Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up

"Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" is a song written, produced and recorded by American singer and songwriter Barry White for his second album, Stone Gon' (1973). In October 1973,[2] it was released as the first single in the United States and reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[2] and number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It became a gold record. In Europe, it was issued in early 1974 and peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.[3]

Not to be confused with the Rick Astley song, Never Gonna Give You Up. For similarly titled songs, see Never Gonna Give You Up (disambiguation).

"Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up"
Side-A label of one of the US vinyl releases
Single by Barry White
from the album Stone Gon'
B-side
  • "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (long version)
  • "Honey Please, Can't Ya See"
  • "Standing in the Shadows of Love"
  • "I've Found Someone"
  • "No, I'm Never Gonna Give Ya Up"
ReleasedOctober 1973 (1973-10)[1]
RecordedJune - August 1973
GenreSoul
Length7:58 (Album version)
4:01 (Single version)
4:51 (Alternate edit)
Label20th Century
Songwriter(s)Barry White
Producer(s)Barry White
Barry White singles chronology
"I've Got So Much to Give"
(1973)		 "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up"
(1973)		 "Love's Theme"
(1973)
Music video
"Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (TopPop, 1974) on YouTube

Track listings
  • Australian 7" single
  1. "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" – 3:58
  2. "I've Found Someone" – 5:55
  • European 7" single
  1. "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" – 3:58
  2. "Honey Please, Can't Ya See" – 2:54
  • UK 7" single
  1. "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" – 3:05
  2. "Standing in the Shadows of Love" – 3:00
  • North American 7" (original)[4][5] single
  1. "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (short version) – 3:05
  2. "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (long version) - 4:44
  • North American 7" (re-release)[6] single
  1. "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" – 3:05
  2. "No, I'm Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (Instrumental) - 4:24

Charts
Weekly chart performance for "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up"
Chart (1973–1974) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) 8
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 24
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 36
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 7
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13] 40
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] 2

Year-end charts
Year-end chart performance for "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up"
Chart (1974) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] 67

1987 remix

In 1987, Paul Hardcastle remixed the track. It was issued (with the slightly amended spelling of 'Never, Never Going to Give You Up') in several European countries on 7" and 12" singles.[16]

Released to coincide with the compilation album Barry White – The Collection, it reached number 63 in the UK singles chart in January 1988.[3]

  • UK 7" single
  1. "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" – 4:15
  2. "September When I First Met You" – 6:50
  • UK 12" single
  1. "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (Mammoth Mix)" – 7:17
  2. "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (Extended Version)" – 5:42
  3. "September When I First Met You" – 6:50

Lisa Stansfield version
"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up"
UK/European studio CD release
Single by Lisa Stansfield
from the album Lisa Stansfield
ReleasedJune 9, 1997 (1997-06-09)
Recorded1997
Genre
Length5:02
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Barry White
Producer(s)
Lisa Stansfield singles chronology
"The Real Thing"
(1997)		 "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up"
(1997)		 "The Line"
(1997)
Music video
"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" on YouTube

In 1997, British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield covered "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" for her eponymous album. The song was released as the second single from Lisa Stansfield in Europe, Australia and Japan on June 9, 1997, and first proper single in North America on July 21, 1997.

An accompanying music video, directed by Rocky Schenck, was also released. The song was remixed by prominent US producers: Frankie Knuckles, Mark Picchiotti, Hani, Steven Nikolas and Brendon Sibley. In February 1998, Knuckles won the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" reached number twenty-five on the UK Singles Chart and seventy-four on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number-one the Hot Dance Club Songs chart in October 1997 and number thirty-eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was later included on The Remix Album (1998) and Biography: The Greatest Hits (2003).

In 2014, remixes of "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" were included on the deluxe 2CD + DVD re-release of Lisa Stansfield. Additional remixes were featured on People Hold On ... The Remix Anthology (2014), including three previously unreleased: Frankie's Classic Club Mix, Franktified Off the Hook Dub and After Hours Mix. All was included on The Collection 1989–2003.[17][18]

Critical reception

The song received favorable reviews from music critics. Barry Walters for The Advocate said that "the Barry White classic gets remade by the woman who launched her solo career paraphrasing his been-around-the-world pillow talk."[19] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic viewed it as "uniformly strong", adding that Stansfield's voice "is seductive and sexy".[20] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "a sultry rendition" and added that the singer is "breathing enough stylistic variation into the lyrics (...) maintaining a reverence that will sit well with fans of the original recording." He noted that Stansfield "is supported by a rumbling funk groove that is underlined by hip hop-savvy turntable scratches and iced with caressing disco strings."[21] British magazine Music Week rated it three out of five, declaring it as a "convincingly faithful interpration".[22] William Stevenson from Entertainment Weekly opined that Stansfield "sings with an irresistible urgency, seductively wrapping her silky voice around each phrase while building in intensity. She’s never sounded better."[23] A reviewer from Irish Independent picked the song as one of the "moments" of the album, calling it "a sultry slink through" the Barry White song.[24] Press of Atlantic City stated that Stansfield "shines" on the "energetic remake".[25] USA Today described it as an "up-tempo dance groove".[26]

Commercial reception

The song topped the US Dance Club Songs. It also reached number 25 in the United Kingdom and peaked at number 74 in the United States, Canada and Germany.

Track listings

Charts
Chart performance for "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up"
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[27] 182
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[28] 5
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[29] 74
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[30] 99
Europe Radio Top 50 (Music & Media)[31] 8
Germany (Official German Charts)[32] 74
Hungary Airplay (Music & Media)[33] 9
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[34] 7
Poland Airplay (Music & Media)[35] 1
Scotland (OCC)[36] 35
Spain Airplay (Music & Media)[33] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[37] 25
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[38] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[39] 74
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[40] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[41] 38

See also

References
  1. "45cat - Barry White - Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up / No, I'm Never Gonna Give Ya Up - 20th Century - USA - TC-2058".
  2. "Barry White Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  3. "Never Never Gonna Give You Up". officialcharts.com. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  4. "Barry White - Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up / Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up - 20th Century - Canada - 1209-2058". 45cat.com. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  5. "Barry White - Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up [Short Version] / Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up [Long Version] - 20th Century - USA - TC-2058". 45cat.com. March 24, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  6. "Barry White - Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up / No, I'm Never Gonna Give Ya Up - 20th Century - USA - TC-2058". 45cat.com. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  7. "Barry White – Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  8. "Barry White – Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  9. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 10, 1974" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  10. "Barry White – Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  12. "Barry White Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  13. "Barry White Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  14. "Barry White Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  15. "National Top 100 Singles for 1974". Kent Music Report. December 30, 1974. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Imgur.
  16. "Barry White – Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (Paul Hardcastle Remix)". discogs.com. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  17. "Lisa Stansfield – The Collection: tracklists". lisa-stansfield.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  18. "Exclusive: First pictures takes you inside the reissues 'The Collection 1989–2003'". lisastansfield.net. October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  19. Walters, Barry (September 2, 1997). "Music". The Advocate. Issue 741.
  20. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Lisa Stansfield – Lisa Stansfield". AllMusic. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  21. Flick, Larry (June 28, 1997). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 75. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  22. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. May 24, 1997. p. 18. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  23. Stevenson, William. "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  24. "WET WET WET". Irish Independent. April 2, 1997. page 28.
  25. "LISA STANSFIELD FOCUSED WITH HER LATEST RELEASE". Press of Atlantic City. August 10, 1997. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  26. "Stansfield stretches skills After hiatus, R&B hitmaker explores deeper themes". USA Today. July 29, 1997.
  27. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 15 July 2015". imgur.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  28. "Lisa Stansfield – Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  29. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3328." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  30. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. June 28, 1997. p. 18. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  31. "European Radio Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. July 5, 1997. p. 21. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  32. "Lisa Stansfield – Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  33. "Major Market Airplay" (PDF). Music & Media. September 6, 1997. p. 23. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  34. "Major Market Airplay: Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. July 12, 1997. p. 23. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  35. "Major Market Airplay: Poland" (PDF). Music & Media. June 21, 1997. p. 23. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  36. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  37. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  38. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  39. "Lisa Stansfield Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  40. "Lisa Stansfield Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  41. "Lisa Stansfield Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
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