Especially For You

Album: Enjoy Yourself (1988)
Charted: 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This duet with Jason Donovan was a tie-in with Scott (played by Donovan) and Charlene's (played by Kylie Minogue) marriage in the Australian TV soap opera Neighbours, which was a massive hit show in the UK. Donovan and Minogue were dating in real life when they recorded the song.
  • This was written and produced by the team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman, who also came up with Minogue's hit "I Should Be So Lucky." It was the biggest-selling single by the songwriting trio.
  • In 1998, Johnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen recorded this with Steps on backing vocals for the BBC's Children In Need appeal. Their version reached #3 in the UK.
  • Peter Waterman in his autobiography I Wish It Was Me recalled, "Because we were working with both Kylie and Jason, who were romantically linked, there was inevitably a feeling amongst the public that we'd have them do a romantic duet together. We'd known from the beginning that they were going out, but the idea seemed a sickly proposition." Waterman and Matt Aitken flew from England to Sydney to record the song with the duo and sat up all night writing the lyrics. The song took 10 hours to record. Jason Donovan recalled, "We didn't actually sing the duet together. We had to learn the song very quickly and recorded our parts separately."
  • Waterman admitted, "When I heard the finished version, I hated it. It had absolutely no passion. Mike hated it and everybody I played it to in the office hated it. But it was going to be a smash hit because of who was singing it." Mike Stock then Pete Waterman spent time remixing it. Recalled Waterman, "Somehow it came together at the last moment; so we rushed to the pressing plant and got it out in time for Christmas." (quotes taken from 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh)

Comments: 3

  • Sarah from Wales, United Kingdomkylie and jason never dated!!! ever
  • Phil from Sydney, AustraliaHave u heard of MYMP's version? It's sick!
  • Terry from Northampton, EnglandBest duet ever made.This was Kylie Minogue at her pinnacle and the song helped Jason to go on and have 3 solo no.1 singles.One of my top 20 favourite songs of all time.
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