SotD - Rick Astley

Rick Astley celebrates the 35th Anniversary of his 1987 debut album with a remastered reissue of Whenever You Need Somebody. Guess which song we picked for Song of the Day...

Press Release

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of his landmark debut LP Whenever You Need Somebody, Rick Astley has released a reissued 2-CD and digital version of the album (BMG), which was remastered at Abbey Road Studios. Featuring one of the most recognizable singles ever - the worldwide #1 song “Never Gonna Give You Up” - plus hits “Together Forever” and the title track, Astley’s 1987 multi-platinum debut topped charts in 25 countries and remains beloved by millions today. Astley is currently enjoying a remarkable career resurgence and is featured on a massive 57-date “Mixtape 2022” arena tour with New Kids on the Block, Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue that launched last week. Tour dates can be found here.

Rick also shared a brand new animated version of the Never Gonna Give You Up video. Created by 50/50 Mediahouse, the animation lovingly recreates all of the most memorable moments from the original video, which has since exceeded 1.2 billion views on YouTube. 

Rick says, “Last year we had the idea for a frame by frame animated remake of Never Gonna Give You Up! After a lot of hard work, it’s finally ready & I love it!”

Whenever You Need Somebody (2022 Remaster) is a 2-CD set and digital release that boasts the remastered original album plus b-sides, remixes, and Astley’s own reimagined versions of the album’s original singles. The set includes an expansive booklet featuring previously unseen photos from 1987/88, liner notes by Craig McLean, and reflections from Astley and two of the original album’s songwriting contributors, Mike Stock and Pete Waterman (of Stock, Aitken and Waterman).

One of the most iconic figures in 80s popular music, Astley took several years off before returning to music in a big way in 2016, with 50. Entirely written and produced by Astley, the album is certified Platinum, was a #1 UK hit that sold over 400,000 copies and led to performances on Good Morning America, a feature in the New Yorker and far beyond. Beautiful Life in 2018 followed, a top 10 UK release.

While Astley continues to produce new music, the resonance of his debut recording never fades. Last year, Never Gonna Give You Up achieved a rare milestone in becoming one of 23 music videos from the pre-internet era to hit one billion views on YouTube. He has over six million monthly listeners on Spotify and is active on social media, where 2.9 million fans follow him on TikTok. In partnership with Jacqui and Kevin Hughes, Astley also recently launched BUB CLUB. The YouTube channel for pre-schoolers shows animations filled with original music and enhanced versions of classic nursery rhymes and songs. Astley is also co-writing and co-producing new songs for BUB CLUB.

You can buy the re-issued album here. 

The tracklist for the 2CD Deluxe Edition of Whenever You Need Somebody is below. The single CD version features the new remaster of the original album (tracks 1-10), while digital formats run as below with four additional tracks.

CD1

1. ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’
2. ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’
3. ‘Together Forever’
4. ‘It Would Take A Strong Strong Man’
5. ‘The Love Has Gone’
6. ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’
7. ‘Slipping Away’
8. ‘No More Looking For Love’
9. ‘You Move Me’
10. ‘When I Fall In Love’
11. ‘My Arms Keep Missing You’
12. ‘I'll Never Set You Free (7” Mix)
13. ‘Just Good Friends’
14. ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ (Pianoforte)
15. ‘Together Forever’ (Reimagined)
16. ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ (Reimagined)
17. ‘When I Fall In Love’ (Reimagined)

CD2

1. ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ (Phil Harding 12” Mix)
2. ‘Together Forever’ (Lover's Leap Remix)
3. ‘My Arms Keep Missing You’ (The "Where's The Harry" Remix)
4. ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ (XK 150 Mix)
5. ‘My Arms Keep Missing You’ (Bruno's Remix)
6. ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ (Cake Mix)
7. ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ (Lonely Hearts Mix)
8. ‘My Arms Keep Missing You’ (No L Mix)
9. ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ (Escape From Newton Mix)
10. ‘Together Forever’ (House Of Love Mix)
11. ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ (Rick Sets It Off Mix)
12. ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ (Instrumental)
13. ‘It Would Take A Strong Strong Man’ (Instrumental)
14. ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ (Instrumental)

Image & info - Shorefire