THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

476-Barry White-Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up.

1974-Number 10 single.

Best Bit-At 0.45. In a recent survey it was revealed that many of the babies born between 1973-1983 were conceived while their parents were listening to Barry White songs. Even so I made that up, it could still be true.

Barry White (see also best songs 560 and 153) was born Barry Eugene Carter on September 12th, 1944, in Galveston, Texas, United States, he was obese for the majority of his adult life, reportedly weighed up to 375 pounds, he was also a chain smoker, and suffered from related health problems. While undergoing dialysis and awaiting a kidney transplant in May 2003, he suffered a severe stroke, which forced him to retire from public life, he also suffered multiple seizures in his last few weeks. His unstable health eventually prevented him from receiving a new kidney, and he died on July 4th, 2003, at the age of 58.

Barry White’s first big break came in 1972, when producing the all girl group ‘Love Unlimited,’ their debut Album ‘From a Girl’s Point of View We Give to You… Love Unlimited,’ (Barry White was renowned for long song titles) reached Number 19 on the American Billboard ‘Top R&B’ Album chart. With ‘Love Unlimited,’ Barry White produced, and wrote the majority of their five studio Albums released between 1972-1979, and their 15 singles released between 1972-1980. Two of their singles reached the American Billboard Hot 100, ‘Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love,’ (1972-Number 14) and ‘I Belong to You,’ (1974-Number 27) while in the UK, they also charted twice, with ‘Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love,’ (1972-Number 14) and ‘It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It’s Spring’) (1973-Number 11.)

In 1973 Barry White created ‘The Love Unlimited Orchestra,’ which was a 40-piece orchestral group to be used originally as a backing band for ‘Love Unlimited,’ however after writing ‘Love’s Theme’ which went on to be a Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 single in 1973, he decided to write and record and release Albums and singles as ‘The Love Unlimited Orchestra.’ as their own entity. With ‘The Love Unlimited Orchestra’ Barry White released 10 Albums between 1974-1983, and 20 singles between 1973-1983, with two of those singles reaching the Billboard Hot 100, ‘Love’s Theme,’ (1973-Number 1) and ‘Satin Soul,’ (1975-Number 22.) In the UK, only ‘Love’s Theme’ charted, reaching Number 10. Some of the musicians who performed in ‘The Love Unlimited Orchestra,’ included Melvin ‘Wah Wah’ Watson, (1950-2018) (see also best songs 713) who was also a member of the ‘Funk Brothers, Ray Parker Jr. (see also best songs 560) and Wilton Felder, (1940-2015) (see also best songs 588.) As well as working with ‘Love Unlimited,’ and creating ‘The Love Unlimited Orchestra,’ Barry White also was on the look out for a male solo singer to record his songs, but after not finding what he was looking for, he was persuaded to perform his own songs himself. For the solo discography of Barry White, see also best songs 560.)

‘Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up’ was the first of two singles released from ‘Stone Gon,” the second studio by Barry White, from October 1973. All five tracks on the Album, including ‘Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up’ were written and produced by Barry White, who also sang lead vocals, and was also arranged by Barry White, and Gene Page (1939-1998.) In 1997 the English singer Lisa Stansfield covered ‘Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up,’ taking her version to Number 25 in the UK. In 1992 Barry White had teamed up with Stansfield to record a duet version of her most successful song ‘All Around the World,’ for the ‘B’ side of her single ‘Time To Make You Mine,’ with all of the artists royalties being donated to the charity ‘Trading Places,’ the song reached Number 14 in the UK. They then teamed up again in 1999 to record ‘The Longer We Make Love,’ for White’s Album ‘Staying Power.’ In 1987 the English music producer Paul Hardcastle (see also best songs 471) did a remix of ‘Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up,’ it was issued with the slightly amended spelling of ‘Never, Never Going to Give You Up’ in several European countries, to promote the compilation album ‘Barry White – The Collection,’ the remix peaked at Number 65 in the UK in 1988.

”Cause I found what the world is searching for, here, right here, my dear, I don’t have to look no more. And all my days, I’ve hoped and I’ve prayed for someone just like you, make me feel the way you do. Never, never gonna give you up.’