Never Can Say Goodbye (Gloria Gaynor album)

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	B

Never Can Say Goodbye is the debut album by Gloria Gaynor, released on MGM Records in January 1975. It is most notable for including several early Disco recordings. The album charted in the US Billboard at number 25 in the US Pop chart, and at number 21 in the US R&B chart. In the UK the album peaked at number 32, "Never Can Say Goodbye" was released in the UK as a single and reached number 2 in early 1975.

History

The album features three hit singles; "Honey Bee", "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Reach Out, I'll Be There" which are featured full-length on the album's first side in a 19-minute disco suite, then a famous first devised by Tom Moulton. This album version of 'Never Can Say Goodbye' features double drum beats during the verse links, which is not heard in the single version. The second side of the album mostly consists of slower Soul music songs. Notably, vocalist Gloria Gaynor also was involved in the songwriting of a number of the tracks, including "Real Good People".

The album was remastered and reissued with bonus tracks in 2010 by Big Break Records.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Honey Bee"	Mervin Steals, Melvin Steals, Matthew Ledbetter	6:00
2.	"Never Can Say Goodbye"	Clifton Davis	6:28
3.	"Reach Out, I'll Be There"	Holland–Dozier–Holland	6:15

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
4.	"All I Need Is Your Sweet Lovin'"	Bobby Flax, Larry Lambert	2:47
5.	"Searchin'"	Casey Spencer	2:55
6.	"We Belong Together"	Lester Hodelin, Patricia Shells	2:51
7.	"False Alarm"	Don Coan, Gloria Gaynor	3:40
8.	"Real Good People"	Gloria Gaynor	3:02

2010 remastered reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Honeybee" (Columbia Single Version)	3:44
10.	"All It Took Boy Was Losing You" (B-Side)	5:14
11.	"Come Tonight" (B-Side)	2:38
12.	"Never Can Say Goodbye" (Single Version)	2:59
13.	"We Just Can't Make It" (B-Side)	3:16
14.	"Reach Out, I'll Be There" (Single Version)	3:06
15.	"Honey Bee" (MGM Single Version)	2:56

Personnel

• Gloria Gaynor – vocals
• Allan Schwartzberg – drums
• Bob Babbitt – bass
• Pat Rebillot – keyboards
• Carlos Martin – congos
• Lance Quinn, Jerry Freidman, Jeff Mironov – guitars

Production

• Meco Monardo, Norman Harris, Harold Wheeler, Lou Del Gatto – arrangers
• Tony Bongiovi, Meco Monardo, Jay Ellis, Paul Leka – producers
• Tony Bongiovi – recording engineer
• Bernie Block – cover photography
• David Krieger – cover design
• Bill Leby – art direction
• Tom Moulton – mixing

External links

• Never Can Say Goodbye at Discogs (list of releases)