Forever Young (Alphaville song)

"Forever Young"
Single by Alphaville
from the album Forever Young
B-side "Welcome to the Sun"
Released September 1984
Format
Genre
Length 3:44
Label WEA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Colin Pearson
  • Wolfgang Loos
  • Andreas Budde
Alphaville singles chronology
"Sounds Like a Melody"
(1984)		 "Forever Young"
(1984)		 "Jet Set"
(1985)

"Sounds Like a Melody"
(1984)		 "Forever Young"
(1984)		 "Jet Set"
(1985)
Music video
"Forever Young" (Ver. 1)
"Forever Young" (Ver. 2)

"Forever Young" is a song from German synthpop recording act Alphaville's 1984 debut album of the same name. The single was a strong hit in Scandinavia and in the European German-speaking countries in the same year.

Although it was not the group's highest-charting European hit, and it failed to reach the American top 40 despite three separate U.S. single releases (nevertheless, the single achieved more success in the United States than in the United Kingdom), "Forever Young" became one of the signature songs of the band and it has subsequently been covered by numerous artists.

Alphaville versions

Original 1984 version

Background and video

Originally released by Alphaville as a single in 1984, "Forever Young" was available in both its original mix and also in a dance version titled the "Special Dance Mix". Over the years the band has released several remixes and demo versions of the song.

The single reached the number 65 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the top 40 on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/ Club Play Singles.[2]

The song's music video shows the band performing in one of the halls at Holloway Sanatorium in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. A number of people ranging from children to the elderly, dressed in ragged finery, awake to observe the band, then walk through a diamond-shaped glowing portal, assumingly to Heaven.

Track listings

7" single
  1. "Forever Young" — 3:45
  2. "Welcome to the Sun" — 3:09
12" maxi
  1. "Forever Young" (Special Dance Version) — 6:06
  2. "Forever Young" — 3:45
  3. "Welcome to the Sun" — 3:09
  • "Welcome to the Sun" also appeared (in a remix and a re-recording) on 1999's Dreamscapes.

Other releases

The original album version has also appeared on the following official Alphaville releases:

The "Special Dance Version" and the B-side "Welcome to the Sun" were both included on 2014's so80s presents Alphaville.

Other versions

This song has been released several times in various forms, including remixes and demos, on:

  • Alphaville: The Singles Collection, 1988 (remixed)
  • History, 1993 (covered live)
  • Dreamscapes, 1999 (demo, demo remix, performed live and re-recorded acoustically)
  • Little America, 1999 (performed live)
  • Stark Naked and Absolutely Live, 2000 (performed live)
  • Forever Pop, 2001 (remixed)
  • "Forever Young 2001" (see below)
  • "Forever Young The Remix", 2006 (see below)

Charts and certifications

Forever Young 2001

In 2001, Alphaville released a new set of remixes in a "limited fan edition" called "Forever Young 2001". This single contained three music tracks, one spoken word track, and a PC-only track.

This CD was released to fans for free, only postage needed to be paid. The names of every fan who had requested a copy were printed on the inside cover. Copies were hand-signed by the band. The remixes that appear on the single have not appeared on other releases.

The cover is a still image from the video, which was created by The Cartoon Saloon.

Track listings

CD single
  1. "Forever Young (F.A.F's Diamonds in the Sun Mix)" — 3:56
    • Remixed by: F.A.F
  2. "Forever Young (Factory Mix)" — 4:21
    • Remixed by: José Alvarez-Brill
  3. "Forever Young (Original Demo 1983)" — 4:43
  4. "Thank You (Spoken Version)" — 3:44
  5. "Forever Young (Magix PlayR)" (PC only)
  • The "Thank You" track consisted of then-member Bernard Lloyd thanking the fans, while speaking over one of his "favorite tracks," which was a remix of "Lassie Come Home," as it was to appear on the 2001 remix album Forever Pop.
  • The Magix PlayR track was a PC-only application that allowed fans to customize the FAF remix to their liking.
CD promo single
  1. "Forever Young (F.A.F's Diamonds in the Sun Mix)" — 3:56
  • This promotional CD was produced in a strictly limited run of 500 copies and not sold commercially.[13]

Forever Young the Remix

Released in 2006, this CD contains two new remixes by notable remix artist Bill Hamel. It also includes a digitally remastered version of the original album version of the song. The remix hit number 31 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart.[14]

Track listing
CD single
  1. "Forever Young (Hamel Album Mix)" — 4:58
  2. "Forever Young (Bill Hamel Club Mix)" — 7:39
  3. "Forever Young (Remastered Original Version)" — 3:47

Youth Group version

"Forever Young"
Single by Youth Group
from the album Casino Twilight Dogs
Released 27 February 2006
Format
Recorded 2005
Genre Indie rock
Length 4:33
Label Ivy League
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Youth Group singles chronology
"Baby Body"
(2004)		 "Forever Young"
(2006)		 "Catching and Killing"
(2006)

"Baby Body"
(2004)		 "Forever Young"
(2006)		 "Catching and Killing"
(2006)

In 2005 Australian rock band Youth Group were asked by the producers of the American television series The O.C. to record a version of "Forever Young" for use in the show, following a positive response to the use of their single "Shadowland" in a previous episode. Their version of "Forever Young" was used in the show and the show's trailers, and was included on the soundtrack album Music from the OC: Mix 5. A single release in Australia reached number 1 on the ARIA Charts. The song was included on their album Casino Twilight Dogs, released later that year.

Track listing
  1. "Forever Young" – 4:33
  2. "Someone Else's Dream" – 2:36
  3. "Forever Young" (Edit) – 3:26

Cover versions and samples

  • Just a year after the song's initial release, pop singer Laura Branigan covered "Forever Young" on her album Hold Me and began a tradition of performing the song as an encore at her concerts.
  • In 1991, reggae artist Wayne Wonder released a cover version that achieved some popularity in Jamaica. A recording of Wonder's version was released on the Alphaville Fan Club release History (1993).
  • 1994, German electronic group Interactive released a cover which reached number 7 in Germany and made the top 20 in five other countries.
  • In 2000, Czech singer Karel Gott released "Für immer jung" in German[15] and Být stále mlád" in Czech.[16]
  • In 2006, Australian band Youth Group achieved major success when their cover of "Forever Young", which had been recorded for the soundtrack of the US TV drama The O.C., was released as a single and reached No. 1 in Australia, attaining platinum status.
  • In 2010, Polish Symphonic Metal act Pathfinder released a cover of "Forever Young" on their album Beyond the Space, Beyond the Time, as a Japanese bonus track.
  • In 2018, American band Maroon 5 covered the song for their Red Pill Blues Tour performed with their own song "Girls Like You", as a tribute to their late manager Jordan Feldstein.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Majewski, Lori. "Alphaville". Madworldbook.com. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  2. ↑ Alphaville. "Alphaville | Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  3. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Forever Young", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 24, 2008)
  5. ↑ Dutch Top 40 Radio538.nl Archived 2009-02-02 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved September 21, 2008)
  6. ↑ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de Archived May 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved August 4, 2008)
  7. ↑ South African Springbok Top 20 (Retrieved August 13, 2017)
  8. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  9. ↑ UK Singles Chart
  10. 1 2 Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 4, 2008)
  11. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alphaville; 'Forever Young')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  12. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Alphaville – Forever Young" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  13. ↑ Alphaville discography
  14. ↑ Alphaville: Forever Young Charts, retrieved 23 October 2013
  15. ↑ karelgott.net — Für immer jung
  16. ↑ karelgott.net — Být stále mlád
  17. ↑ "Maroon 5 – Girls Like You / Forever Young". YouTube. May 31, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.



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