Especially for You#Cover versions

Minogue and Donovan had both appeared on the hit Australian TV series Neighbours, building a considerable following as an onscreen couple in both Australia and the UK. They were also the subject of much media and public speculation about their off-screen romance, which at the time of this release they were still denying, in an effort to protect their privacy.{{Cite web |title=A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 40: Especially For You on Apple Podcasts |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ep-40-especially-for-you/id1565879477?i=1000582068535 |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=Apple Podcasts |language=en-AU}}

Minogue had released the album Kylie, while Donovan was working on his debut album Ten Good Reasons. Both singers were produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, fuelling speculation in the British press that they were planning to release a duet. SAW and the two singers all denied any plan to do so, with the producers fearing the project would be too "crass" and "commercial", and Minogue expressing concerns a duet would again stir up unwelcome interest in her romance with Donovan.

However, interest continued to rise, as the proposed track was anticipated to coincide with the wedding of Kylie and Jason's TV characters, Charlene Mitchell and Scott Robinson, on British TV, and would also be a strong contender for Christmas number one on the UK charts. An order of 250,000 copies by British retailer Woolworths finally forced the producers to make the record, with the team feeling they could not shun that scale of demand from the market.

The song's title was inspired by a greeting card, with Stock and Aitken fleshing out the lyrics along that theme. With time running short, Aitken and Waterman flew to Sydney to record the vocals with Minogue and Donovan, with the session running all night. Work on mixing was then done in London, with Waterman saying he and Stock hated the first completed version so much that he considered completely dumping the record. A last minute remix by engineer Pete Hammond, which changed the drums and moved the harmony vocals to the opening of the track, satisfied the team and the track was then rushed to release.

The song was released as a single on 28 November 1988 in the UK, and was later included on both Donovan's debut album, and the American version of Minogue's second album, Enjoy Yourself. The song was used in Neighbours on two occasions: Firstly in September 2018 for David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) and Aaron Brennan's (Matt Wilson) wedding, which was the first same-sex marriage for the serial and the first to be screened on Australian television.{{cite news|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/neighbours/a865361/neighbours-david-aaron-wedding-song/|work=Digital Spy|date=2018|accessdate=1 January 2024|title=Neighbours reveals which iconic song will be played at David and Aaron's wedding today|first=Dan|last=Seddon}} The song was used again in July 2022 for the series' then-finale episode, which Donovan and Minogue reprised their respective roles as Scott and Charlene.{{cite news| url=https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/29/especially-for-you-scott-and-charlene-return-to-neighbours-with-kylie-and-jason-track-17074614/|date=29 July 2022|accessdate=1 January 2024|title=specially For You! Scott and Charlene return to Neighbours with Kylie and Jason's signature track|first=Stephen|last=Patterson|work=Metro}}

In 2014, Matt Dunn of WhatCulture ranked the song at number four in his "15 unforgettable Stock Aitken Waterman singles" list.{{cite web|url=https://whatculture.com/music/15-unforgettable-stock-aitken-waterman-singles?page=13 |first=Matt |last=Dunn |title=15 unforgettable Stock Aitken Waterman singles |publisher=WhatCulture |date=16 January 2014 |accessdate=1 February 2024}} In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation's 20th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV,{{cite news | url= http://metro.co.uk/2015/07/25/the-nations-favourite-80s-number-one-12-more-classic-80s-chart-toppers-which-didnt-make-the-cut-5312786/ | title= The Nation's Favourite 80s Number One: 12 more classic 80s chart-toppers which didn't make the cut | work=Metro | first=Caroline | last=Westbrook | date=25 July 2015 | access-date=27 July 2015}} and in 2021, Classic Pop magazine ranked it number 23 in their list of "Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.classicpopmag.com/2021/08/stock-aitken-waterman-songs/|first=|last=|title=Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs|magazine=Classic Pop|accessdate=6 September 2021}} In 2023, Robert Moran of Australian daily tabloid newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald ranked the song as Minogue's 75th best song (out of 183), a duet he found better than the one with Nick Cave.{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/every-kylie-minogue-song-ranked-170-1-20230906-p5e2dk.html |title=Every Kylie Minogue song ranked |first1=Robert |last1=Moran |first2=Annabel |last2=Ross |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 September 2023 |issn=0312-6315 |place=Sydney |accessdate=28 February 2024}}

"Especially for You" debuted at number two in Australia and stayed at that position for four consecutive weeks. This marked Donovan's highest peak in Australia, but not Minogue's, after setting a record with her first three singles debuting at number one, and who then went on to have four more number ones. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number four, and peaked at number two. To date, this is Donovan's only single to peak in the top twenty, and was at the time Minogue's longest-charting single in that country, staying for 21 weeks, before being surpassed by "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (2001), which peaked at number one.{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Kylie+%26+Jason&titel=Especially+For+You&cat=s |title=Kylie & Jason - Especially for You |publisher=charts.nz |access-date=30 March 2014}} The song then debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart, staying there for four weeks, rising to number one for three consecutive weeks. The song stayed in the chart for 14 weeks in total. It was Minogue's second number-one out of seven,{{cite web|author=Official Charts |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/43484/kylie-minogue/|title=Kylie Minogue|publisher=officialcharts.com |access-date=13 December 2014}} and Donovan's first of four.{{cite web|author=Official Charts |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/artists/jason-donovan/|title=JASON DONOVAN|publisher=officialcharts.com |access-date=13 December 2014}} In 2014 the song became one of only 154 singles in UK Official Charts History to reach 1 million sales.{{cite web|author=Justin Meyers |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/kylie-and-jasons-especially-for-you-hits-one-million-uk-sales-3347/|title=Kylie and Jason's Especially for You hits one million UK sales. Kylie: "I'm thrilled!"|publisher=officialcharts.com |access-date=13 December 2014}}

In the European markets, the song debuted at number 39 on the French Singles Chart and rose to number three for two consecutive weeks. This was Minogue's highest peaking single in France until 2001's "Can't Get You Out of My Head". The song debuted at number 73 on the Dutch Top 40, peaking at number four for a sole week, and was her highest peaking song until "Can't Get You Out of My Head". The song spent a sole week at number ten in Norway. The song had debuted at number 15 in Sweden, until peaking at number twelve for a solitary week. In Switzerland, the song peaked at number two for a single week, staying in the charts for fifteen weeks. This was Minogue's highest peaking song until "Can't Get You Out of My Head". The song peaked at number twelve in Austria for one week.{{cite web|url=http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Kylie+%26+Jason&titel=Especially+For+You&cat=s |title=Kylie & Jason - Especially for You |publisher=austriancharts.at |access-date=30 March 2014}} "Especially for You" was Minogue's biggest-selling single in the United Kingdom until 2001's "Can't Get You Out of My Head". The duet is also the bestselling Stock Aitken Waterman-penned single, selling more than one million copies to date as of December 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.smoothradio.com/news/especially-for-you-kylie-jason-hits-1m-uk-sales/|work=Smooth Radio|date=12 December 2014|title='Especially for You' Hits 1m Sales In UK|accessdate=1 February 2023|archive-date=1 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201110355/https://www.smoothradio.com/news/especially-for-you-kylie-jason-hits-1m-uk-sales/|url-status=dead}}

Minogue performed the song on the following concert tours:

• Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour
• Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour
• Aphrodite World Tour 2011 (only performed during her tour in Manila, Philippines upon request){{YouTube|NGahqLL6ifA|Kylie Minogue - Especially for You (Aphrodite Tour 2011 Live in Manila)}}
• Kiss Me Once Tour (performed upon request in Liverpool)
• A Kylie Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall
• Golden Tour
• Summer 2019

The song was also performed on:

• An Audience with Kylie Minogue 2001 TV special, a duet with Kermit the Frog.
• Sport Relief 2014 duet with David Walliams.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKC7t8ps47s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/rKC7t8ps47s |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Kylie Minogue and David Walliams perform Especially For You|last=Comic Relief|first=BBC|date=21 March 2014|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

Donovan performed the song on the following concert tours:

• Doin' Fine Tour 1990
• Ten Good Reasons & Greatest Hits Tour 2016

In July 2012, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan performed the song at the Hit Factory Live concert, their first performance together since 1989.{{cite web|url=http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=148488&fm=newsmain,nrhl|title=Kylie Minogue has confirmed she is duetting with Jason Donovan at PWL Hyde Park - 06-Jun-2012|date=6 June 2012|publisher=Home.nzcity.co.nz|access-date=30 March 2014}} On 9 September 2018, Donovan joined Minogue on stage to perform the song as part of Minogue's headlining set at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-45467633|title=Kylie and Jason dance again in Hyde Park|date=9 September 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=25 July 2018|language=en-GB}}

• CD single

1. "Especially for You" (extended) – 5:01
2. "All I Wanna Do Is Make You Mine" (extended) – 6:00
3. "Especially for You" – 3:58

• 7-inch single

1. "Especially for You" – 3:58
2. "All I Wanna Do Is Make You Mine" – 3:34

• 12-inch single

1. "Especially for You" (extended) – 5:01
2. "All I Wanna Do Is Make You Mine" (extended) – 6:00

• 7-inch & Cassette single 2022 Reissue

1. "Especially for You" - 3:58
2. "Especially for You" (Instrumental) - 3:58

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Especially for You"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1988|certyear=1988|access-date=10 January 2015|certref=}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|artist=Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan|title=Especially for You|award=Gold|relyear=1988|certyear=1988|certmonth=12|source=infodisc|access-date=10 January 2015}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Malaysia|nocert=true|salesamount=8,000|salesref={{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GmNPAAAAIBAJ&dq=Minogue&pg=PA17&article_id=3249,1458548|title=Promoting the cassette single|newspaper=New Straits Times|date=6 September 1989|access-date=19 October 2024|page=17|first=R.S.|last=Murthi}}|access-date=19 October 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Kylie & Jason|title=Especially for You|relyear=1988|certyear=2024|award=Platinum|id=2085-342-1|salesamount=1,090,000|salesref={{cite news|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/kylie-minogues-official-top-40-biggest-selling-songs__22391/|title=Kylie Minogue's Official Top 40 biggest selling songs|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=11 October 2011|first=Justin|last=Myers|date=25 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406230839/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/kylie-minogues-official-top-40-biggest-selling-songs__22391/|archive-date=6 April 2018|url-status=live}}|access-date=29 June 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/kylie-minogue/especially-for-you "Especially for You" - Lyrics]

{{Kylie Minogue singles}}

{{Jason Donovan}}

{{Children in Need}}

{{Stock Aitken Waterman}}

{{MYMP|state=autocollapse}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Especially for You}}

Category:1988 songs

Category:1988 singles

Category:1980s ballads

Category:European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles

Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:Jason Donovan songs

Category:Kylie Minogue songs

Category:Male–female vocal duets

Category:Pete Waterman Entertainment singles

Category:Pop ballads

Category:Song recordings produced by Stock Aitken Waterman

Category:Songs written by Matt Aitken

Category:Songs written by Mike Stock (musician)

Category:UK singles chart number-one singles

Category:Ultratop 50 Singles (Wallonia) number-one singles