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The Twelfth of Never
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Wikipedia article
"'The Twelfth of Never'" is a popular song written in 1956 and first recorded by Johnny Mathis the following year. The title is a popular expression, which is used as the date of a future occurrence that will never come to pass. In the case of the song, "the 12th of Never" is given as the date on which the singer will stop loving his beloved, thus indicating that he will always love her.
Mathis initially disliked the song, which was released as the flip side to his number 1 hit single "Chances Are".
It was written by Jerry Livingston and Paul Francis Webster, the tune (except for the bridge) being adapted from "The Riddle Song" (also known as "I Gave My Love a Cherry"), an old English folk song. Mathis's original version reached number 9 on what is now called the 'Billboard' Hot 100 in the USA in 1957. A version by Cliff Richard was released in 1964 and reached number 8 in the UK. Donny Osmond's version, produced by Mike Curb and Don Costa, was his second number 1 single in the UK, spending a single week at the top of the UK Singles Chart in March 1973. In the U.S. it peaked at number 8.
Chart performance
'Johnny Mathis original'
'Cliff Richard version'
'Donny Osmond version'
Certifications
;Donny Osmond version
Notable cover versions
*1963: Nina Simone recorded her version on her album ' Folsky Nina'.
*1970: Tammy Wynette recorded her version on her album 'The Ways to Love a Man'.
*1977 David Houston on his album 'David Houston' (single, reached #98 on US Billboard Country chart)
*1989: Olivia Newton-John on her 1989 album 'Warm and Tender'.
*1993: Jeff Buckley: performed and recorded at his live performance and album 'Live at Sin-'
*1995: Elvis Presley: a rehearsal recorded in 1974 was released as a single and reached #21 in the UK.
*2018: Jan Rot did a version in Dutch on his album 'Magistraal', the non-existing date translated as '30 Februari'.
References
;Notes
;Works cited
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Category:1957 singles
Category:1969 singles
Category:1973 singles
Category:Songs written by Jerry Livingston
Category:Songs with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Category:Andy Williams songs
Category:Johnny Mathis songs
Category:The Chi-Lites songs
Category:Cliff Richard songs
Category:Donny Osmond songs
Category:Barry Gibb songs
Category:Cher songs
Category:Oliver (singer) songs
Category:Tammy Wynette songs
Category:Olivia Newton-John songs
Category:Dolly Parton songs
Category:Keith Urban songs
Category:Elvis Presley songs
Category:Glen Campbell songs
Category:Barry Manilow songs
Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Category:1956 songs
Category:MGM Records singles
Category:Columbia Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Norrie Paramor
Category:Columbia Graphophone Company singles
Category:David Houston (singer) songs
Category:1950s ballads
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