I'll Never Love This Way Again by Dionne Warwick

Album: Dionne (1979)

Charted: 5

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Will Jennings wrote this with Richard Kerr, who first recorded the song on his album Welcome To The Club. Jennings is a lyricist who has worked with Steve Winwood, Roy Orbison, Eric Clapton and many others. Kerr is a pianist who wrote the music for Barry Manilow's first hit "Mandy" and teamed up with Jennings to write Manilow's songs "Looks Like We Made It" and "Somewhere In The Night." Jennings told us: "Sometime, sooner or later, you reach a height that you never reached and you never will reach again - and this is the story."
Explaining what fuels his songwriting, Jennings says, "You have to sit down and write sometime, but it all comes out of life and experience, like any other kind of writing. I travel, look into things. Go out and listen to music. Go to plays. Go to places I haven't been and places I like to re-visit. Have a good time, drink wine, eat good food, stay up late, dance." (Check out our interview with Will Jennings.)
Before this was a hit for Dionne Warwick, the Charlie's Angels actress Cheryl Ladd recorded it on her 1978 self-titled album. Her version didn't chart, and the next artist to record the song was the country singer Billie Jo Spears. Warwick was the next to record the song, and her version became the hit.
This won the 1979 Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Warwick also won that year for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Déjà Vu."

Comments: 8

Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 17th 1979, "I'll Never Love This Way Again" by Dionne Warwick entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #82; and on October 24th it peaked at #5 (for 2 weeks) and spent almost a half-year on the Top 100 (24 weeks)...
It also reached #5 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and #6 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart...
She worked her way 'step-by-step' up the Top 10; started at #10 for 1 week, then to #9, two weeks at #8, then two weeks at #7, one week at #6, and finally reached #5 for two weeks...
Ms. Warwick, born Marie Dionne Warrick, will celebrate her 74th birthday this coming December 12th, 2014.
Sandy from Enterprise, FlThe writer said it all. One shot at the greatest and then it's all downhill.
Christopher from Charlotte, NcI have to correct myself. It is true that Cheryl Ladd recorded and released the song on her self titled debut album in 1978, a year before Dionne Warwick. However the song was actually first recorded earlier in 1978 by it's writer Richard Kerr, on his LP WELCOME TO THE CLUB. This info is from site The Originals Project. Richard's gravel voice is similar to that of Joe Cocker, or Tom Waits, and HIS is the original version. Cheryl Ladd had the first cover of it though, before Dionne made it a huge hit.
Christopher from Charlotte, NcThis song was originally recorded by Cheryl Ladd. Yes it was written especially for Mrs. Ladd. It appeared on her self titled debut album a year earlier before Dionne Warwick's hit version. Ladd's original failed to make the chart stalling out at #126. Folowing Ladd, country singer Billie Jo Spears recorded a version. Then came Dionne Warwicks hit rendition
Bill from Kota Kinabalu, MalaysiaI don't think Richard Kerr wrote the music for "Mandy"!!!! This effort by Manilow was based on Scott English's "Brandy"and Manilow merely changed some lyrics to suit himself!
Michael Scott from Punta Gorda, FlBad duet. She was no where near her best in this performance with Manilow even though it was the best male vocalist in 79 and 80.
Les from Joplin, MoEven though Dionne has had bigger hits when collaborating with other artists, this and "Heartbreaker" are by far the very best of her 50-year career!
Jeff from Gary, InClassic song with sooo many memories tied to it. I just can remember the name of the album (CD) this song was on.

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