Never Let Her Slip Away

"Never Let Her Slip Away"
US and UK vinyl single
Single by Andrew Gold
from the album All This and Heaven Too
B-side	"Genevieve"
Released	March 1978 (UK) [1] June 1978 (US)
Length	3:23
Label	Asylum Records
Songwriter(s)	Andrew Gold
Producer(s)	Andrew Gold Brock Walsh
Andrew Gold singles chronology
"Thank You for Being a Friend" (1978) "Never Let Her Slip Away" (1978) "Kiss This One Goodbye" (1979)

"Never Let Her Slip Away" is a song written by American musician Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, All This and Heaven Too (1978). The single reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. Queen frontman Freddie Mercury contributed harmony vocals to the song, as an uncredited background singer. ^[2] A 1992 cover version by British dance outfit Undercover was also an international hit.

Background

As revealed in his liner notes for All This and Heaven Too , Gold wrote "Never Let Her Slip Away" about meeting actress and Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman who was his girlfriend when he composed the song. ^[3] Besides Freddie Mercury's, other background vocals were provided by JD Souther and Timothy B. Schmit, and the saxophone was played by Ernie Watts. ^{[4] [5]}

A music video was recorded and released for the song featuring Gold, Stan Kipper, Brian Garafalo, and George Marinelli all facing each other clapping along with the beat of the song as the camera pans around them. Brock Walsh also appears miming to the saxophone solo.

Personnel

• Andrew Gold – lead and backing vocals, synthesizer, percussion
• Brock Walsh – percussion, backing vocals
• Freddie Mercury - backing vocals
• JD Souther – backing vocals
• Ernie Watts – saxophone

In popular culture

In 1995, British comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer performed a cover of the song on their show The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer . "Never Let Her Slip Away" was also featured on the soundtrack of the film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013), as a personal favourite of the principal character. ^[6]

In conversation on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron , Dave Grohl of the rock band Foo Fighters called "Never Let Her Slip Away" "the most beautiful piece of music ever written," and "maybe one of the most melodically sophisticated songs I've ever heard in my entire life," and noted his plans to record a cover version of the song. ^[7]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1978) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) [8] 55 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [9] 60 Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [10] 17 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [11] 14 Ireland (IRMA) 2 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [12] 15 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [13] 23 UK Singles (OCC) 5 US Billboard Hot 100 67 US Easy Listening ( Billboard ) [14] 16

Year-end charts Chart (1978) Rank UK [15] 39 US [16] 343

Undercover version

"Never Let Her Slip Away"
Single by Undercover
from the album Check Out the Groove
Released	November 2, 1992 (1992-11-02) [17]
Genre	Dance
Length	3:28
Label	PWL
Songwriter(s)	Andrew Gold
Producer(s)	Steve Mac
Undercover singles chronology
"Baker Street" (1992) "Never Let Her Slip Away" (1992) "I Wanna Stay with You" (1993)
Music video
"Never Let Her Slip Away" on YouTube

British dance group Undercover covered the song on their debut album, Check Out the Groove (1992). This version was released in November 1992 by PWL and produced by Steve Mac. It also reached number five in the United Kingdom and number two in Ireland, as Gold's original did. In addition to this, it reached number three in Belgium, number four in Finland and number seven in the Netherlands. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the track peaked at number 11 in December 1992.

Critical reception

A reviewer from Lennox Herald named the song a "stand out" from the album. ^[18] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Once again Undercover has hit a goldmine with a cover of a '70s singer/songwriter's work. This time it's the Andrew Gold 1978 classic. The crucial difference is that this is more beaty." ^[19] Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five, noting that "already achieving a surprisingly major degree of club crossover, it's very much in the KWS/East Side Beat mould, and could even reach the very summit." ^[20] Mark Frith from Smash Hits also gave it four out of five, writing that "Undercover bloke John Matthews was born to make this record." He described it as a "gorgeous, poignant ballad that suits him down to the ground." ^[21]

Track listing

• CD single

1. "Never Let Her Slip Away" (Essential Edit) – 3:28
2. "Never Let Her Slip Away" (Essential Mix) – 4:59
3. "Sha Do" (Extended Mix) – 5:41

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1992–1993) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [22] 23 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [23] 3 Denmark (IFPI) [24] 8 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [25] 11 Europe (European Dance Radio) [26] 7 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [27] 4 Germany (GfK) [28] 16 Ireland (IRMA) [29] 2 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [30] 7 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [31] 8 Portugal (AFP) [32] 9 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [33] 23 UK Singles (OCC) [34] 5 UK Dance ( Music Week ) [35] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1992) Position UK Singles (OCC) [36] 49 Chart (1993) Position Belgium (Ultratop) [37] 54 Germany (Official German Charts) [38] 85 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [39] 125

References

1. "ANDREW GOLD songs and albums - full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company . Retrieved November 6, 2023.
2. Freddie Mercury provided uncredited backing vocals per these sources:
   • "Top 500". Smooth Radio. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
   • Sweeting, Adam. Andrew Gold obituary. The Guardian . June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
   • "Never Let Her Slip Away". Johnnie Walker's Sounds of the 70s . BBC Radio 2. February 5, 2012.
   • O'Neal, Sean. R.I.P. Andrew Gold, songwriter of "Lonely Boy" and The Golden Girls theme. The A.V. Club . June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
   • Singer/Songwriter Andrew Gold Dies. Contactmusic. June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
   • Drive with Russell Woolf; Andrew Gold - Lonely Boy Archived March 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. June 16, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
3. "Liner Notes for All This and Heaven Too" (PDF). Andrewgold.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
4. Owston, Jim (June 11, 2011). "Reading between the Grooves: Andrew Gold R.I.P". Zeegrooves.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
5. "La Bible de la Westcoast Music - Cool Night -: Andrew Gold "Thank You For Being A Friend: The Best Of Andrew Gold" (1997)". Labibledelawestcoast.blogspot.co.uk. September 11, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
6. Sherwin, Adam (July 23, 2013). "A-ha! Alan Partridge movie Alpha Papa gives airtime to forgotten pop classics" . The Independent. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
7. "Episode 353: Dave Grohl". January 17, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 127. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
9. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
10. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
11. "Andrew Gold – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Andrew Gold" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
13. "Andrew Gold – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
14. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 104.
15. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1979). "Top 200 Singles in 1978". BPI Year Book 1979 (4th ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 186–89. ISBN   0-906154-02-2.
16. "1978 Year End". Bullfrogspond.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
17. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . October 31, 1992. p. 21. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
18. Lennox Herald. December 4, 1992. p. 12.
19. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . December 5, 1992. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
20. Jones, Alan (October 31, 1992). "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 8. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
21. Frith, Mark (October 28, 1992). "New Singles". Smash Hits . p. 54. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
22. "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
23. "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
24. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 51/52. December 19, 1992. p. 43. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
25. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 49. December 5, 1992. p. 19. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
26. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . January 23, 1993. p. 20. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
27. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
28. "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
29. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Never Let Her Slip Away". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
30. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
31. "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
32. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 5. January 30, 1993. p. 44. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
33. "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away". Singles Top 100.
34. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
35. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . November 14, 1992. p. 26. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
36. "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week . January 16, 1993. p. 8.
37. "Jaaroverzichten 1993" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved September 24, 2019.
38. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved September 24, 2019.
39. "Jaarlijsten 1993" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved December 1, 2019.