Yes, I read about this years ago and found it a bit hard to believe. I'd say the song is pretty much unknown in the UK, but US radio/TV is a different world. Love the Association and I love this version, never heard anyone else do it though.
― Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 06:53 (two years ago) link
I have often thought The Clientele should cover this song, get it on a movie soundtrack and have an inescapable international megahit a la Wet Wet Wet and that Troggs song.
― Piedie Gimbel, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 07:01 (two years ago) link
This is the third time this year I've encountered a song which is apparently university known in the US but I'd never heard before, the other two wereKansas - Dust In The WindJimmy Buffet - Margarita Timesomeone should make a thread about these.
― A viking of frowns, (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 07:22 (two years ago) link
Whenever I see "Dust in the Wind" mentioned I assume it's the Todd Rundgren song.
― Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 07:30 (two years ago) link
"university known"! Dawn you autocorrect!
― A viking of frowns, (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 07:40 (two years ago) link
"Never my love" isn't exactly ubiquitous in America. I think lots of boomers know it, but not too many x-ers or millennials.
I think it was played on WCBS before it transitioned from an 'oldies' format to classic rock, but not in especially heavy rotation. Def never would have imagined it was the second most broadcast song of the 20th c after "You've lost that last lovin'feeling" and ahead of "Yesterday" (!!!) I can only guess that a lot of the airplay was contemporary, it seems like something the hippies and squares could both enjoy!
That said, it's not exactly obscure and I'm surprised to find that about half the musos and record nerds on ILM who are chiming in here haven't heard of it.
"Dust in the wind" and "Margaritaville" are ubiquitous.
― Fauna Sukkot (Deflatormouse), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 07:55 (two years ago) link
of course it's Margaritaville, Margarita Time is by Status Quo.
― A viking of frowns, (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 07:58 (two years ago) link
Hardly anyone here knows Status Quo! Their best known song by far in America is "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and it's mostly just the Nuggets crowd who know it.
― Fauna Sukkot (Deflatormouse), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 08:02 (two years ago) link
It's probably naive to suppose that hippies liked The Association, though. Withdrawn.
― Fauna Sukkot (Deflatormouse), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 08:12 (two years ago) link
See, "Dust in the Wind" and "Margaritaville", those are songs I hear all the time. Is there a credible reason to think this song got more oldies play or even contemporary airplay than, say, "Unchained Melody" or anything by Elvis or the Four Seasons? It doesn't seem like any of the versions were earth-shattering megahits, although some did well enough. Although I would normally trust BMI, I think I want to question these numbers.
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 12:11 (two years ago) link
The harmonies are very nice, btw!
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 12:12 (two years ago) link
It's the gentlest and sweetest of golden oldies. By 1999 it had never not been on US radio for 30+ years, originally on the Top 40 and Easy Listening charts, then on Adult Contemporary when that evolved out of Easy in the 1970s, then as mentioned oldies stations loved it in the '80s and '90s. And I imagine TV has always loved it bc it fits any moment that calls for something romantic and unobtrusive that's also not "sad" (like "Yesterday" is).
― Josefa, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 13:33 (two years ago) link
wastin' away again it's margarita time
― andrew m., Tuesday, 8 June 2021 13:35 (two years ago) link
love the organ on this one. the big bridge harmonies kinda ruin the intimacy though.
― andrew m., Tuesday, 8 June 2021 13:40 (two years ago) link
The other factor is The Association were all secretly dentists, and they were able to pull strings to get the song played in every dentist's waiting room in America
― Josefa, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 13:43 (two years ago) link
the addrisi bros did one of my fave silly disco tunes, "ghost dancer!" and just glancing down the discogs list, they wrote like 5 songs that got covered 5,000 times.
― andrew m., Tuesday, 8 June 2021 13:46 (two years ago) link
was just listening to this very sweet instrumental cover: https://jonathankirby.bandcamp.com/track/never-my-love-2
― tylerw, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 13:59 (two years ago) link
there's also this: https://soundcloud.com/5redpandas/never-my-love-stephen-ma-never-my-love-stephen-malkmus
― tylerw, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 14:00 (two years ago) link
Unsurprisingly, I'd never heard (of) this song before, but it's pleasant enough.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 14:00 (two years ago) link
I just checked if there was an oldies station in the area (I remember one in the 80s but am not sure there has been since then). There is a station, out in the Valley, that calls itself "oldies" - they are currently playing Boston's "More Than a Feeling": https://arnpriortoday.ca
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 15:50 (two years ago) link
which now IS that old song that they used to play
― cancel culture club (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 15:51 (two years ago) link
The music I associate with dentist's offices is, like, Chicago. xp haha
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 15:53 (two years ago) link
There's also a "Lite" station - the last five songs they played were by Cher, Jacksoul, Miami Sound Machine, Trooper, and Huey Lewis: https://lite985.ca
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 15:54 (two years ago) link
love this song, love the Association
― Lage Lage Lage Shooting (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 15:55 (two years ago) link
i miss vocal harmonies you could actually make out the parts out and had their own unique blend, before recording techniques sterilized them to a phantom zone-compressed novelty
― cancel culture club (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 15:59 (two years ago) link
The other factor is The Association were all secretly dentists
They looked more like dentists than pop stars tbf.
https://img.discogs.com/tn-NDvg4T2yBa35NZpXW5LJmelo=/600x550/smart/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/A-264408-1455629736-2997.jpeg.jpg
― Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 16:33 (two years ago) link
Beautiful song that I never heard until I picked up the Association greatest hits on vinyl for cheap a while back. "Windy" is the Association song I remember hearing the most on oldies radio in the late 90s
― J. Sam, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 16:36 (two years ago) link
xp Exactly. I always noticed that.
― Josefa, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 16:36 (two years ago) link
The band that made the Turtles look like the Monkees.
― Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 16:38 (two years ago) link
OTM
― Fauna Sukkot (Deflatormouse), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 16:42 (two years ago) link
Is there a credible reason to think this song got more oldies play or even contemporary airplay than, say, "Unchained Melody" or anything by Elvis or the Four Seasons? It doesn't seem like any of the versions were earth-shattering megahits, although some did well enough. Although I would normally trust BMI, I think I want to question these numbers.
"Elaborate hoax", "April fools day" are perhaps the simplest and best explanations.
― Fauna Sukkot (Deflatormouse), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 16:45 (two years ago) link
Also interesting that the Fifth Dimension had a hit with "Never My Love" (#12 in '71), but theirs was recorded live. If they had recorded it in the studio they probably would have used the exact same musicians as the Association did.
― Josefa, Tuesday, 8 June 2021 16:57 (two years ago) link
Bones Howe produced both.
― Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 16:59 (two years ago) link