Whenever You Need Somebody

Whenever You Need Somebody
Studio album by Rick Astley
Released	16 November 1987
Recorded	1987 at PWL Studios (London, UK)
Genre	Pop, dance-pop[1] adult contemporary[1]
Length	39:52
Label	RCA
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman, Phil Harding, Ian Curnow, Daize Washbourn
Rick Astley chronology
Whenever You Need Somebody (1987) Hold Me in Your Arms (1988)
Singles from Whenever You Need Somebody
"Never Gonna Give You Up" Released: 28 July 1987 "When I Fall in Love"/"My Arms Keep Missing You" Released: 20 October 1987 "Together Forever" Released: 12 January 1988 "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" Released: 5 April 1988 "Whenever You Need Somebody" Released: 28 June 1988 "Don't Say Goodbye" Released: 20 September 1988

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	D+[2]

Whenever You Need Somebody is Rick Astley's debut album released in autumn 1987 on RCA Records. It is his best-selling album and, according to his own official website, sold 15.2 million copies worldwide.^[3] The album is listed as the #136 best-selling album in Spain,^[4] and was the #7 best-selling album in the UK in 1987.^[5]

A remastered version, containing all remixes, was released in 2010.^[6]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Never Gonna Give You Up"	Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman	Stock Aitken Waterman	3:32
2.	"Whenever You Need Somebody"	Stock, Aitken, Waterman	Stock Aitken Waterman	3:52
3.	"Together Forever"	Stock, Aitken, Waterman	Stock Aitken Waterman	3:24
4.	"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man"	Stock, Aitken, Waterman	Stock Aitken Waterman	3:39
5.	"The Love Has Gone"	Rick Astley, Dick Spatsley	Phil Harding, Ian Curnow	4:20
6.	"Don't Say Goodbye"	Stock, Aitken, Waterman	Stock Aitken Waterman	4:02
7.	"Slipping Away"	Astley	Harding, Curnow	3:52
8.	"No More Looking for Love"	Astley	Daize Washbourn	3:15
9.	"You Move Me"	Astley	Washbourn	3:40
10.	"When I Fall in Love"	Edward Heyman, Victor Young	Stock Aitken Waterman	2:59

2010 expanded remaster

Disc one (bonus tracks)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"When You Gonna" (7" Mix) (credited to Rick & Lisa)	Ian Curnow, Phil Harding, Astley	3:32
12.	"Just Good Friends"	Astley	3:45
13.	"I'll Never Set You Free"	Astley	3:34
14.	"When You Gonna" (Extended Mix) (credited to Rick & Lisa)		7:32
15.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Cake Mix)		5:48
16.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Lonely Hearts Mix)		7:34
17.	"Together Forever" (Lover's Leap Extended Remix)		7:05

Disc two (The Remixes)
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (7" Mix)	3:32
2.	"Together Forever" (Lover's Leap Mix)	3:52
3.	"When You Gonna" (Borough Anarchy Mix) (credited to Rick & Lisa)	3:24
4.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Escape from Newton Mix)	6:25
5.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Rick Sets it Off Mix)	7:54
6.	"Together Forever" (House of Love Mix)	6:55
7.	"It Would Take A Strong Strong Man" (Matt's Jazzy Guitar Mix)	7:47
8.	"When You Gonna" (Home Boy Mix) (credited to Rick & Lisa)	5:48
9.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Escape to New York Mix)	7:02
10.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (XK150 Mix)	4:39
11.	"When You Gonna" (Bonus Beats Mix) (credited to Rick & Lisa)	4:46
12.	"Never Gonna Give You Up" (Instrumental)	6:18
13.	"Whenever You Need Somebody" (Instrumental)	3:51
14.	"It Would Take A Strong Strong Man" (Instrumental)	3:32

Personnel

• Rick Astley: lead vocals, guitar (8 & 9)
• Matt Aitken: guitars & keyboards (1-4, 6, 10)
• Mike Stock: keyboards (1-4, 6, 10)
• "A. Linn": LinnDrum programming (1-4, 6, 10)
• Ian Curnow: keyboards (5 & 7), Fairlight programming
• Gary Barnacle: saxophone (7)
• Daize Washbourn: keyboards & drums (8 & 9)
• Dee Lewis, Shirley Lewis, Mae McKenna & Suzanne Rhatigan: backing vocals

Production

• Producers: Stock Aitken Waterman (tracks 1-4, 6 & 10); Phil Harding & Ian Curnow (tracks 5 & 7); Daize Washbourn (tracks 8 & 9).
• Mixed by Pete Hammond (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6 & 8); Mark McGuire (tracks 4 & 10); Phil Harding (tracks 5 & 7).
• Senior Engineer: Mark McGuire
• Assistant Engineers: Boky, Gordon Dennis, Jonathan King, Peter Day & Yoyo.
• Additional Engineering: Jamie Bromfield, Mike Duffy, Karen Hewitt & Phil Harding.
• Mastered by Noel Summerville
• Arrangements on "When I Fall In Love": Gordon Jenkins
• Photography: Paul Cox
• Sleeve Design: Mainartery (London, UK)

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1987–1988)	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart	1
Austrian Albums Chart[7]	3
French Albums Chart[8]	5
Italian Albums Chart[9]	2
Norwegian Albums Chart[7]	4
Spanish Albums Chart[10]	1
Swedish Albums Chart[7]	2
Swiss Albums Chart[7]	2
UK Albums Chart[11]	1
US Billboard 200[12]	10

Year-end charts

End of year chart (1987)	Position
UK Albums Chart	7
End-of-year chart (1988)	Position
Australian Album Chart[13]	4
Austrian Albums Chart[14]	10
German Albums Chart	7
Italian Albums Chart	10
Swiss Albums Chart[15]	30
US Billboard 200[16]	15

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17]	4× Platinum	400,000^^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[18]	Gold	25,000[18]
France (SNEP)[19]	2× Gold	200 000^*
Germany (BVMI)[20]	Platinum	500,000^^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[21]	Platinum	20,000^*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[22]	3× Platinum	300,000^^
Sweden (GLF)[23]	Gold	50,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[24]	Platinum	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[25]	4× Platinum	1,200,000^^
United States (RIAA)[26]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Chart successions

References

1. "Album: Whenever You Need Somebody... by Alex Henderson". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
2. Christgau, Robert. "Review: Whenever You Need Somebody (RCA Victor, 1987)". Retrieved 1 August 2009.
3. "Biography". Rick Astley official web site. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
4. Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
5. "Best selling Albums of the 80s". Pure80spop.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
6. "Whenever You Need Somebody: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
7. Whenever You Need Somebody, in various albums charts Austriancharts.at (Retrieved 30 November 2008)
8. "Chart run of albums in France, database" (in French). Infodisc. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
9. "Chart run of albums in Italy, database". Retrieved 23 July 2010.
10. "Chart run of albums in Spain" (in Spanish). Afyve. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
11. Whenever You Need Somebody, UK Albums Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved 29 May 2016)
12. Whenever You Need Somebody, Billboard 200 Billboard.com (Retrieved 23 July 2010)
13. "Top 50 Albums 1988". Retrieved 1 September 2008.
14. "1988 Austrian Albums Chart" (in German). Austriancharts. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
15. "1988 Swiss Albums Chart" (in German). Hitparade. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
16. "TOP POP ALBUMS OF 1988". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
17. "Canadian album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody". Music Canada.
18. "Rick Astley" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
19. "Les Certifications" (in French). Info Disc. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
20. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rick Astley; 'Whenever You Need Somebody')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
21. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1990". IFPI Hong Kong.
22. "Sólo Éxitos 1959-2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979-1990". Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
23. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
24. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Rick Astley; 'Whenever You Need Somebody')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
25. "British album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Whenever You Need Somebody in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
26. "American album certifications – Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH