Never Let Her Slip Away

"Never Let Her Slip Away"
Single by Andrew Gold
from the album All This and Heaven Too
Released 1978
Genre Pop
Length 3:23
Label Asylum Records
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 Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, All This and Heaven Too. The single reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart chart and #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.[1] Freddie Mercury, who was a friend of Gold's, contributed sparse harmony vocals to the song as an uncredited background singer.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Other background vocals were provided by J. D. Souther and Timothy B. Schmit, and the saxophone was played by Ernie Watts.[8][9]

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 alumna Laraine Newman who was his girlfriend when he composed the song.[10] It was also featured on the soundtrack of the 2013 British film Alpha Papa, as a personal favorite of the principal character Alan Partridge, played by actor Steve Coogan.[11]

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 14
Ireland (IRMA) 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 15
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 5
US Billboard Hot 100 67

Year-end charts

Chart (1978) Position
UK [14] 31

Undercover version

"Never Let Her Slip Away"
Single by Undercover
from the album Check Out the Groove
Released 1992
Genre Dance
Length 3:28
Label PWL
Producer(s) Steve Mac
Undercover singles chronology
"Baker Street"
(1992)		 "Never Let Her Slip Away"
(1992)		 "I Wanna Stay With You"
(1993)

British dance group Undercover covered the song on their 1992 album Check Out the Groove. This version reached #5 in the UK.

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

Chart (1992) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] 23
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[16] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] 4
Germany (Media Control Charts)[18] 16
Ireland (IRMA) 2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 23
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 5

References

  1. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 230. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ↑ Sweeting, Adam. Andrew Gold obituary. The Guardian. June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  3. ↑ Johnnie Walker's Sounds Of The 70s. BBC Radio 2. 5 Feb 2012, 15:00. "...with backing vocals from Freddie Mercury."
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ Singer/Songwriter Andrew Gold Dies. Contactmusic. June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  6. ↑ Drive with Russell Woolf; Andrew Gold - Lonely Boy. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. June 16, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ Newton, Steve. "Thank You For Being a Friend" singer-songwriter Andrew Gold dies at 59. The Georgia Straight. June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ Gold, Andrew. Liner Notes for All This and Heaven Too
  11. ↑ Sherwin, Adam (23 July 2013). "A-ha! Alan Partridge movie Alpha Papa gives airtime to forgotten pop classics". The Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Andrew Gold – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Andrew Gold search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  14. ↑ http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1978.shtml
  15. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  16. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  17. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  18. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Undercover > Never Let Her Slip Away – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  19. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Undercover search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Undercover – Never Let Her Slip Away". Singles Top 60.

External links