"Forever" is a 1973 single, which was written and produced by Roy Wood.[1] Wood played all of the musical instruments on the recording, as well as supplying lead and multi-tracked backing vocals. The song was globally published by Carlin Music Corp.[2][3]
| "Forever" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Roy Wood | ||||
| B-side | "Music To Commit Suicide By" | |||
| Released | 16 November 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1973 | |||
| Genre | Pop music | |||
| Length | 4:09 | |||
| Label | Harvest Records (HAR 5078) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Roy Wood | |||
| Producer(s) | Roy Wood | |||
| Roy Wood singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Forever" on YouTube | ||||
The track reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart.[4] The single remained in the UK chart for 13 weeks, straddling the final month of 1973 and the start of the following year.[4] The single enjoyed a higher placing in the UK chart in January 1974, than Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday".[5][6] The A-side of the single's label bore the script "with special thanks to Brian Wilson and Neil Sedaka for their influence".[7] The track was also released as a single in New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal and South Africa.[8]
Wood appeared with the song on BBC's Top of the Pops on three occasions: 20 December 1973, 3 January 1974 and 17 January 1974.[9]
"Forever" has appeared on numerous compilation albums,[10] including Wood's own Singles (1993, Connoisseur Records).[11] and Through the Years: The Best of Roy Wood.[12][13]
Reception
editAlexis Petridis, writing in The Guardian, described it as "a solo hit that imagined what it would be like if Neil Sedaka had joined The Beach Boys with beautiful results".[14]
Charts
edit| Chart (1973/74) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] | 43 |
| United Kingdom (Official Charts Company) | 8 |
References
edit- ^ Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 674. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
- ^ "Forever / Music to Commit Suicide By by Roy Wood". Rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "Roy Wood - Forever - 7" Single - Atlas Records". Atlasrecords.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London, England: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 610. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Roy Wood - The Enigmatic Wizard of Rock. (Tom Bates Derbyshire Peak District Author, Writer, Poet)". Aboutderbyshire.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "Billboard". 9 February 1974. p. 43.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (November 8, 2016). "Britain's lost pop genius: the glam rocker who hated being in the spotlight". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "Roy Wood - Forever". Discogs.com. 16 November 1973. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "The Television & Radio Database - Top of the Pops". tvrdb.com.
- ^ "Forever - Roy Wood | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "Singles - Roy Wood | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "BBC Radio 2 - The Record Producers, Roy Wood, Episode 2". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "Through the Years: The Best of Roy Wood - Roy Wood | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (8 November 2016). "Britain's lost pop genius: the glam rocker who hated being in the spotlight". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 343. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.