Never in a Million Years (Laura Branigan song)
{{Infobox song
| name = Never in a Million Years
| cover = Laura Branigan Never in a Million Years 1990 Single Cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Laura Branigan
| album = Laura Branigan
| B-side = Smoke Screen
| released = 1990
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Pop
| length = 4:08
| label = Atlantic
| writer = Van Stephenson
Dave Robbins
Bob Farrell
| producer = Peter Wolf
| prev_title = Moonlight on Water
| prev_year = 1990
| next_title = Turn the Beat Around
| next_year = 1990
}}
"Never in a Million Years" is a song by the American pop singer Laura Branigan, which was released in 1990 by Atlantic Records as the second single from her sixth studio album Laura Branigan. It was written by Van Stephenson, Dave Robbins and Bob Farrell, and produced by Peter Wolf.{{cite web|author=William Ruhlmann |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/laura-branigan-mw0000207836 |title=Laura Branigan - Laura Branigan | Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=2018-04-05}}{{cite web|url=http://www.45worlds.com/tape/media/487865 |title=Cassette Single - Laura Branigan - Never In A Million Years / Smoke Screen - Atlantic - USA - 4-87865 |publisher=45worlds.com |date=2017-06-23 |access-date=2018-04-05}} "Never in a Million Years" was released in the United States as a cassette single and on promotional CD. It reached No. 22 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.{{cite magazine|author=Billboard |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/laura-branigan/chart-history/asi/ |title=Laura Branigan Never In A Million Years Chart History |magazine=Billboard |access-date=2018-04-05}} There was no music video made for the song.
In 1991, American singer Vicki Shepard released her own version of the song, which Billboard described as a "bright, disco-fied rendition".{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_bCgEAAAAMBAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_bCgEAAAAMBAJ/page/n114 81] |quote=laura branigan never in a million years. |title=Billboard |via=Internet Archive |date=1991-10-12 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media |access-date=2018-04-05}}
Critical reception
Upon release, Billboard commented: "After a pair of dance-oriented singles, Branigan applies her acrobatic vocal style to a formulaic, but engaging, power ballad."Billboard magazine - Single reviews - August 25, 1990 - page 87 In a review of Laura Branigan, The Clarion-Ledger described the song as a "weepy ballad", adding it was a "probable successor" to Branigan's previous single "Moonlight on Water".The Clarion-Ledger - Laura Branigan - April 26, 1990 - page 63 The Chicago Tribune described the song as an "understated ballad".{{cite web|author=Jan DeKnock |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-05-10/features/9002070803_1_star-laura-branigan-ballads |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114024927/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-05-10/features/9002070803_1_star-laura-branigan-ballads |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 14, 2013 |title=Laura Branigan Laura Branigan (Atlantic... - tribunedigital-chicagotribune |publisher=Articles.chicagotribune.com |date=1990-05-10 |access-date=2018-04-05}} People stated: "While Branigan tends toward the histrionic, her slower-tempo tunes - especially "Never in a Million Years" - make for effective pace changers amidst all the belting."{{cite web|url=http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-laura-branigan-vol-33-no-20/ |title=Picks and Pans Review: Laura Branigan |publisher=PEOPLE.com |date=1990-05-21 |access-date=2018-04-05}} Robert M. Natick of Teen Ink said: "The few ballads present are disappointing, though Laura does breath life into "Never in a Million Years".{{cite web|author=By Robert M., Natick, MA |url=http://www.teenink.com/reviews/music_reviews/article/7477/Laura-Branigan/ |title=Laura Branigan | Teen Music Review |publisher=Teen Ink |access-date=2018-04-05}}
Track listing
;Cassette single
- "Never in a Million Years" - 4:10
- "Smoke Screen" - 4:08
;CD single (US promo)
- "Never in a Million Years" - 4:08
Chart performance
Personnel
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
;Never in a Million Years
- Laura Branigan - lead vocals
- Peter Wolf - instruments, producer, arranger
- Peter Maunu - guitar
- Alfie Silas, Dorian Holley, Ina Wolf, Joe Pizzulo, Maxi Anderson, Phillip Ingram - backing vocals
- Paul Ericksen - engineer, mixing
- Stephen Marcussen - mastering
- Carlos Golliher - coordinator
- Doug Morris - executive producer
{{Col-break}}
;Smoke Screen
- Laura Branigan - lead vocals
- Clif Magness - keyboards, drum programming
- Steve Goldstein - keyboards
- Steve Lindsey - keyboards, drum programming, co-producer
- James Harrah - guitar
- Brandon Fields - saxophone
- Donna De Lory, Kate Markowitz - backing vocals
- Richard Perry - producer
- Alan Meyerson - mixing
- Eric Anest, Paul Ericksen, Richard Cottrell - engineers
- Charlie Pollard, John Karpowich, Richard Engstrom - assistant engineers
- Stephen Marcussen - mastering
- Julie Larson - coordinator
- Doug Morris - executive producer
{{Col-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Laura Branigan singles}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Song recordings produced by Peter Wolf (producer)
Category:Songs written by Van Stephenson