Songoftheday 1/3/16 - If there's anything you need all you have to do is say, you know you satisfy everything in me you shouldn't waste a single day...

"Together Forever" - Rick Astley
from the album Whenever You Need Somebody (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 12

Today's song of the day comes from Rick Astley, the fresh-faced "sound of a new Britain" that scaled to #1 in America and around the world with his debut single "Never Gonna Give You Up". He followed that future "rickrolling" classic up in America with the similarly bouncy "Together Forever". Written and produced by the team of Stock Aitken and Waterman, the hi-nrg/post-disco love song was anchored by Astley's unbelievably booming voice, which growled you into submission, and the bridge on this song alone is better than half the music of 1988 put together...

"Together Forever" became Rick's second (and so far last) American #1 pop hit in June of 1988. The single also climbed to #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart, while the 12" remixes landed him a second #1 on their Dance Club Play chart. Internationally, the single was the fourth release from his debut album in his native Britain, where it peaked at #2 (behind another Stock Aitken Waterman production, Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky"), while reaching #1 in Canada, Ireland, and Spain, and top ten in Belgium (#2), Germany (#5), Austria (#10), and New Zealand (#10).

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Here's the percussive "Lover's Leap" version that went to #1 on the club chart, mixed by Pete Hammond...

...and the alternative "House Of Love" remix...

...finally, here's Rick appearing live on Asian television, still dancing as dorkily as ever...

Up tomorrow: a diversified funk outfit from Oregon has a routine.