Throwback Sing-Along: Gloria Gaynor ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’

If there is one era of history I could travel back to, it’s the 1970s. The fashion, the vibes, the music. It’s really about the music and trying to have a chance with Harrison Ford. That’s all I want. Alas, all I can do is listen back to the sounds that defined the decade, which includes the powerhouse of that period; disco – a genre that got polarizing by the time the world seemed to shift towards New Wave and MTV, but love it or hate it – one can never deny its impact and the artists who held it up like Gloria Gaynor. Her debut, Never Can Say Goodbye, was released half a century ago this month on January 23, 1975, and gives us some insight into the beauty that was music back in the day.

Today, everything is overly saturated and curated to the point that there is a sense of inauthenticity. When an artist does something, you almost feel like, is this genuine or for clicks? Back in the ‘70s, artists like Gloria Gaynor were making moves, and I’m sure those behind them were as strategic as the teams that have pushed the titans like Beyonce and Taylor Swift, but at the same time – they still managed to focus on the music more so than the stats. The three biggest songs from the record, on the album are each over six minutes long. That’s insane but they do all have compact single-versions, phew! I was like, who has almost 20 minutes to listen to a few songs? For some artists today, that’s a 5-song EP.

That’s the thing though, it was about the music, and for Gaynor, “Honey Bee,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” and the title track fully came to life in those six minutes. So audiophiles, listen to the album version. TikTok brains, find the single versions. Stepping away from length and focusing on the music itself, “Honey Bee” was the “Espresso” of its time, and served up a heaping dose of disco. What I loved most though was the feel of “All I Need Is Your Sweet Lovin’.” There’s something about certain songs from the ‘70s that lend themselves to being perfect for a day of house cleaning, and that one has found residence on my Clean-Up Playlist. As has “We Belong Together.”

Gaynor was in her early 30s when Never Can Say Goodbye dropped, and for her debut, she worked alongside a handful of stellar musicians and songwriters, but also picked up the pen herself for a couple of tracks; “Real Good People” and “False Alarm.” I’ve watched RuPaul’s Drag Race enough to know that the latter was tailor-made for a drag performance. It’s got an abundance of charisma, and that break where Gaynor speaks really drives the point of the track home, chef’s kiss.

Never Can Say Goodbye was Gloria Gaynor’s introduction to the world, and since then she’s cemented herself in the music realm as one of the foundational artists of disco with hits like 1978’s “I Will Survive.” Her debut didn’t have that level of prowess but was a good start and an indication of what she was capable of. And since then she’s continued to be a staple with almost two dozen records, including 2019’s Testimony.

Gloria Gaynor Never Can Say Goodbye
Release Date: January 23, 1975
Genre: Disco
Reasons to Sing Along: “Honey Bee,” “We Belong Together,” and “False Alarm”