Who Did It Better? Whenever You Need Somebody

Who Did It Better? 

Whenever You Need Somebody

This edition of Who Did It Better? could also be titled Whenever You Need A Song To Follow Up Your First Big Hit And Don't Have An Album To Draw From Just Steal It From The Gal Next To You. 

But that's a bit long, don't you think?

Though it does pretty much sum up what happened, as you're about to learn, when a budding superstar came up short when he needed another hit the most!

Whenever You Need Somebody was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman (AKA: SAW) - a British songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980's through the early 90's. To this day, SAW is considered one of the most successful songwriting and producing partnerships of all time, scoring more than 100 UK Top 40 hits, while selling 40 million records. Their studio was a virtual factory, spinning out hit after hit - their sound, a mix of pop smarts and Euro disco sensibilities, was everywhere. 

Whenever You Need Somebody was originally written for British singer O'Chi Brown, and included on her third album, her first for Magnetic Records, 1986's O'Chi. Released as a single in November of 1985, the track failed to catch fire, peaking at #97 on the UK charts, although it did cause quite a stir in the clubs. At the time, Waterman was beside himself and "on the warpath," according to Brown, regarding the lack of label support for the single. Waterman knew a hit when he heard it!

Brown's version was later released in the states, where it became a surprising #1 hit on Billboard's Dance/Club Play chart. However, it failed to chart on the Billboard's Hot 100, due to a lack of available product in record stores. "They didn't have the physical disc, they'd run out of the physical discs," said Brown. It seems the popularity of the track "caught people by surprise."

Coincidentally, also included on Brown's 1986 album? Learning To Live (Without Your Love,) a song the producers wanted to present as a duet. As luck would have it, Waterman had just the young man for the job - Rick Astley.

Astley had been playing local pubs, drumming in a soul band called FBI. Eventually promoted to lead singer, that is when he caught the eye of Waterman. who saw great potential in the lad, hiring him on as the studio 'tea boy.' This was part of Waterman's grooming process; so Astley could become acquainted with the recording process and overcome his natural shyness. 

A second duet with SAW artist Lisa Fabien, a track titled When You Gonna, followed. Remarkably, without a spot of promotion on the record company's part, the song managed to hit #17 in the Netherlands and #20 in Belgium.

Sensing that the timing was right, Never Gonna Give You Up, Astley's first solo recording, was completed on New Years Day, 1987. Released on July 27th of that same year. the song flew to the top of the charts in both the UK and the US. The instant success caught SAW completely off-guard. 

They didn't have a follow-up single or an album to pull one from. 

The hit factory immediately went into overdrive, with the first point of business being, finding a follow-up to continue the momentum of Astley's runaway success.

Waterman, knowing that there was still some mileage left on it, resurrected Whenever You Need Somebody. Rush released on October 31st, the song would go #1 in seven countries, including Germany, Italy, Sweden,  and Switzerland, while in the UK, it peaked at #3. (Surprisingly, for some reason, it was never released as a single in the US.)   

An album, also rush released, using the second single as it's title, appeared on November 16, 1987. It quickly went to #1 in the UK, Australia, Germany and Scotland, #2 in Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland and #10 in the US.

Reflecting on Astley's success with a song originally written for her, Brown was complimentary, praising Astley's vocals and chart performance, but noted: "I like mine better, what can I tell you? Rick's got a great voice, but I just felt that the song suited a woman, and I felt it suited my voice. I'm not going to say mine was better, but I liked mine more."

Oh, and that duet the two did? In light of Astley's success, it was released as a single in 1987.

It failed to chart.

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Whenever You need Somebody

The Competitors: Brown vs. Astley

Whenever You Need Somebody - O'Chi Brown

Whenever You Need Somebody - Rick Astley

O' Chi Brown

The percussion is pretty standard issue for SAW. Perfectly of its era. That sound was everywhere and we gays were only too happy and willing to jump up and hit the dancefloor anytime something as fun as this came on.

It sounds a bit lightweight. The bass? Seems to be missing in action. 

Brown's voice is a bit narrow. It's not thin, but a strikes me as pointed. And pitchy, especially on the end of phrases. Her vocals are multi-tracked and treated, but fail to gain any depth. 

She's singing off the far back of her soft pallet. Which is why her voice sounds pointed, but not nasal. 

She is not a melodic singer.

I can hear what she's doing, pushing the beat a bit, clipping words, trying to put the emphasis on any syncopation she can find in the melody.

The SAW machine simply plows ahead. I can see why the critics came to dislike these producers. Their arrangements aren't tailored for any singer, but for every singer. It's nice in one way... it allows the singer to really put their stamp on the song, whatever that may be. You have to be a very strong singer to stay afloat. But it also means all their weaknesses are not being compensated for, to say nothing of how the arrangement and  production work bulldoze their way over the song.   

She keeps going just a tiny bit flat because of the way she's attacking parts of the melody. It's a bit like Fran Drescher. The backup vocals are fine. Generic. And I'm starting to see why the producers chose to meld Brown's vocals so closely with them on the chorus.

Odd, little percussive bits every now and then. But they lack depth, warmth and value. 

Oh, dear. That little bridge almost falls apart, bringing the whole machine to a stand still. What a bizarre transition. It's almost anti-musical. 

Huh. The bottom never makes an appearance. It's so thin sounding.

And I have to say, structurally, this is a mess. Pulling the vocal bridge back in and then just fading away on the chorus? Very odd choices.

Rick Astley

I used to call him "Rick Ghastly," but that's because I was hella jell.

The man had pipes. A generous, warm baritone. It was a rarity, as the industry typically only supported tenors. Say what you will about the manufactured pop and his image... the man's talent? Undeniable.

And we gays? We loved him so much. His preppy little demeanor? Oh, we all wanted to be the one to deflower such an untouchable. I have to say, I mistook his shyness for a kind of haughty snobbishness. 

I remember when this hit and there was this out-of-town drag queen doing a runway show at the 90's in the big room, not the drag theatre. For her opening act, she sent out her boyfriend, who looked nothing like Astley, to sing three of his songs to backing tracks. We all blew a fuse and acted like he was Astley. He had a nice, solid voice, but was nothing to look at. We didn't care. He was singing those songs!

Instantly warmer. They haven't really changed much here. It's a cleaner sound. But I think all the warmth is coming from Astley. It's also like he's placed in the mix differently. This is definitely his show. 

Huh. He's been coached to mimic some of Brown's inflections. It's like he's almost sneering on some words, tossing them down and wiping his feet on them. His vowel sounds are certainly not as round as I remember them. His pronunciation of the word 'somebody' is odd.

Oh, they have messed with the arrangement on the chorus. The synths acting as a pseudo horn section? Much more melodic than the they were on Brown's version, where they sounded more like a screeching string section. This is an improvement.

The backing vocals are being kept on a very low burn. Probably due to the strength of Astley's vocals. 

You know, it just sort of all whirls and winds its way around you. I feel like Dorothy in the middle of a twister.

Man, that bridge still sucks. That is some empty airtime. Just deadly. Dead in the water time. Maybe it was to give the dancers time to catch their breath? Musically? It's a dead zone. It adds no value. 

And we repeat the vocal bridge into the chorus, but this time they let him sing the chorus. 

I don't know... it's all so machine-like. 

Is this what Gary Numan was trying to warn us about?

The Verdict

Apparently, not all musical memories are very accurate. 

I remember how exciting this sound was at the time, but quite frankly, listening to it now, I feel like I'm being pushed down an escalator. 

It just thumps and whirls and is so strident. 

Vocally, I think it's much more suited to Astley's voice than Brown's. She's not a strong enough vocalist to compete with all that busy, busy production. Astley, on the other hand, sort of grabs it by the throat from note one and let's it know who's boss. 

So, despite my many misgivings, this easily goes to Astley. His version is warmer and his voice manages to ride above the din, where Brown sort of ends up falling beneath it, until smothered. 

So, it's Astley for me.

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Okay, your turn! 

Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. You know I love a differing opinion.

That's all for now. Until next time...

Thank you for reading... and listening!

Whenever You Need Somebody - O'Chi Brown

Whenever You Need Somebody - Rick Astley

Living Without Your Love - O'Chi Brown and Rick Astley