"Never Let Me Go" is a blues ballad song by American R&B/blues singer Johnny Ace, written by Joseph Scott and released in 1954 under Duke Records. The song is featured on the albums My Songs and Memorial.[1] "Never Let Me Go" was one of his eighth consecutive top ten R&B hits in a row, including "My Song", "Cross My Heart," "Please Forgive Me," "The Clock," "Pledging My Love," "Saving My Love for You," and "Anymore". The song was R&B hit and peaked to No. 9 in October 1954 on Billboards Rhythm & Blues Records chart.[2]
| "Never Let Me Go" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Ace | ||||
| from the album Memorial | ||||
| B-side | "Burley Cutie" (Instrumental) | |||
| Released | 1954 | |||
| Recorded | 1953 | |||
| Genre | R&B, Blues | |||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Duke | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Joseph Scott | |||
| Producer(s) | Johnny Board, Johnny Otis | |||
| Johnny Ace singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Luther Vandross singles chronology | ||||
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Track list
editUS Vinyl, 10", 78 RPM Single (1954)[3]
- A1 "Never Let Me Go" - 2:48
- B1 "Burley Cutie" - 2:35
Charts
edit| Chart (1954) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Rhythm & Blues Records (Billboard) | 9 |
Luther Vandross version
editR&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross recorded a cover of the song for his 1993 album of the same name; the saxophone solo on this version is performed by Kirk Whalum.
Critical reception
editLarry Flick from Billboard wrote, "LV wraps those golden vocal cords around a more tried and true R&B ballad—the likes of which his legion of fans have come to love. He is aided by an arrangement that is chock full of stately piano lines, as well as a lush sax solo and a slow, swaying rhythm base."[4]
Charts
edit| Chart (1993) | Peak position[5] |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard) | 31 |
Other cover versions
edit- Roy Hamilton released his cover of the song as a single (Epic 9398) in 1960 and included it on his 1961 album You Can Have Her.
- Aretha Franklin recorded a cover of the song on her 1967 album Aretha Arrives.
- Bob Dylan performed the song live as a duet with Joan Baez during The Rolling Thunder Revue in 1975.
- John Martyn recorded a cover of the song for his 1982 album Well Kept Secret. His version features Ronnie Scott on saxophone.
- Katie Webster recorded a cover of the song for her 1990 album "Two Fisted Mama."
References
edit- ^ Memorial Album For Johnny Ace at Discogs
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 7.
- ^ "Never Let Me Go" at Discogs
- ^ Flick, Larry (6 November 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 67. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ Luther Vandross - Singles Chart history.Billboard.com