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Never Can Say Goodbye

Summary

"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.

"Never Can Say Goodbye"
side-A label by Tamla Motown
Solid centre variant of the UK single
Single by Jackson 5
from the album Maybe Tomorrow
B-side"She's Good"
ReleasedMarch 16, 1971 (1971-03-16) (U.S.)
RecordedJune 1970
StudioHitsville West (Los Angeles, CA)
Genre
Length2:58
LabelMotown
Songwriter(s)Clifton Davis
Producer(s)Hal Davis
Jackson 5 singles chronology
"Mama's Pearl"
(1971) 		"Never Can Say Goodbye"
(1971) 		"Maybe Tomorrow"
(1971)

The Jackson 5 original version edit

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.


Charts edit

Isaac Hayes version edit

"Never Can Say Goodbye"
Single by Isaac Hayes
from the album Black Moses
B-side"I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)"
ReleasedApril 1971 (U.S.)
Recorded1971
GenreSoul
Length
  • 5:07 (original album version)
  • 3:32 (7-inch single version)
LabelEnterprise
Songwriter(s)Clifton Davis
Producer(s)Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes singles chronology
"Ike's Mood I"
(1971) 		"Never Can Say Goodbye"
(1971) 		"Theme from Shaft"
(1971)

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.

Gloria Gaynor version edit

"Never Can Say Goodbye"
 
One of US single reissues
Single by Gloria Gaynor
from the album Never Can Say Goodbye
B-side"We Just Can't Make It"
ReleasedOctober 27, 1974 (U.S.)
Recorded1974
GenreDisco[1][10]
Length
  • 6:19 (original album version)
  • 2:58 (7-inch single version)
LabelMGM
Songwriter(s)Clifton Davis
Producer(s)
Gloria Gaynor singles chronology
"Honey Bee"
(1974) 		"Never Can Say Goodbye"
(1974) 		"Reach Out, I'll Be There"
(1975)

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.

Charts edit

The Communards version edit

"Never Can Say Goodbye"
 
Artwork for standard release
Single by the Communards
from the album Red
B-side
  • "'77, The Great Escape" (7-inch)
  • "Tomorrow" (Remix) (U.S. 12-inch)
Released26 October 1987[33]
Recorded1987
GenreHi-NRG[34]
Length
  • 4:30 (7-inch 45 RPM)
  • 4:53 (Album Version)
  • 7:50 (12-inch single)
Label
Songwriter(s)Clifton Davis
Producer(s)Stephen Hague (Remix and additional production by Shep Pettibone)
The Communards singles chronology
"Tomorrow"
(1987) 		"Never Can Say Goodbye"
(1987) 		"For a Friend"
(1988)

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.[35]

The Communards version of the song was used as the signature tune to the 2013 British comedy series Vicious.

Critical reception edit

Richard Lowe of Smash Hits named "Never Say Goodbye" "Single of the Fortnight" and considered it "a work of such splendour and vigour".[36]

Charts edit

Weekly charts edit

Chart (1987–1988) Peak
position
Australia (Australian Music Report)[37] 13
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[38] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[39] 4
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[40] 7
France (SNEP)[41] 9
Ireland (IRMA)[42] 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[43] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[44] 3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[45] 6
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[21] 15
Spain (AFYVE)[46] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 12
UK Singles (OCC)[48] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[49] 51
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[50] 2
US Cash Box Top 100[51] 58
West Germany (Official German Charts)[52] 6

Year-end charts edit

Chart (1987) Position
Scotland Dance[53] 20
UK Singles (OCC)[54] 51
Chart (1988) Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[55] 84
France[56] 56
West Germany (Official German Charts)[57] 62

Other versions edit

Other artists who have covered the song include:

Television, film, and stage performances edit

Glee edit

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".[66] 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".[67] Crystal Bell of HuffPost TV described it as a "blah performance", but Kate Stanhope of TV Guide said it was "sweet and reflective".[68][69] 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.[70][71]

Samples and remixes edit

The Neptunes remixed "Never Can Say Goodbye" on the 2009 Michael Jackson remix album The Remix Suite.[72]

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.[73]

In popular culture edit

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).

Personnel edit

"Never Can Say Goodbye" was originally copyrighted on June 10, 1970 [EU0000187089] and then was copyrighted again on December 21, 1970 [EP0000281027].

The Jackson 5 edit

Gloria Gaynor edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2024. 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
  2. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (October 15, 1996). "How Sweet It Was: The Twilight of Mowtown". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 48. ISBN 031214704X.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 287.
  4. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5198." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  5. ^ "Jackson 5: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  6. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles: Week ending May 29, 1971". Tropicalglen.com.
  7. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  8. ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1971". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  9. ^ Billboard. December 25, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  10. ^ Molanphy, Chris (February 19, 2022). "We Invented the Remix Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 226.
  12. ^ "Meco Monardo". DiscoMusic.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012.
  13. ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. December 29, 1975. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Imgur.
  14. ^ "Gloria Gaynor – Never Can Say Goodbye" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  15. ^ "Gloria Gaynor – Never Can Say Goodbye" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  16. ^ "Gloria Gaynor – Never Can Say Goodbye" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  17. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016.
  18. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. January 18, 1975. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  19. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Never Can Say Goodbye". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  20. ^ "Gloria Gaynor – Never Can Say Goodbye" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. ^ a b "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs M-O". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  22. ^ "Superventas 1975". February 12, 2010.
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  28. ^ "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  29. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
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  33. ^ "Index". Record Mirror. October 24, 1987. p. 8. ISSN 0144-5804.
  34. ^ Betts, Graham (2014). Motown Encyclopedia. Never Can Say Goodbye – The Jackson 5 [Single]: AC Publishing. ISBN 978-1-31144-154-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  35. ^ Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com – the Communards – "Never can say goodbye"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  36. ^ Lowe, Richard (November 4–17, 1987). "Singles reviewed by Richard Lowe" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 21. p. 85. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved November 21, 2023 – via World Radio History.
  37. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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  40. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 50. December 19, 1987. p. 14. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
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  43. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  44. ^ "The Communards – Never Can Say Goodbye" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
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  53. ^ Jock Rock
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  59. ^ "The Supremes cover of The Jackson 5's 'Never Can Say Goodbye'". WhoSampled. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  60. ^ "Heroes overview". Allmusic.
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  62. ^ "Sax for Stax overview". Allmusic.
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  65. ^ "CD Review of Bob Baldwin". Jazzreview.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010.
  66. ^ Chaney, Jen (January 31, 2012). "'Glee' by the musical numbers: Maxing out on Michael Jackson". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  67. ^ Lynch, Joseph Brannigan (February 1, 2012). "'Glee' recap: An 'Off the Wall' Tribute to MJ". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  68. ^ Bell, Crystal (January 31, 2012). "'Glee' Recap: Tribute To Michael Jackson". HuffPost TV. Huffington Post. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  69. ^ Stanhope, Kate (January 31, 2012). "Glee's Promising Road to Graduation Begins". TV Guide. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  70. ^ Futterman, Erica (February 1, 2012). "'Glee' Recap: A Tribute Worthy of a King". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
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  73. ^ "Raekwon – Never Can Say Goodbye | Xclusives Zone". Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  74. ^ Lecocq, Richard; Allard, Francois (2018). Michael Jackson All The Songs. London: Cassell. ISBN 9781788400572.

External links edit

  • The Jackson 5 - Never Can Say Goodbye on YouTube
  • Gloria Gaynor - Never Can Say Goodbye on YouTube

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