Never Tear Us Apart

"Never Tear Us Apart"
Single by INXS
from the album Kick
B-side
  • "Different World" (7" mix)
  • "Guns in the Sky" (Kick Ass Remix)
Released 8 August 1988
Format
Recorded 1987
Genre Pop rock[1]
Length 3:02 (Single Version)
3:43 (Video Version)
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Chris Thomas
INXS singles chronology
"New Sensation"
(1988)		 "Never Tear Us Apart"
(1988)		 "Kick"
(1988)

"New Sensation"
(1988)		 "Never Tear Us Apart"
(1988)		 "Kick"
(1988)
Music video
"Never Tear Us Apart” on YouTube

"Never Tear Us Apart" is a single released by Australian rock group INXS in August 1988. It was included on the band's sixth studio album, Kick. The music was written by keyboardist Andrew Farriss, who recorded a blues-style demo; vocalist Michael Hutchence wrote the lyrics.

"Never Tear Us Apart" is a sensuous ballad, written in the tempo of a modern Viennese waltz, layered with synthesizers and containing dramatic pauses before the instrumental breaks. Kirk Pengilly lends a cathartic saxophone solo near the end. According to the liner notes of Shine Like It Does: The Anthology (1979–1997), the song was composed on piano as a bluesy number in the style of Fats Domino. Producer Chris Thomas suggested a synth-based arrangement instead.

The video for the song, featuring an extended intro, was filmed in various locations in Prague[2] along with "Guns in the Sky" and "New Sensation", all directed by Richard Lowenstein.

The single reached #24 in the UK, and stayed on the charts for seven weeks. In the U.S., it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After his death in 1997, Michael Hutchence's coffin was carried out of St. Andrews Cathedral by the remaining members of INXS and younger brother Rhett as "Never Tear Us Apart" was played in the background.

In 2006, the song was voted "Nation's Favourite Lyric" by viewers of pay TV music channel VH1 in Australia.

In February 2014, after the Channel 7 screening of INXS: Never Tear Us Apart mini-series, "Never Tear Us Apart" charted again in Australia via download sales. It peaked at #11 on the ARIA Singles Chart, surpassing its original peak position of #14 back in 1988.

Charts

Chart (1988–89) Peak
position
scope="row"Australia (ARIA)[3] 14
scope="row"Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 8
Canadian RPM 30 Retail Singles[5] 9
Canadian RPM Top Singles[6] 9
scope="row"France (SNEP)[7] 48
scope="row"Germany (Official German Charts)[8] 66
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 21
scope="row"Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 7
scope="row"Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 9
scope="row"New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 21
scope="row"UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13] 24
scope="row"US Billboard Hot 100[14] 7
scope="row"US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[15] 5
scope="row"US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[16] 28
Chart (2014) Peak
position
scope="row"Australia (ARIA)[3] 11
scope="row"New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 27

Tom Jones feat. Natalie Imbruglia version

"Never Tear Us Apart"
Single by Tom Jones feat. Natalie Imbruglia
from the album Reload
Released 27 September 1999
Format CD single
Recorded 1998
Genre Rock
Length 3:08
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Johnny Douglas
Tom Jones singles chronology
"Burning Down the House"
(1999)		 "Never Tear Us Apart"
(1999)		 "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
(1999)

"Burning Down the House"
(1999)		 "Never Tear Us Apart"
(1999)		 "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
(1999)

The song was covered by Tom Jones for his 1999 album Reload featuring the Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia. The cover version also includes a music video.

Track listing

CD single

  1. "Never Tear Us Apart" – 3:08
  2. "Sunny Afternoon" – 3:26
  3. "Looking Out My Window" – 3:19
  4. "Sometimes We Cry" – 5:00

Remix version: "Precious Heart"

"Precious Heart"
Single by Tall Paul vs. INXS
from the album INXS²: The Remixes
Released 2001
Format CD single
Recorded 2001
Genre House
Label Mercury
Songwriter(s)

– "Precious Heart"
(2001)
INXS singles chronology
"Searching"
(1997) Searching1997		 "Precious Heart"
(2001) Precious Heart2001		 "I'm So Crazy"
(2001) I'm So Crazy2001

In 2001, a remix called "Precious Heart" was released as a single, and credited as Tall Paul vs. INXS.

Track listing

Australian CD single

  1. "Precious Heart" (Radio Edit) – 3:36
  2. "Precious Heart" (Original Mix) – 7:40
  3. "Precious Heart" (Riva Mix) – 7:40
  4. "Precious Heart" (Marc O'Toole Remix) – 8:41
  5. "Precious Heart" (Lush Mix) – 8:42

UK CD single

  1. "Precious Heart" (Radio Edit) – 3:36
  2. "Precious Heart" (Original Mix) – 7:40
  3. "Precious Heart" (Lush Mix) – 8:42

Official versions

  • "Precious Heart" (Original Mix) – 7:40
  • "Precious Heart" (Radio Edit) – 3:36
  • "Precious Heart" (Lush Mix) – 8:42
  • "Precious Heart" (Marc O'Toole Remix) – 8:41
  • "Precious Heart" (Riva Mix) – 7:40

Charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[17] 27
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[18] 14

Never Tear Us Apart (2010 re-recording with Ben Harper and Mylène Farmer)

"Never Tear Us Apart"
Single by INXS featuring Ben Harper
Released 12 August 2010
Format iTunes single
Recorded 2010
Genre Rock
Length 4:00
Label Petrol Electric
Songwriter(s)
INXS singles chronology
"Dream on Black Girl (Original Sin)"
(2006)		 "Never Tear Us Apart"
(2010)		 "Mediate"
(2011)

"Dream on Black Girl (Original Sin)"
(2006)		 "Never Tear Us Apart"
(2010)		 "Mediate"
(2011)

"Never Tear Us Apart" was re-recorded by INXS with Ben Harper for their twelfth studio album, Original Sin. The song has been released on iTunes and as a promotional single to radio stations prior to the release of the new album.

Ben Harper has been known to perform "Never Tear Us Apart" at his concerts since 2009, especially when in Australia. He revealed in an interview on Australia's Nova FM on 2 August 2010, "At this point, I've lived that song. I've lived enough years and gone through enough in my life to have earned the right to sing that song." On Sydney's Triple M, he stated "covering 'Never Tear Us Apart' is like covering 'Dock of the Bay'. I'm not here to make grandiose over-statements - it's just a fuckin' fact. That's one of the greatest soul songs ever written."

On 1 August 2010, the song was made available on INXS.com (a playable version only, not available for download). The audio version was accompanied by a YouTube video of Ben Harper performing the song with Jon Farriss at the "Splendour in the Grass" festival at Woodford, Queensland, Australia, filmed on 30 July 2010.

The song was released on iTunes on 12 August 2010.

INXS re-recorded "Never Tear Us Apart" with Ben Harper and French singer Mylène Farmer who wrote new French lyrics for this new version. The song was to be the first single from the 2010 INXS album in November in France and Belgium.

Paloma Faith version

"Never Tear Us Apart"
Single by Paloma Faith
from the album Fall to Grace
Released 23 September 2012
Format Digital download
Recorded 2012
Genre
Length 3:05
Label RCA Records
Songwriter(s)
Paloma Faith singles chronology
"30 Minute Love Affair"
(2012)		 "Never Tear Us Apart"
(2012)		 "Just Be"
(2012)

"30 Minute Love Affair"
(2012)		 "Never Tear Us Apart"
(2012)		 "Just Be"
(2012)

"Never Tear Us Apart" was recorded by British singer Paloma Faith for a television advertisement campaign for John Lewis. The advert began airing in the UK from 15 September 2012.[19] Faith later confirmed that the song would be released as her next single on 23 September 2012.[20] She commented "I have always loved this song and I feel honoured to sing it."[20] "Never Tear Us Apart" was released as the first single from the reissued version of Faith's second studio album Fall to Grace and serves as the third single overall.[20] The artwork for the song shows the singer saluting, while wearing a metallic gold dress, with "a honeycomb-like bottom half".[20]

Faith's version of the song can be heard on the opening scene of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fifteenth season episode "Beast's Obsession."

Reception

Digital Spy's Lewis Corner gave Faith's version of the song four out of five stars.[21] He stated "It's a brave task to reinterpret a much-loved hit, but Faith's soulful tones immediately thwart any doubts that she can't do the song justice."[21] He added that while it was always going to be tough topping the original, Faith comes "admirably close."[21]

Track listing

Digital download[22]
  1. "Never Tear Us Apart" – 3:05
  2. "Never Tear Us Apart" (Orchestral Version) – 3:05

Charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 42
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[24] 18
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[18] 16

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Silver 200,000double-dagger

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Country Release date Format
United Kingdom[20] 23 September 2012 Digital download

References

    1. ↑ Andrew Jett. "10 Best Pop Rock Songs". Mademan. Break Media. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
    2. ↑ Google Maps - Never Tear Us Apart locations
    3. 1 2 "Australian-charts.com – INXS – Never Tear Us Apart". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
    4. ↑ "Ultratop.be – INXS – Never Tear Us Apart" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
    5. ↑ "Never tear us apart in Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
    6. ↑ "Top Singles - Volume 48, No. 26, October 15, 1988". RPM. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
    7. ↑ "Lescharts.com – INXS – Never Tear Us Apart" (in French). Les classement single.
    8. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – INXS – Never Tear Us Apart". GfK Entertainment Charts.
    9. ↑ "Top 100 Singles - Week ending 18th October 2012". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
    10. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – INXS" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
    11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – INXS – Never Tear Us Apart" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
    12. 1 2 "Charts.nz – INXS – Never Tear Us Apart". Top 40 Singles.
    13. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
    14. ↑ "INXS Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
    15. ↑ "INXS Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
    16. ↑ "INXS Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
    17. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Tall Paul vs. INXS – Precious Heart". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
    18. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
    19. ↑ "John Lewis ad turns clock back". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
    20. 1 2 3 4 5 Corner, Lewis (20 September 2012). "Paloma Faith confirms new single 'Never Tear Us Apart'". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
    21. 1 2 3 Corner, Lewis (26 September 2012). "Paloma Faith: 'Never Tear Us Apart' - Single review". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
    22. ↑ "Never Tear Us Apart - Single". iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
    23. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 40, 2012". Irish Singles Chart.
    24. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
    25. ↑ "British single certifications – Paloma Faith – Never Tear Us Apart". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Never Tear Us Apart in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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