Just Once
{{About|the 1981 Qunicy Jones song and single|other uses|Just Once (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Just Once
| cover = Just once by quincy jones featuring james ingram US vinyl side-A.png
| caption = Side A of the US single
| alt = side-A label by A&M Records
| type = single
| artist = Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram
| album = The Dude
| B-side = The Dude
| released = September 1981
| recorded = August 1981
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = R&B
| length = 4:32
| label = A&M
| writer = Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
| producer = Quincy Jones
| chronology = Quincy Jones
| prev_title = Ai No Corrida
| prev_year = 1981
| next_title = Razzamatazz
| next_year = 1981
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = James Ingram
| type = single
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| title = Just Once
| year = 1981
| next_title = One Hundred Ways
| next_year = 1981
}}
}}
"Just Once" is a 1981 single released from Quincy Jones' album The Dude on A&M Records. The song features James Ingram on vocals, and reached number 17 on the Billboard chart in the summer of 1981.{{Cite web|url=http://www.musicvf.com/song.php?id=33851|title=Just Once (Song by Quincy Jones) • Music VF, US & UK hits charts|website=Musicvf.com|access-date=2013-01-04|archive-date=2019-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802202413/https://www.musicvf.com/song.php?id=33851|url-status=live}} Ingram's singing was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammy Awards.
History and composition
On a television program interview, Ingram stated that this song was a $50 demo done by ATV Music, composed by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Quincy Jones called back and wanted Ingram to sing on his album.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160308032645/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSGhmPZof2Q]
The song is composed originally in the key of C major. The bridge modulates to the key of A flat major, moves to B major, then to D major for the final chorus, finally ending in B major for the coda, representing the song's sad ending.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}
Personnel
{{Div col}}
- James Ingram – lead vocal
- Steve Lukather – guitar
- Robbie Buchanan – acoustic piano, string synthesizer
- David Foster – acoustic and electric piano
- Greg Phillinganes – synthesizer
- Ian Underwood – synthesizer, synthesizer programming
- Abraham Laboriel – bass guitar
- John Robinson – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Patti Austin – background vocals
- Jerry Hey – horn arrangement, trumpet
- Chuck Findley – trumpet
- Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone
- Kim Hutchcroft – saxophone, flute
- Ernie Watts – saxophone, flute
- Johnny Mandel – string arrangement, synthesizer arrangement
- Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
- Quincy Jones – vocal arrangement, rhythm arrangement
{{Div col end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable"
! Chart (1982) ! Peak |
| US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}
| {{center|17}} |
| US Billboard R&B Singles{{cite book |title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2005 |publisher=Record Research }}
| {{center|11}} |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary{{cite book |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2002 |publisher=Record Research |page=131}}
| {{center|7}} |
Popular culture
- The song was featured prominently over the final scene of the 1982 film The Last American Virgin.
- The song was referenced in Quest for Ratings, the 11th Episode of the 8th Season of South Park when Stan says "We gave it our best" to which teacher Mr. Meryl responds "And I guess your best wasn't good enough".
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Quincy Jones}}
{{James Ingram}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Contemporary R&B ballads
Category:Songs written by Barry Mann
Category:Songs with lyrics by Cynthia Weil
{{1980s-R&B-song-stub}}