Comments: 13

• Caesar Minor from GeirgiaI wonder if this song has made Clifton Davis a wealthy man
• Sam Williams from Sherman OaksI’m probably going to be the first person to say this but the latest Bruno Mars project with his new compadre Anderson Paak just put out a song the other day that sounds a lot like this song. I love their attempt at trying to bring back this genre of music into the mainstream pop world today, but I can only pray that they never get sued by Universal for the “similar vibes” their song has with this one as far as the arrangement and chord changes is concerned. We don’t need more lawsuits like that to happen because nothing is new under the sun and I know they were probably aware of the similarities between this one and Smoking Out The Window and they were doing their best to not get too close to copying it note for note. I would also hate for them to fork out any potential money they could make from that song to Universal, so hopefully that doesn’t happen.
• Seanvplayer from Sonora, Ca.I always preferred the Issac Hayes version. I just appreciate the more mature voice singing about a bad relationship. The version put forth by the Jackson 5 had the great studio group they called "the Funk Brothers", so the Issac Hayes version hasn't got quite the same energy in it, but it still benefits by a more quietly soulful approach. Hearing Michael Jackson sing it puts it in early middle school at best. The theme of this song doesn't do as well as a schoolyard drama.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 28th 1974, Gloria Gaynor performed "Never Can Say Goodbye" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
  Two months earlier on October 27th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on January 19th, 1975 it peaked at #9 (for 1 week) and spent 17 weeks on the Top 100...
  Her version reached #2 in the United Kingdom and #34 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
  (Note: In 1971 the three weeks the Jackson 5's version was at #2, the #1 record for those 3 weeks was "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night).
• Deethewriter from Saint Petersburg, Russia FederationTaken from Original Rolling Stone Review [July 22, 1971]: "Yet "Never Can Say Goodbye" was a great 45 and stands as the strongest, most satisfying cut on the album. The hushed, harmonizing chorus work, bright flute and triangle/bell accents, steady drumming — everything heightens the young-boy tension in Michael's lead, giving him a subtle background to play against and making his "ooo"-squeals at the end all the more delicious. Nothing else quite comes up to this tightly controlled blend of energies[...]."
• Linc from Beaumont, TxI think it's nothing short of a miracle that the Jackson made it - they came onto the scene singing Doo-Woop when it was begining to be outdated.
• Kristin from Bessemer, AlThe Jackson Five's first singles ARE considered "Soul Bubblegum" because it had a danceable beat, lyrics about young love and preteen kids could just enjoy the music.
• Breeze from Riverside, CaThis is one of those songs that transcends time. It was a classic then and is classic today. This song relates to by-gone childhood that is most endearing....
• Elbert from Dallas, TxBeing a composer/musician myself, it should be difficult to pick a "favorite" song; but not for me> This is easily my favorite recorded cut of all time. My Very first "real" concert was seeing the Jackson 5 in 1972. A year later I won my senior high talent show playing the song instrumentally. It later became "our" song (my wife of 26 years & I). Easily the best and smoothest(that flute thread throughout is absolutely haunting!)of all the mega-hits the boys released--and young "black" Michael (lol was a much more accomplished singer than what we have now. His breathing seems to be so much better. Think about it.
• Howard from St. Louis Park, MnThe Jackson Five made an outstanding hit of a song that was more mellow than hits like I Want You Back and ABC. Gloria Gaynor's version would qualify as an early disco hit prior to the emergence of Donna Summer.
• Frank from Westminster, ScAbsolutely, Kenneth! Those kids could sing, and, for my money, this was the best song they ever did. Unfortunately, at the same time, bubblegum nothingballs like the Osmonds, featuring that vile little creep Donny, came crawling out of the woodwork. When I hear him screeching on "One Bad Apple", I want to do something violent and disturbing.
• Kenneth from Cleveland, OhThe experts called the Jackson 5 music bubblegum.Truth is they made some great songs that are flat out classics.
• Keith from Canberra, AustraliaOne of my favourite tracks is "Communards-Never Can Say Goodbye (ext) 7:48 min" - just how they turned a Jackson 5 track into a complex and compeling work of art is a great accomplishment that defies belief.

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