Never Let Her Slip Away
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "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 | Andrew Gold | |||
| Producers |
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| Andrew Gold singles chronology | ||||
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| Official music video | ||||
| "Never Let Her Slip Away" on YouTube | ||||
"Never Let Her Slip Away" is a song written by American musician Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third studio album, All This and Heaven Too (1978). The single was produced by Andrew Gold and Brock Walsh, and 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.
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. Background vocals were provided by JD Souther, Timothy B. Schmit and an uncredited Freddie Mercury.[3]
Music video
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
- Ernie Watts – saxophone
- Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals
- JD Souther – backing vocals
- Brock Walsh – percussion, backing vocals
- Freddie Mercury - backing vocals (uncredited)
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.[4]
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.[5]
