Never for Ever

{{Infobox album

| name = Never for Ever

| cover = Katebushneverforever.png

| alt = A pencil drawing of a woman with many creatures flying out from under her dress

| released = {{start date|1980|09|08|df=y}}{{cite AV media notes |title=The Whole Story |publisher=EMI Canada |id=PWAS17242}}

| recorded = September 1979 – May 1980

| studio = Abbey Road and AIR, London{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Kate-Bush-Never-For-Ever/release/580107|title=Kate Bush – Never for Ever (1980, Gatefold Cover, Vinyl)|website=Discogs|date=1980 }}

| genre = {{hlist|Progressive pop|art rock{{cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Kate |title=Kate Bush: where to start in her back catalogue |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/13/kate-bush-where-to-start-in-her-back-catalogue |website=The Guardian |date=13 May 2020 |access-date=18 June 2022}}|new wave{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/thirteen-new-wave-album-classics|title=Thirteen New Wave Album Classics|website=AllMusic}}}}

| length = {{duration|m=37|s=16}}

| label = EMI (UK)
EMI America (US)
Harvest (Canada)

| producer = {{hlist|Kate Bush|Jon Kelly}}

| prev_title = On Stage

| prev_year = 1979

| next_title = The Dreaming

| next_year = 1982

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Kate Bush studio album

| type = studio

| prev_title = Lionheart

| prev_year = 1978

| title = Never for Ever

| year = 1980

| next_title = The Dreaming

| next_year = 1982

}}

{{Singles

| name = Never for Ever

| type = studio

| single1 = Breathing

| single1date = 14 April 1980

| single2 = Babooshka

| single2date = 27 June 1980

| single3 = Army Dreamers

| single3date = 22 September 1980

}}

Never for Ever is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, released on 8 September 1980 by EMI Records, it was Bush's first No. 1 album and was also the first album by a British female solo artist to top the UK Albums Chart, as well as being the first album by any female solo artist to enter the chart at No. 1. It has since been certified Gold by the BPI. It features the UK Top 20 singles "Breathing", "Army Dreamers" and "Babooshka", the latter being one of Bush's biggest hits. Bush co-produced the album with Jon Kelly.

Background

Beginning production after her 1979 tour, Never for Ever was Bush's second foray into production (her first was for the On Stage EP the previous year), aided by the engineer of Lionheart (1978), Jon Kelly.{{cite web |title=Kate Bush |url=http://www.nndb.com/people/504/000025429/ |publisher=NNDB |access-date=3 April 2007}} Bush was keen to start producing her work and felt that this was the first album she was happy with, since it was more personal.

The first two albums had resulted in a particular sound, which was evident in every track, with lush orchestral arrangements supporting the live band sound. The range of styles on Never for Ever is much more diverse, veering from the straightforward rocker "Violin" to the wistful waltz of hit single "Army Dreamers". Never for Ever was the first Kate Bush album to feature digital synthesizers and drum machines, in particular the Fairlight CMI, which was programmed by Richard James Burgess and John L. Walters. Like her previous two albums, it was initially composed on piano.

Bush's literary and cinematic influences were again to the fore. "The Infant Kiss", the story of a governess who is frightened by the adult feelings she has for her young male charge (who is possessed by the spirit of a grown man), was inspired by the 1961 film The Innocents, which in turn had been inspired by The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.{{Cite web|url=http://gaffa.org/reaching/ir80_r1.html|title=Gaffaweb - Kate Bush - REACHING OUT - Never For Ever Debut with Peter Powell - Radio 1 - Oct 11, 1980|website=gaffa.org}} "The Wedding List" drew from François Truffaut's 1968 film The Bride Wore Black.Irwin, Colin. [http://gaffa.org/reaching/i80_mm.html Paranoia and Passion of the Kate Inside], Melody Maker 10 October 1980. Accessed: 12 November 2011. "Delius (Song of Summer)" was inspired by the 1968 Ken Russell television film Song of Summer, which portrays the last six years of the life of English composer Frederick Delius, when Eric Fenby acted as his amanuensis. Fenby is mentioned in the lyrics ("in B, Fenby").{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTAvwX_eJco |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/UTAvwX_eJco |archive-date=22 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Kate Bush on Russell Harty – YouTube |date=15 July 2007 |via=YouTube |access-date=10 January 2013}}{{cbignore}} "Blow Away (for Bill)" commemorates her lighting director Bill Duffield, killed in an accident at Poole Arts Centre during her 1979 tour.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3502568|"Kate Bush – singer-songwriter".] BBC. 4 February 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2010. The song links his name to those of several music stars who died in the previous decade—Minnie Riperton, Keith Moon, Sandy Denny, Sid Vicious, Marc Bolan—and one earlier icon, Buddy Holly.

Never for Ever is the only studio album by Bush up to Director's Cut (2011) not to have a title track. According to Bush, the title alluded to conflicting emotions, good and bad, which pass, as she stated: "we must tell our hearts that it is 'never for ever', and be happy that it's like that".

The album cover is an illustration (in pencil) by artist Nick Price, who had also designed the cover for the programme for her 1979 tour. Bush was pleased with the results (it depicts a multitude of animals and monsters emerging from under her skirt). Of the concept, Bush said that it reflects the title, depicting good and bad things that emerge from one's self. The album was released on compact disc in Japan in 1987 with the cover art modified. A section of the original cover art was enlarged, creating two different booklet covers: the outer one modified; and underneath the original.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/6989033-Kate-Bush-Never-For-Ever|title=Kate Bush - Never For Ever|date=25 February 1987|via=www.discogs.com}} The album's cover was voted 'Greatest Album Cover of 1980' by Record Mirror.

"Violin" and "Egypt" were performed live during The Tour of Life in April-May 1979. "The Wedding List" was aired in a BBC Christmas Special on 28 December 1979.{{cite web |title=Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special 1979 |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1427061/ |publisher=IMDb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210234552/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1427061/ |archive-date=10 February 2017}}

Release and critical reception

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/never-for-ever-mw0000649941 |title=Never for Ever – Kate Bush |publisher=AllMusic|access-date=24 November 2020 |last=DeGagne |first=Mike}}

| rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Bush, Kate |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |pages=850–51 |publisher=Omnibus Press |edition=3rd |year=1998 |isbn=0-333-74134-X}}

| rev3 = The Great Rock Discography

| rev3Score = 6/10{{cite book|last=Strong|first=Martin C.|author-link=Martin C. Strong|year=2006|pages=146–47|chapter=Kate Bush|title=The Great Rock Discography|publisher=Canongate U.S.|isbn=978-184195-827-9}}

| rev4 = Mojo

| rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Sutcliffe |first=Phil |date=June 2011 |title=A Magnificent Obsession |magazine=Mojo |issue=211 |pages=82–83}}

| rev5 = MusicHound Rock

| rev5Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|last=Galens|first=David|editor-last1=Graff|editor-first1=Gary|editor-last2=Durchholz|editor-first2=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|edition=2nd|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|isbn=1-57859-061-2|pages=179–80}}

| rev6 = Q

| rev6Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Lynskey |first=Dorian |date=August 2017 |title=Coming of Age: Three Other Records that Waved Goodbye to Adolescence |magazine=Q |page=100}}

| rev7 = Record Mirror

| rev7score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine |url=http://gaffa.org/reaching/rev_nfe.html#kg |title=Kate Grates |magazine=Record Mirror |date=6 September 1980 |access-date=20 November 2013 |last=Gurr |first=Ronnie |page=18}}

| rev8 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Kate Bush |last=Considine |first=J. D. |author-link=J. D. Considine |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/122 122–23]}}

| rev9 = Smash Hits

| rev9score = 8/10{{cite magazine |title=Kate Bush: Never for Ever |magazine=Smash Hits |volume=2 |issue=19 |date=18 September – 1 October 1980 |last=Duff |first=Linda |page=35}}

| rev10 = Spin Alternative Record Guide

| rev10score = 6/10{{cite book |chapter=Kate Bush |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=Vintage Books |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=62–63}}

}}

With work on the album completed in May, Never for Ever was released on 8 September 1980. Over the following week, Bush undertook a record signing tour of the UK including London, which resulted in lengthy queues down Oxford Street.{{Cite web|url=http://gaffa.org/garden/chrono.html#79|title=Gaffaweb - Kate Bush - THE GARDEN - A Chronology of Kate Bush's Career|website=gaffa.org}} During October she also undertook promotional appearances for the album throughout Europe, most prominently in Germany and France. In the US, the album was initially unreleased following the failure of her debut. As Bush gained a cult following over the coming years, however, Never for Ever was belatedly released in 1984 following the entry into the charts of her fourth album, The Dreaming.

Never for Ever entered the UK Albums Chart on (week-ending) 20 September 1980 at No. 1. It remained there for one week, staying in the top 75 for a total of 23 weeks.{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/kate%20bush/|title=The Official UK Charts – Kate Bush|website=Official Charts }} The album became Bush's first record to reach the top position on the UK Albums Chart, also making her the first female British solo artist to achieve that status.{{cite news |first=Nigel |last=Williamson |author-link=Nigel Williamson |title=The Mighty Bush |newspaper=Scotland on Sunday |date=2005-10-02 |url=http://gaffaweb.org/reaching/rev_aer_UK1.html |access-date=2009-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629184811/http://gaffaweb.org/reaching/rev_aer_UK1.html |archive-date=29 June 2017 |url-status=dead }} Technically, Never for Ever is the first studio album (i.e. not a greatest hits compilation) by any solo female artist to reach number 1 in the UK as only Barbra Streisand and Connie Francis had achieved the feat prior to 1980 but with compilation albums (Diana Ross had also achieved three UK number 1 albums by then but these were also compilations and were credited to Diana Ross & The Supremes, and were therefore not solo albums).

Three singles were released from the album—all of which fared well in the charts. The first, "Breathing", reached No. 16 in the UK, as did the third, "Army Dreamers".{{cite web| url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27937/kate-bush/ | title= Kate Bush {{!}} full Official Chart History| publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=10 July 2020}} The second single, "Babooshka", became one of Bush's biggest hits, peaking at No. 5 in the summer of 1980 in the UK and faring even better in Australia, where it reached No. 2 and was the 20th best-selling single of the year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.australianchartbooks.com.au/|title=Australian Chart Books|website=www.australianchartbooks.com.au}}

In November 2018, Bush released box sets of remasters of her studio albums, including Never For Ever.

The album was favourably received by music critics at the time, save for a curiously critical review in Record Mirror, which appears to criticise the album (and Bush herself), while complimenting a number of tracks. Based largely on this album, Bush was voted "Best female artist of 1980" in polls taken in Melody Maker, Sounds, the Sunday Telegraph, and Capital Radio. Bush herself has said that it was her favourite album to date. More recently, AllMusic gave the album a favourable review, complimenting the three singles most highly but said that Bush would improve on the formula on later albums. In 2020, Rolling Stone included Never for Ever in their "80 Greatest albums of 1980" list, praising Bush for her songwriting and her imagination.{{cite web|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-1980-1075743/|title=The 80 Greatest Albums of 1980 What came out of all this was, arguably, the greatest year for great albums ever|publisher=Rolling Stone|date=11 November 2020 |access-date=12 November 2020}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| all_writing = Kate Bush

| title1 = Babooshka

| length1 = 3:20

| title2 = Delius (Song of Summer)

| length2 = 2:51

| title3 = Blow Away (For Bill)

| length3 = 3:33

| title4 = All We Ever Look For

| length4 = 3:47

| title5 = Egypt

| length5 = 4:10

| total_length = 17:41

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| title6 = The Wedding List

| length6 = 4:15

| title7 = Violin

| length7 = 3:15

| title8 = The Infant Kiss

| length8 = 2:50

| title9 = Night Scented Stock

| length9 = 0:51

| title10 = Army Dreamers

| length10 = 2:55

| title11 = Breathing

| length11 = 5:29

| total_length = 19:35

}}

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Never for Ever liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Never for Ever|others=Kate Bush|year=1980|publisher=EMI Records|type=CD booklet}}

Kate Bush – vocals; piano; keyboards; harmony vocals; Fairlight CMI digital sampling synthesizer; Yamaha CS-80 polyphonic synthesizer (1, 4); arranger
John L. Walters and Richard James Burgess – Fairlight CMI programming
Max Middleton – Fender Rhodes piano (1, 3, 5, 6, 11); Minimoog (5); string arrangements (3, 6)
Duncan Mackay – Fairlight CMI (4, 10)
Michael Moran – Prophet-5 synthesizer (5)
Larry Fast – Prophet synthesizer (11)
Alan Murphy – electric guitar (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 11); electric guitar solo (7); acoustic guitar (4, 10); bass (10)
Brian Bath – electric guitar (1, 6, 7, 11); acoustic guitar (3, 4, 10); backing vocals (6, 10)
Paddy Bush – backing vocals (1, 4, 5, 6, 10); balalaika (1); sitar; bass vocals and voice of "Delius" (2); koto (4); strumento de porco (psaltery) (5); harmonica and musical saw (6); banshee (7); mandolin (10)
Kevin Burke – violin (7)
Adam Skeaping – viola da gamba (8); string arrangements (8)
Joseph Skeaping – lironi (8); string arrangements (8)
John Giblin – bass (1); fretless bass (11)
Del Palmer – fretless bass (3); bass guitar (5, 6, 7)
Preston Heyman – drums (3, 5, 6, 7); percussion (2, 3, 5); backing vocals (4, 6)
Stuart Elliott – drums (1, 11); bodhrán (10)
Roland – percussion (2)
Morris Pert – timpani (4); percussion (11)
Ian Bairnson – bass vocals (2)
Gary Hurst – backing vocals (1, 4)
Andrew Bryant – backing vocals (4)
Roy Harper – backing vocals (11)
The Martyn Ford Orchestra – strings (3, 6)

Production

Kate Bush – producer
Jon Kelly – co-producer; recording engineer
Jon Jacobs – assistant engineer

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row" \| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{Cite book\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, NSW\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} \| 7
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Initial weekly chart performance for Never for Ever ! scope="col" \| Chart (1980) ! scope="col" \| Peak position
{{album chart\|Canada\|44\|chartid=0273\|rowheader=true\|access-date=30 July 2023}}
{{album chart\|Netherlands\|4\|artist=Kate Bush\|album=Never for Ever\|rowheader=true\|access-date=30 July 2023}}
scope="row" \| French Albums (IFOP){{cite web\|url=http://infodisc.fr/Album_B.php\|title=InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste : Kate Bush\|publisher=infodisc.fr\|access-date=31 January 2014\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107224423/http://infodisc.fr/Album_B.php\|archive-date=7 November 2011\|df=dmy-all}} \|1
{{album chart\|Germany4\|5\|artist=Kate Bush\|album=Never for Ever\|id=5634\|rowheader=true\|access-date=30 July 2023}}
scope="row" \| Israeli Albums (IBA){{cite magazine\|title= Billboard Magazine, Hits of the World, 1980\|magazine=Billboard\|date=27 December 1980\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_SQEAAAAMBAJ&q=Army+Dreamers+Kate+Bush+Billboard+Hits+World&pg=PT74 \|access-date=2018-02-28}} \| 5
scope="row" \| Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite book\|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005\|publisher=Oricon Entertainment\|location=Roppongi, Tokyo\|year=2006\|isbn=4-87131-077-9}} \|40
{{album chart\|New Zealand\|31\|artist=Kate Bush\|album=Never for Ever\|rowheader=true\|access-date=30 July 2023}}
{{album chart\|Norway\|2\|artist=Kate Bush\|album=Never for Ever\|rowheader=true\|access-date=30 July 2023}}
{{album chart\|Sweden\|16\|artist=Kate Bush\|album=Never for Ever\|rowheader=true\|access-date=30 July 2023}}
{{album chart\|UK2\|1\|date=19800914\|rowheader=true\|access-date=30 July 2023}}

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

|+ 2014 weekly chart performance for Never for Ever

! scope="col" | Chart (2014)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

{{album chart|UK2|38|date=20140831|rowheader=true|access-date=30 July 2023|refname=UK14}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Year-end chart performance for Never for Ever ! scope="col" \| Chart (1980) ! scope="col" \| Position
scope="row" \| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) \| 55
scope="row" \| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web\|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1980&cat=a \|title=Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1980\|format=ASP\|language=nl\|access-date=2 April 2014}} \|31
scope="row" \| French Albums (IFOP){{cite web\|url=http://www.infodisc.fr/B-CD_1980.php\|title=Les Albums (CD) de 1980 par InfoDisc\|language=fr\|publisher=infodisc.fr\|access-date=2012-01-29}} \|34
scope="row" \| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100){{cite web\|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1981\|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts\|date=1981\|publisher=GfK Entertainment Charts\|language=de\|access-date=3 April 2022\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019142750/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1981\|archive-date=19 October 2021}} \| 58
scope="row" \| UK Albums (OCC){{cite web \|url = http://chartheaven.9.forumer.com/a/complete-uk-yearend-album-charts_post21.html \|title = Complete UK Year-End Album Charts \|access-date = 2011-09-12 \|url-status = dead \|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120111074744/http://chartheaven.9.forumer.com/a/complete-uk-yearend-album-charts_post21.html \|archive-date = 11 January 2012}} \|27

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

|+ Year-end chart performance for Never for Ever

! scope="col" | Chart (1980)

! scope="col" | Position

scope="row" | Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)

| 55

scope="row" | Dutch Albums (Album Top 100){{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1980&cat=a |title=Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1980|format=ASP|language=nl|access-date=2 April 2014}}

|31

scope="row" | French Albums (IFOP){{cite web|url=http://www.infodisc.fr/B-CD_1980.php|title=Les Albums (CD) de 1980 par InfoDisc|language=fr|publisher=infodisc.fr|access-date=2012-01-29}}

|34

scope="row" | German Albums (Offizielle Top 100){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1981|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|date=1981|publisher=GfK Entertainment Charts|language=de|access-date=3 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019142750/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1981|archive-date=19 October 2021}}

| 58

scope="row" | UK Albums (OCC){{cite web

|url = http://chartheaven.9.forumer.com/a/complete-uk-yearend-album-charts_post21.html

|title = Complete UK Year-End Album Charts

|access-date = 2011-09-12

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120111074744/http://chartheaven.9.forumer.com/a/complete-uk-yearend-album-charts_post21.html

|archive-date = 11 January 2012}}

|27

Certifications and sales

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Never for Ever}}

{{Certification Table Entry|title=Never for Ever|type=album|artist=Kate Bush|relyear=1980|region=Canada|award=Platinum}}

{{Certification Table Entry|title=Never for Ever|type=album|artist=Kate Bush|relyear=1980|region=France|award=Gold|source=infodisc|certyear=1981}}

{{Certification Table Entry|title=Never for Ever|type=album|artist=Kate Bush|certyear=1982|relyear=1980|region=Germany|award=Gold}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan (Oricon)|nocert=yes|salesamount=17,910|salesref=}}

{{Certification Table Entry|title=Never for Ever|type=album|artist=Kate Bush|relyear=1980|region=Netherlands|award=Gold}}

{{Certification Table Entry|title=Never for Ever|type=album|artist=Kate Bush|relyear=1980|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|id=4505-3271-2|certyear=1980|accessdate=7 October 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|title=Never For Ever|type=album|artist=Kate Bush|relyear=1993|region=United States|nocert=yes|salesamount=39,000|salesref={{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/60579/ask-billboard|title=Ask Billboard: Bush League|magazine=Billboard|date=22 November 2005|access-date=26 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328014412/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/60579/ask-billboard|archive-date=28 March 2019}}}}