Never a Dull Moment (Rod Stewart album)

Never a Dull Moment
Studio album by
Released21 July 1972 (1972-07-21)
RecordedMarch–May 1972
StudioMorgan and Olympic, London
Genre
Length32:55
LabelMercury
ProducerRod Stewart
Rod Stewart chronology
Every Picture Tells a Story
(1971)
Never a Dull Moment
(1972)
Sing It Again Rod
(1973)
Singles from Never a Dull Moment
  1. "You Wear It Well"
    Released: August 1972 [1]
  2. "Angel" / "What's Made Milwaukee Famous"
    Released: November 1972 [2]
  3. "Twistin' the Night Away"
    Released: May 1973 (EU)[3]

Never a Dull Moment is the fourth solo album by rock musician Rod Stewart. It was released on 21 July 1972; that year it became a UK number-one album (for two weeks) and reached number two on the US Album chart.[4][5] The track "You Wear It Well", co-written by Stewart and classical guitarist Martin Quittenton, was a smash hit (another UK No. 1; in US No. 13), as well as "Twisting the Night Away", a song originally recorded (and written) by Sam Cooke.

Recording

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The album was recorded at Morgan and Olympic, London between March and May 1972.

Like many of Stewart's albums from the era, Never a Dull Moment features significant musical contributions from the members of the band Faces. Other guest musicians included Ray Jackson of the band Lindisfarne on mandolin, Spike Heatley on upright bass, Gordon Huntley on steel guitar, Dick Powell on violin and Pete Sears on piano and bass.

"Mama You Been on My Mind" is a cover version of a Bob Dylan song. Stewart's version is one of the songs featured in Nick Hornby's book 31 Songs.

"Angel" was written by Jimi Hendrix as a tribute to his mother. Hendrix and Ronnie Wood had shared a flat in the late 1960s, and were both at a Soho club on the night he died.

Release

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Never a Dull Moment was released on vinyl by Mercury Records on 21 July 1972.

On the 8-track tape and Cassette releases of the album the song "What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)" was on program 2 following "Twistin' the Night Away", but it was not mentioned in the song listing.[citation needed]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."True Blue"Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood3:32
2."Lost Paraguayos"Stewart, Wood3:57
3."Mama, You Been on My Mind"Bob Dylan4:29
4."Italian Girls"Stewart, Wood4:54
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Angel"Jimi Hendrix4:04
2."Interludings"Art Wood0:40
3."You Wear It Well"Stewart, Martin Quittenton4:22
4."I'd Rather Go Blind"Billy Foster, Ellington Jordan3:53
5."Twistin' the Night Away"Sam Cooke3:13
Total length:32:55

Personnel

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  • Rod Stewart – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Ronnie Wood – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, bass guitar
  • Ronnie Lane – bass guitar on "True Blue", and "Angel"
  • Micky Waller – drums all songs except "True Blue"
  • Kenney Jones – drums on "True Blue"
  • Ian McLagan – Hammond organ, piano
  • Neemoi "Speedy" Aquaye – congas
  • Pete Sears – piano on “Italian Girls”, “What Made Milwaukee Famous” (single), bass guitar on “I’d Rather Go Blind”.
  • Brian – piano
  • Spike Heatley – upright bass
  • Dick Powell – violin
  • Martin Quittenton – acoustic guitar
  • Gordon Huntley – steel guitar
  • Ray Jackson – mandolin
  • Arrangeables on "Twistin' the Night Away" by Jimmy Horowitz

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[19] 2× Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom 1,000,000[20]
United States (RIAA)[21] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Rod Stewart singles".
  2. ^ "Rod Stewart singles".
  3. ^ "Rod Stewart singles".
  4. ^ a b "Rod Stewart > Artists > Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Allmusic: Never a Dull Moment : Charts & Awards : Billboard Albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  6. ^ AllMusic review
  7. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  8. ^ "Rolling Stone Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  9. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 18, No. 9". RPM. 14 October 1972. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  11. ^ "dutchcharts.nl Rod Stewart – Never a Dull Moment" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  12. ^ a b "Hit Parade Italia – Gli album più venduti del 1972" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  13. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  14. ^ "Rod Stewart – Never a Dull Moment" (ASP). norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  15. ^ "Swedish Charts 1969–1972 / Kvällstoppen – Listresultaten vecka för vecka > Augusti 1972 > 29 Augusti" (PDF)."Swedish Charts 1972–1975 / Kvällstoppen – Listresultaten vecka för vecka > Augusti 1972 > 29 Augusti" (PDF) (in Swedish). hitsallertijden.nl. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  16. ^ "Album Search: Rod Stewart – Never a Dull Moment" (ASP) (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 1 May 2013.[dead link]
  17. ^ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1972" (ASP) (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  18. ^ "The Official UK Charts Company : ALBUM CHART HISTORY". 17 December 2007. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  19. ^ "Rod's Got The Face In New Zealand" (PDF). Cash Box. 30 March 1974. p. 53. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Great Britain's million sellers, 1972-73" (PDF). Cash Box. 6 July 1974. p. 8, Part II. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  21. ^ "American album certifications – Rod Stewart – Never a Dull Moment". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 November 2019.

Further reading

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