If I Don't Get You the Next One Will

"If I Don't Get You The Next One Will" is a song written,[1] recorded and produced by Lynsey de Paul and released in April 1976 in the UK[2] as her seventh and final single on Jet Records.[3][4] The B-side of the single was another de Paul song and fan favourite "Season to Season".[3][4] A longer version of the song was recorded as a track for the 1976 album Take Your Time, but the album was shelved as part of a dispute between de Paul and Arden,[5] and when it was finally released on CD in 1990 in Japan as Before You Go Tonight, the single version was included.[6] This humorous and tongue in cheek song relates many of de Paul's negative dating experiences (sample lyric "I’ve been dated and waited until I was blue, I’ve been cheated, mistreated and broken in two, I've been lied to, denied to, till I've had my fill, so, if I don’t get you, well, the next one will").[7][8] One well known muse for the song was former boyfriend, Ringo Starr,[9] who missed a dinner date with de Paul.[10][11][12][13][14] De Paul herself described the song as being about revenge, after Starr missed a dinner appointment with her because he fell asleep in his office.[15] Stylistically, it was quite a departure from previous releases, with prominent use of synthesiser and a sparse arrangement that received positive reviews.[16] At the time, the Record Mirror wrote "Cleverly constructed song with Lynsey's voice playing leap-frog over itself. Uptempo rhythm that winds itself all over the place, following the intricate vocal patterns"[17] with the Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Gazette also praising the single.[18]

De Paul performed this song live on U.K. prime time TV shows such as The Arrows hosted by the British/American band Arrows on 18 May 1976.[19][20][21] One of De Paul's performances of the song has also been released on DVD.[22] The song still receives occasional radio plays on US radio[23][24] and most recently in 2023 on Frankfurt, Germany Radio X.[25] It also featured on Beatmakology - the Art and Science of making beats.[26]

Releases on CD

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Its first appearance on CD outside of Japan was on the 1994 compilation album, Greatest Hits, released on the Repertoire label[27] and, most recently, the song also appeared on the anthology double album, Into My Music,[28] However, it has also been included on her own Best of Lynsey de Paul,[29] Best of the 70s,[30] as well as on The Singles Collection 1974-1979 and the de Paul album, I Love You.[31] It is listed as one of de Paul's song highlights on the online music site, AllMusic.[32] "If I Don't Get You The Next One Will" was also a track on the US compilation album Glitter Girlz, that featured female glam rock era contemporaries such as Noosha Fox (lead singer of Fox), Dana Gillespie and Fanny.[33][34]

Book chapter and citations

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It also became the title of a chapter in the book[11] and audiobook, Ringo Starr: Straight Man or Joker, by the writer Adam Clayson, which related this and other amusing stories about de Paul and Starr's time together, both of whom were well known for their sense of humour.[35] An audio book narrated by DJ Mike Read, and with a chapter entitled "If I Don't Get You, the Next One Will", was released in 2003 on the Sanctuary label.[36][37] The song is also mentioned in the book The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music[38] as well as in the German book Pop-History Band 3: Duos & Sängerinnen.[39] The story behind the song was also recounted by de Paul herself in an interview for the book The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia, written by Bill Harry.[40] To celebrate Ringo Starr's 84th birthday on 7 July 2024, the U.S. radio station WSND included the song in their playlist "Deep Dive of Ringo Starr".[41]

References

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  1. ^ "If I Don't Get You The Next One Will". Repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  2. ^ "A month in a life 1976 Archives". Oldiesproject.com. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Lynsey De Paul - If I Don't Get You The Next One Will (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Lynsey De Paul - If I Don't Get You The Next One Will / Season To Season - Jet - UK - JET 774". 45cat.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  5. ^ Spencer Leigh. "Lynsey de Paul: A gritty and determined star who penned a string of hits and won two Ivor Novello awards". The Independent. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Lynsey De Paul - Before You Go Tonight (Vinyl, LP)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  7. ^ "lynsey de paul - if i don't get you the next one will lyrics". Azlyrics.biz. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  8. ^ "If I Don't Get You the Next One Will Lyrics - Lynsey de Paul". Flashlyrics.com. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  9. ^ Love Me Do: 50 Great Beatles Moments by Paolo Hewitt, 2012, Quercus publishing, ISBN 978-1780873299
  10. ^ The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia, Bill Harry, 2004, Virgin Books Ltd, ISBN 07535 08435
  11. ^ a b Ringo Starr: A Life, Alan Clayson, 2005, Sanctuary Publishing, ISBN 978-1860746475
  12. ^ "Richard Starkey - Musician - Music database - Radio Swiss Pop". Radioswisspop.ch. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Ringo Starr". The Liverpool Beatles Tour. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  14. ^ "Ringo Starr Le survivant" by Dominique Grandfils, ASIN:B08MD5FP84, Publisher: Camion Blanc, Publication date: October 31, 2020
  15. ^ "On his 80th birthday, Ringo Starr's secret Jewish history". Forward.com. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Music Review: Lynsey de Paul, Sugar And Beyond/Into My Music Anthologies". Popshifter.com. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  17. ^ Single Review by Sue Byrom, page 23, Record Mirror, 17 April 1976
  18. ^ Thursday 22 April 1976, Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Gazette
  19. ^ "Arrows (1976– ) : Episode #1.10". IMDb.com. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Alan Merrill: The Arrows Show, UK 1970s". Alanmerrill.tumblr.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  21. ^ "The Arrows[18/05/76] (1976)". Bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  22. ^ "CHARTBUSTERS 1970'S". Liverockshows.com. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Blue Prince Eats Fairy Floss: Dance With Me, Stanley with Stashu". Wfmu.org. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  24. ^ "WFMU : Sophisticated Boom Boom with Sheila B. : Playlist". Wfmu.org. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  25. ^ "radio x - Frankfurts unabhängiges, werbefreies Stadtradio". Radiox.de. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Lynsey de Paul - If I Don't Get You (The Next One Will)". Beatmakology.eu.
  27. ^ "Lynsey De Paul - Greatest Hits". Discogs.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  28. ^ "Into My Music: Anthology 1975-1979 - Lynsey de Paul | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  29. ^ "Lynsey De Paul - Best Of Lynsey De Paul (CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  30. ^ "Lynsey De Paul - Best Of The 70's (CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  31. ^ "I Love You : Lynsey de Paul". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  32. ^ "Lynsey de Paul | Songs". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  33. ^ "Various - Glitter Girlz". Discogs.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  34. ^ "Glitter and Girlz: Queens of the Glam Rock Scene". Last.fm. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  35. ^ Alan Clayson (1 June 1998). Ringo Starr: Straight Man or Joker. Sanctuary Publishing. ISBN 978-1860741890.
  36. ^ "Alan Clayson Read By Mike Read - Ringo Starr". Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  37. ^ "The Beatles John Lennon / Paul McCartney / George Harrison / Ringo Starr UK Cd album box set". Eu.rarevinyl.com. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  38. ^ The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin, 1 January 1995, Publisher: Guinness World Records Ltd, p. 1100, ISBN 978-0851126623
  39. ^ Pop-History Band 3: Duos & Sängerinnen by André Kauth, February 6, 2021, Publisher:Books on Demand, p. 178, ISBN 9783753402918
  40. ^ The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia by Bill Harry, published by Virgin Books, 2004, ISBN 9780753508435
  41. ^ Havert, Nik (8 July 2024). "WSND DJ set list: Deep Dive of Ringo Starr". 7thlevelmusic.com.