Like I've Never Been Gone

{{Infobox song

|name=Like I've Never Been Gone

|cover=Billy Fury Like I've Never Been Gone.jpg

|alt=

| caption =

|type=single

|artist=Billy Fury

|album=

|B-side=What Do You Think You're Doing Of

|released={{start date|1963|2|8|df=yes}}

|recorded=14 December 1962{{Cite web|title=Like I've Never Been Gone|url=http://www.nic.fi/~nallew/pages/like.html|access-date=2021-08-26|website=www.nic.fi}}

|studio=Decca Studios, London

|venue=

|genre=Pop

|length={{duration|m=2|s=01}}

|label=Decca

|writer=

Paul Hampton
Camille Monte

|producer=Mike Smith

|prev_title=Because of Love

|prev_year=1962

|next_title=When Will You Say I Love You

|next_year=1963

}}

"Like I've Never Been Gone" is a song written by Paul Hampton and Camille Monte and first released by American country singer Chase Webster in July 1962. In February 1963, English singer Billy Fury released a cover of the song which peaked at number 3 on the Record Retailer Top 50.

Billy Fury version

= Release and reception =

"Like I've Never Been Gone" was released with the B-side "What Do You Think You're Doing Of", written by Fury. The phrase 'what are you doing of' was another way of saying 'what are you doing'.{{Cite book|last1=Victor|first1=Terry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GIuEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA206|title=The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English|last2=Dalzell|first2=Tom|date=2007|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-61534-6|pages=206|language=en}}

Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl wrote that "Like I've Never Been Gone" "is the kind of song I can imagine Presley wishing he'd got his hands on. Instead it's going to make another hit for Fury. A sultry Latin beater which he sings in his most commercial voice. First-class backing, including chorus, is directed by Ivor Raymonde".{{cite magazine|date=8 February 1963|title=Disc Date|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Disc/1963/DISC-1963-02-09.pdf|magazine=Disc|page=9|access-date=26 August 2021|accessdate=}} In New Record Mirror, the song was described as "a semi-bluesy, semi-ballady thing with a good tune and an especially good lyric. Powerful Presley-type vocalising from Billy – this could be a really big one".{{cite magazine|date=9 February 1963|title=A Really Big One From Fury|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/60s/63/Record-Mirror-1963-02-09-S-OCR.pdf|magazine=Record Mirror|page=9|access-date=26 August 2021|accessdate=}}

=Track listing=

7": Decca / F 11582

"Like I've Never Been Gone" – 2:01
"What Do You Think You're Doing Of" – 2:59

= Charts =

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (1963) !Peak position
{{singlechart\|Ireland2\|5\|song=Like I've Never Been Gone\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\|Israel (Kol Yisrael){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1963/Billboard%201963-07-06.pdf\|title=Hits of the World\|magazine=Billboard\|page=31\|date=6 July 1963\|access-date=27 August 2021}} \|3
scope="row"\|New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade){{cite web \|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qartistid=185#n_view_location\|title=Lever Hit Parade\|website=flavourofnz.co.nz\|accessdate=2021-08-26}} \|7
scope="row" \|UK Disc Top 30{{cite magazine\|date=16 February 1963\|title=Top 30\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Disc/1963/DISC-1963-03-16.pdf\|magazine=Disc\|page=3\|access-date=26 August 2021}} \|3
scope="row" \|UK Melody Maker Pop 50{{cite magazine\|date=30 March 1963\|title=Pop Fifty\|url=\|magazine=Melody Maker\|page=\|accessdate=}} \|3
scope="row" \|UK New Musical Express Top 30{{cite magazine\|date=15 March 1963\|title=NME Music Charts\|url=\|magazine=New Musical Express\|page=\|access-date=}} \|3
scope="row"\|UK Record Retailer Top 50{{Cite web\|title=Billy Fury {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company\|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/6970/billy-fury/\|access-date=2022-10-02\|website=www.officialcharts.com}} \|3

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

Chart (1963)

!Peak
position

{{singlechart|Ireland2|5|song=Like I've Never Been Gone|rowheader=true}}

scope="row"|Israel (Kol Yisrael){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1963/Billboard%201963-07-06.pdf|title=Hits of the World|magazine=Billboard|page=31|date=6 July 1963|access-date=27 August 2021}}

scope="row"|New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade){{cite web |url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qartistid=185#n_view_location|title=Lever Hit Parade|website=flavourofnz.co.nz|accessdate=2021-08-26}}

scope="row" |UK Disc Top 30{{cite magazine|date=16 February 1963|title=Top 30|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Disc/1963/DISC-1963-03-16.pdf|magazine=Disc|page=3|access-date=26 August 2021}}

scope="row" |UK Melody Maker Pop 50{{cite magazine|date=30 March 1963|title=Pop Fifty|url=|magazine=Melody Maker|page=|accessdate=}}

scope="row" |UK New Musical Express Top 30{{cite magazine|date=15 March 1963|title=NME Music Charts|url=|magazine=New Musical Express|page=|access-date=}}

scope="row"|UK Record Retailer Top 50{{Cite web|title=Billy Fury {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/6970/billy-fury/|access-date=2022-10-02|website=www.officialcharts.com}}

References

Category:1963 singles

Category:1963 songs

Category:Decca Records singles

Category:Billy Fury songs

Category:Songs written by Paul Hampton

Category:Song recordings produced by Mike Smith (British record producer)