"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"
ReleasedMarch 1978 (UK)[1]
June 1978 (US)
GenreSoft rock, jazz rock, doo-wop
Length3:23
LabelAsylum 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 peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart, spending 7 weeks in the chart's top 10, and also peaked at #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 J. D. Souther and Timothy B. Schmit, and the saxophone was played by Ernie Watts.[4][5]

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, singer, songwriter and guitarist of the renowned 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

Undercover version

"Never Let Her Slip Away"
Single by Undercover
from the album Check Out the Groove
ReleasedNovember 2, 1992 (1992-11-02)[17]
GenreDance
Length3:28
LabelPWL
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 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 picked the song as 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 rated it four out of five, stating 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, adding 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]

Music video

A music video was made to accompany the song. It was published on YouTube in April 2013. By November 2020, the video has been viewed over 1 million times.[22]

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

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:
  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. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  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 (Official Video)". YouTube. April 11, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  24. ↑ "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  25. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 51/52. December 19, 1992. p. 43. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 49. December 5, 1992. p. 19. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  27. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. January 23, 1993. p. 20. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  28. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  29. ↑ "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  30. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Never Let Her Slip Away". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 5. January 30, 1993. p. 44. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away". Singles Top 100.
  35. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 14, 1992. p. 26. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. January 16, 1993. p. 8.
  38. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1993" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  40. ↑ "Jaarlijsten 1993" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
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