Point of No Return (Exposé song)

{{For|other uses of the term "Point of No Return"|Point of no return (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Point of No Return

| cover = Point of No Return (Exposé single) coverart.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Exposé

| released = March 11, 1985
April 1987 (re-recording){{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/as19579|title = Exposé - Point of No Return}}

| recorded = December 1984{{snd}}February 1985
January 1987 (re-recorded)

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Freestyle{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Exposé’s "Seasons Change|website= Stereogum |date= April 16, 2021|url= https://www.stereogum.com/2144142/the-number-ones-exposes-seasons-change/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ["Point of No Return"] came out just as Latin freestyle was coming into its own, and you can hear that freshness and immediacy in the track.|accessdate= November 10, 2023}}

| length = 5:40 (single version)
3:26 (1987 single version)
6:40 (dub version)
6:07 (album version)

| label = Arista, Pantera

| writer = Lewis Martineé

| producer = Lewis Martineé

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Exposed to Love

| next_year = 1985

}}

"Point of No Return" is a single by the American pop group Exposé. Written and produced by Lewis Martineé, the single was originally released in 1984 on the Pantera label with Alejandra Lorenzo (Alé) as the lead singer. The single was re-recorded in 1987 with Jeanette Jurado as the lead vocalist and included on the group's debut album, Exposure (1987), when it was finally released on compact disc in 1989.

Background

"It's just a little song about loving somebody to the point of no return", said songwriter Lewis Martineé when asked if there was a deeper meaning to the song. "I just liked the title 'Point Of No Return', so I decided to write a song around that. Then I started coming up with the beats and the synthesizer lines and then both melody and words. I wrote that song so fast it was crazy, like, literally 15 minutes. But then I didn't like the bridge and I changed it. I'm glad I did because the bridge actually came out really good at the end."{{cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/expose-creator-songwriter-producer-lewis-martinee|title=Exposé Creator-Songwriter-Producer Lewis Martineé |last=Wiser|first=Carl|website= Songfacts|date=February 4, 2022 |accessdate=February 21, 2022}}

Reception

The original vocal mix of the song, featuring Lorenzo, reached the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in spring 1985.{{cite book |title= Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=94}} The re-recorded vocal version with Jurado reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 1987.{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1987-07-18|title=The Hot 100 Chart}}

Music video

The music video for "Point of No Return" features Exposé performing in front of an energetic audience. As of December 2022, it has been well-received on YouTube, with the release featuring over fourteen million views.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v8YragSIuI "Point of No Return"].

Track listings

; United States 12" single – 1984 edition

{{Track listing

| title1 = Point of No Return

| length1 = 6:55

| title2 = Dub of No Return

| length2 = 8:00

}}

; United States 12" single – 1985 edition

{{Track listing

| title1 = Point of No Return

| length1 = 6:08

| title2 = Dub of No Return

| length2 = 6:40

}}

; United States 7" single – 1987 edition

{{Track listing

| title1 = Point of No Return

| length1 = 3:26

| title2 = Extra Extra

| length2 = 3:44

}}

; United States 12" single – 1987 edition

{{Track listing

| title1 = Point of No Return

| note1 = Extended Mix

| length1 = 9:38

| title2 = Point of No Return

| note2 = Crossover Mix

| length2 = 5:45

| title3 = Dub of No Return

| note3 = Strikes Again

| length3 = 6:30

}}

Charts

=Weekly charts=

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

|+ 1985 weekly chart performance for "Point of No Return"

! scope="col"| Chart (1985)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|1|artist=Expose|rowheader=true|access-date=May 10, 2022}}

{{single chart|Billboarddancesales|19|artist=Expose|rowheader=true|access-date=May 10, 2022}}

scope="row"\| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web \|url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19870725.html \|title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 25, 1987 \|work=Cash Box \|access-date=May 10, 2022 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510031126/https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19870725.html \|archive-date=May 10, 2022 \|url-status=live}} \| 7
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ 1987 weekly chart performance for "Point of No Return" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1987) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|22\|chartid=0847\|rowheader=true\|access-date=May 10, 2022}}
{{single chart\|UKsinglesbyname\|83\|artist=Expose\|artistid=24382\|rowheader=true\|access-date=May 4, 2020}}
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|5\|artist=Expose\|rowheader=true\|access-date=May 10, 2022}}
{{single chart\|Billboarddancesales\|40\|artist=Expose\|rowheader=true\|access-date=May 10, 2022}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ 1985 year-end chart performance for "Point of No Return" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1985) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard){{cite web \|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1985/dance-club-songs \|title=Dance Club Songs – Year-End 1985 \|work=Billboard \|access-date=May 10, 2022 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006194143/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1985/dance-club-songs \|archive-date=October 6, 2019}} \| 28

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

|+ 1985 year-end chart performance for "Point of No Return"

! scope="col"| Chart (1985)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard){{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1985/dance-club-songs |title=Dance Club Songs – Year-End 1985 |work=Billboard |access-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006194143/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1985/dance-club-songs |archive-date=October 6, 2019}}

| 28

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ 1987 year-end chart performance for "Point of No Return" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1987) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web \|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/hot-100-songs \|title=Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1987 \|work=Billboard \|access-date=May 10, 2022 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217161831/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/hot-100-songs \|archive-date=February 17, 2020}} \| 80
scope="row"\| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web \|url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1987YESP.html \|title=The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1987 – Top 50 Pop Singles \|work=Cash Box \|date=December 26, 1987 \|access-date=May 10, 2022}} \| 48

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

|+ 1987 year-end chart performance for "Point of No Return"

! scope="col"| Chart (1987)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/hot-100-songs |title=Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1987 |work=Billboard |access-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217161831/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/hot-100-songs |archive-date=February 17, 2020}}

| 80

scope="row"| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web |url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1987YESP.html |title=The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1987 – Top 50 Pop Singles |work=Cash Box |date=December 26, 1987 |access-date=May 10, 2022}}

| 48