versions of "Don't Leave Me This Way", originally by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, and of the Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye".
"I Will Survive" is a song by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 as the second single from her sixth album, Love Tracks (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. The song's lyrics describe the narrator's discovery of personal strength following an initially devastating breakup. The song is also frequently recalled as a symbol of female empowerment, as well as a disco staple.
Frederick James Perren was an American songwriter, record producer, arranger, and orchestra conductor. He co-wrote and co-produced songs including "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches & Herb.
"Reach Out I'll Be There" (also formatted as "Reach Out (I'll Be There)") is a song recorded by the Four Tops from their fourth studio album Reach Out (1967). Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most widely-known Motown hits of the 1960s and is today considered the Four Tops' signature song.
Carol Douglas is an American singer whose hit "Doctor's Orders" (1974) was a pioneering track in the disco genre.
"Turn the Beat Around" is a disco song written by Gerald Jackson and Peter Jackson, and performed by American actress and singer Vicki Sue Robinson in 1976, originally appearing on her debut album, Never Gonna Let You Go (1976). Released as a single, the song went to #10 on the Billboard pop charts, and #73 on the Billboard soul chart. The song earned Robinson a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The track also went to number one on the Billboard disco chart for four weeks. "Turn the Beat Around" is considered a disco classic and is featured on many compilation albums.
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", sometimes known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song with words by Gerry Goffin and music composed by Carole King. It was recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was the first by an African-American all-girl group to reach number one in the United States. It has since been recorded by many other artists, including a version by co-writer King released on her 1971 album Tapestry.
"Everytime You Go Away" is a song written and composed by Daryl Hall. It was first recorded in 1980 by the American duo Hall & Oates but was not released as a single. A cover version of the song by Paul Young became an international hit in 1985, reaching No. 1 in the US and No. 4 in the UK.
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, and first recorded and released as a single by Gaudio's Four Seasons bandmate Frankie Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold record and reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week, making it Valli's biggest solo hit until he hit No. 1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You".
"Walk On By" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for singer Dionne Warwick in 1963. The song peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart In June 1964 and was nominated for a 1965 Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.
"If I Can't Have You" is a disco song written by the Bee Gees in 1977. The song initially appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in a version by Yvonne Elliman, released in November 1977. The Bee Gees' own version appeared a month later as the B-side of "Stayin' Alive".
"Con te partirò" is an Italian song written by Francesco Sartori (music) and Lucio Quarantotto (lyrics). It was first performed by Andrea Bocelli at the 1995 Sanremo Music Festival and recorded on his album of the same year, Bocelli. The single was first released as an A-side single with "Vivere" in 1995, topping the charts, first in France, where it became one of the best-selling singles of all-time, and then in Belgium, breaking the all-time record sales there.
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label. "Don't Leave Me This Way" was subsequently covered by American singer Thelma Houston in 1976 and British duo the Communards in 1986, with both versions achieving commercial success.
Never Can Say Goodbye is the debut album by Gloria Gaynor, released on MGM Records in January 1975. It is most notable for including several early Disco recordings. The album charted in the US Billboard at number 25 in the US Pop chart, and at number 21 in the US R&B chart. In the UK the album peaked at number 32, "Never Can Say Goodbye" was released in the UK as a single and reached number 2 in early 1975.
The Hermes House Band is a Dutch pop band, established in 1982 by members of the Rotterdamsch Studenten Corps, a fraternity/sorority in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They have released more than 25 albums and singles.
"Kiss and Say Goodbye" is a 1976 song by American R&B vocal group The Manhattans. It was written by group member Winfred Lovett, the bass singer and songwriter of the group, who did the song's spoken introduction. The song was recorded for the album The Manhattans, released in 1976 by Columbia Records, and was released as a single in March of the same year. "Kiss and Say Goodbye" became a worldwide success, appearing in the musical charts of countless countries, a Top 10 hit in many countries, including No. 1 in the US, Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, and in Europe (European Hot 100 Singles). With the exception of Adult Contemporary Chart, "Kiss and Say Goodbye" was ranked number 1 in US on all Pop Singles Charts and on all R&B Singles Charts. The song was one of the biggest hits of 1976 and of the 1970s.
"Don't Let This Moment End" is a song by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on November 3, 1998 by Epic Records, as the third single in the United States, the third in the United Kingdom, and her fourth globally, from her eighth album, Gloria! (1998). The song was written by Estefan, her husband Emilio Estefan, Lawrence Dermer and Roberto Blades and produced by Estefan Jr. and Dermer. It became a smash hit on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, almost peaking at the top of charts for that field. The song also peaked at number nine in Spain and was a top 30 hit in the UK. It was first intended as a ballad and then remixed into a dance-ballad. According to Estefan, it celebrates the perfect moment in time. Its music video was directed by Gustavo Garzon. The track was nominated for a Grammy Music Award, but lost to "Believe" by Cher.
Red is the second album by British synth-pop duo the Communards, released on 5 October 1987 by London Records in the United Kingdom and MCA Records in the United States. It reached number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and number 93 on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum in the UK. Red features the singles "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Tomorrow", "There's More to Love Than Boy Meets Girl" and "For a Friend".
This discography documents albums and singles released by American R&B/disco/pop music singer Gloria Gaynor:
For another classic gender-flipped disco rendering of a heartaching R&B hit, consult Gloria Gaynor's roof-raising version of the Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye
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