♫ Just Once ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

I’ve only played this once before, about three years ago, and I discovered then that most of my readers across the big pond aren’t familiar with Quincy Jones!  I always did love Quincy’s music, have several favourites, but he just didn’t travel well internationally.  Ah well, tonight I’m playing one for me, to put a bit of a grin on this tired ol’ face, so I hope you’ll like this one, but if you don’t, stay tuned tomorrow!

There really isn’t much trivia about this song.  I do, however, have an interesting bit of trivia about Quincy Jones … he attended his own memorial service!  In 1974 Jones had a pair of brain aneurysms, and the prognosis was pretty grim. Since it looked like he might not have much time left, his family and friends started planning a memorial service. Although Jones was in poor health, he talked his neurologist into letting him attend the service, which was held at the Shrine in Los Angeles. The doctor was worried that Jones’ health would suffer if he got too worked up during the service, so he sat next to Jones throughout the ceremony. Jones later told Newsweek that staying calm “was hard to do with Richard Pryor, Marvin Gaye, Sarah Vaughn and Sidney Poitier singing your praises.”

Just Once is a 1981 single released from Quincy Jones’ album The Dude on A&M Records. The song features James Ingram on vocals, and reached number 17 on the Billboard chart in the summer of 1981.  If the song charted anywhere else, I find no evidence of it, but … I like it, so bear with me on this one, okay?

Just Once
Quincy Jones/James Ingram

I did my best
But I guess, my best wasn’t good enough
‘Cause, here we are back where we were before
Seems nothin’ ever changes
We’re back to bein’ strangers
Wonderin’ if, we ought to stay
Or head on, out the door

Just Once…
Can we figure out, what we keep, doin’ wrong
Why, we never last for very long
What are we doin’ wrong?
Just once…
Can we find a way, to finally make it right
To make the magic last, for more than just one night
If we, could just get to it
I know we could, break through it

Hmm-hmm…
(…)

I gave my all
But I think my all, may have been too much
‘Cause, Lord knows we’re not getting anywhere
Seems, we’re always blowin’
Whatever, we’ve got goin’
And it seems at times, with all we’ve got
We haven’t, got a prayer

Just once…
Can we figure out, what we keep doin’ wrong
Why the good times, never last for long
Where are we goin’ wrong

Just once…
Can’t we find a way, to finally make it right
To make the magic last, for more than just one night
I know, we could break through it
If we could just, get to it

Just once…
I want to understand
Why, it always comes back …to goodbye
Why… can’t we get ourselves in hand
And admit to one another
We’re no good, without each other
Take the best, to make it better
Find a way, to stay together

Just once…
Can we find a way, to finally make it right
(Whoa!)
Make the magic last, for more than just one night
I know we could, break through it
If we could just, get to it
Just Once…

…Whoa-ohh
We can get through it…
Just …Once

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Barry Mann / Cynthia Weill
Just Once lyrics © Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp., Miss Holly Music, Sony Atv Songs Llc, Mann And Weil Songs Inc

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21 thoughts on “♫ Just Once ♫”

  2. Quincy Jones is well-known to many people in the UK, at least those over a certain age. I had never heard this song, but I do know James Ingram from his collaboration with Michael McDonald on a song co-written and produced by Quincy, Ya Mo Be There.

    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Quincy Jones doesn’t seem to have made much of an impression in Aotearoa either. Only two made the NZ top 40: Al No Corrida at number 14 in April 1981, and Stomp – The Remixes at 28 in September 1996.

    He did have a number one hit as producer and director/arranger for Lesley Gore’s It’s My Party in 1963, and then in 1996 he reached number 2 in Slow Jams with Babyface, Tamia, Portrait and Barry White. His music is not a style I’m drawn to unfortunately.

    Liked by 4 people

    • I remember and love “Ai No Corrida” but “Stomp” isn’t ringing any bells with me … I’ll have to go listen to it later. Well, Barry, I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy today’s music post … feel free to make a request or suggestion for a future post! I’m always looking to broaden my horizons!

      Liked by 3 people

      • I enjoy your music posts, even when the songs are not to my taste. I come your music posts to make new discoveries in music, and I expect some to not be to my taste and others to be exciting discoveries.

        And because of that I’m reluctant to suggest music that I’m familiar with and love. But on the other hand, perhaps others are in the same boat and might appreciate something they are unfamiliar with. So I’ll suggest something that those outside Aotearoa might be unfamiliar with.

        For me, Lyrics make or break a song, even though I’ve had significant hearing loss all of my life. Maybe it’s an autistic thing, but I find music makes me aware of my emotions that I don’t usually sense otherwise.

        I’ll suggest: “One Tree Hill” by U2 as it honours a person I worked with and considered a friend. The others are probably unknown outside my home country: “Turn your back on the wind” by The Fourmyula; “Find You” by Stan Walker; “Footsteps On My Mind” by Music Convention; “My Only Friend” by Chris Knox; and finally “Andy” by The Front Lawn. I’ve featured all the above in my blog where you’ll find why I think they are special. Just put the song title into the search box on my blog.

        Liked by 2 people

        • I’m so glad to know that you enjoy the music posts, Barry. I enjoy doing them for much the same reasons … I always learn something new, either about a long-loved song, or a new one.

          Another blogging friend, rawgod, is the same as you in that for him, the lyrics make or break the song. I am the opposite, for I judge a song by the sound of it, the music. Like you, I’ve been nearly deaf since birth, and so rarely heard the lyrics correctly anyway, but I could still hear the tune and loved songs (or hated them) based on that. It’s only since I’ve started doing these music posts and researching the music that I’ve learned the lyrics and the background.

          I’ve made note of your song suggestions and will be listening to at least some of them tomorrow. I do love hearing new songs, broadening my horizons, so I thank you! And I will definitely be checking them out on your blog! I didn’t realize you did music posts on yours … I must make it a point to visit more often!

          Liked by 1 person

  5. Hello. I like it. The entire song hits right for me. But the entire theme of being back where we were happens in life so many times, like Rawgod wrote. It seems some people can not help but try to repeat history because they seem stuck in specific times, certain periods of thought that they can not leave behind and want desperately to recreate. Then the rest of us have to repeat what was done back then to move forward. Three steps forward and one back, repeat.

    I know some will say the song is about personal relationships, I just prefer to interpret it more broadly. Hugs. Scottie

    Liked by 3 people

    • I’m glad you liked the song, Scottie! Yes, sometimes it does seem as if we take two steps forward and one step back. In many ways today, I feel as if we took one step forward and are taking two steps backward … things such as racism and other forms of bigotry. Sigh. Hugs

      Liked by 2 people

  6. I’m going to break all my rules, and redux my comment from last time you pkayed this. It still sayscexactly how I feel:
    Thanks, Jill. Never heard this one before. But then, I wasn’t listening to much new stuff in the 80s. I’m mostly stuck in the 60s, late 50s, and early 70s. It takes a damn good song or a damn good sound (Queen, Travelling Wilburys) to make an impression on me. This one no doubt would have, if I had heard it.

    Liked by 4 people

  8. Pingback: ♫ Just Once ♫ | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  9. I didn’t know he put his name to records – I just knew of him as a producer for Michael Jackson. Your prediction was right, though – this definitely isn’t my thing!

    Liked by 3 people

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