It’s been two years since I’ve played this one, and tonight there are extenuating circumstances that force me to seek a past music post to redux!  I lost an hour.  AN HOUR!!!  It was 2:00 a.m. yesterday, and then … without warning … all of a sudden it was … GASP … 4:00!!!  My circadian rhythm is … GONE!  SHOT!!!  I am … TOAST!  (Yeah, okay, I’m a bit of a drama queen, but hey …).  I am devastated … knackered … putrefied … obliterated … AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

One thing about doing these mostly-daily music posts is it has challenged me to dig back through my memory banks to recall artists and songs that I once liked but hadn’t thought about in years, sometimes decades.  One such artist is Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes.

Released in 1983, Never Gonna Let You Go is sung by Joe Pizzulo and Leeza Miller.  That’s Sergio on the keyboard.  Songwriters Cynthia Weil (lyrics) and Barry Mann (music) composed the song and originally submitted it to Earth, Wind and Fire, but they ultimately decided not to record it.

Mendes was preparing a new album for an April 1983 release and said …

“All the other songs on the album were up and festive. I needed a ballad on the album, just to change the pace a bit.”

And so this song became the title song for his album.  Mendes is probably best known for his 1968 The Look of Love.

Never Gonna Let You Go
Sérgio Mendes

I was as wrong as I could be
To let you get away from me
I’ll regret that move for as long as I’m livin’
But now that I’ve come to see the light
All I wanna do is make things right
So just say the word and tell me that I’m forgiven

You and me, we’re gonna be better than we were before
Loved you then but now I intend
To open up and love you even more
This time, you can be sure

I’m never gonna let you go
I’m gonna hold you in my arms forever
Gonna try and make up for all the times
I hurt you so
Gonna hold your body close to mine
From this day on, we’re gonna be together
Oh, I swear this time
I’m never gonna let you go

Lookin’ back now, it seems so clear
I had it all when you were here
Oh, you gave it all
And I took it for granted

But if there’s some feeling left in you
Some flicker of love that still shines through
Let’s talk it out
Let’s talk about second chances

Wait and see, it’s gonna be sweeter than it was before
I gave some then but now I intend
To dedicate myself to giving more
This time you can be sure

I’m never gonna let you go
I’m gonna hold you in my arms forever
Gonna try and make up for all the times
I hurt you so

Gonna hold your body close to mine
From this day on, we’re gonna be together
Oh, I swear this time
I’m never gonna let you go

Oh, so if you’ll just say
You want me too

I’m never gonna let you go
I’m gonna hold you in my arms forever
Gonna try and make up for all the times
I hurt you so

Gonna hold your body close to mine
From this day on, we’re gonna be together
Oh, I swear this time
I’m never gonna let you go
Never gonna let you go
Hold you in my arms forever
Gonna try and make up for all the times
I hurt you so
Hold your body close to mine
Oh, we’re gonna be together
Oh, I swear this time
I’m never gonna let you go

Songwriters: WEIL CYNTHIA / MANN BARRY
Never Gonna Let You Go lyrics © Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Mann And Weil Songs Inc, SONY/ATV SONGS LLC OBO MANN AND WEIL SONGS INC