| The Twelfth of Never | |
| Cover: | Chances Are (1957 Johnny Mathis single) US cover.jpg |
| Caption: | US 7-inch single picture sleeve |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Johnny Mathis |
| Album: | Johnny's Greatest Hits |
| A-Side: | "Chances Are" |
| Released: | 12 August 1957 |
| Studio: | Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Prev Title: | It's Not for Me to Say |
| Prev Year: | 1957 |
| Next Title: | Wild Is the Wind |
| Next Year: | 1957 |
| The Twelfth of Never | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Cliff Richard |
| B-Side: | "I'm Afraid to Go Home" |
| Released: | 2 October 1964 |
| Studio: | Abbey Road |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | Norrie Paramor |
| Prev Title: | On the Beach |
| Prev Year: | 1964 |
| Next Title: | I Could Easily Fall (In Love with You) |
| Next Year: | 1964 |
| The Twelfth of Never | |
| Cover: | The-Twelfth-of-Never-Donny-Osmond.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Donny Osmond |
| Album: | Alone Together |
| B-Side: | "Life Is Just What You Make It" |
| Released: | February 24, 1973 |
| Recorded: | November 27, 1972 |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Label: | MGM Records 14503 |
| Prev Title: | Why" / "Lonely Boy |
| Prev Year: | 1972 |
| Next Title: | Young Love" / "A Million to One |
| Next Year: | 1973 |
"The Twelfth of Never" is a popular song written in 1956 and first recorded by Johnny Mathis the following year. The title is a popular expression, which is used as the date of a future occurrence that will never come to pass. In the case of the song, "the 12th of Never" is given as the date on which the singer will stop loving his beloved, thus indicating that he will always love them.
Mathis initially disliked the song, which was released as the flip side to his number 1 hit single "Chances Are".
It was written by Jerry Livingston and Paul Francis Webster, the tune (except for the bridge) being adapted from "The Riddle Song" (also known as "I Gave My Love a Cherry"), an old English folk song. Mathis's original version reached number 9 on what is now called the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA in 1957. A version by Cliff Richard was released in 1964 and reached number 8 in the UK.[1] Donny Osmond's version, produced by Mike Curb and Don Costa, was his second number 1 single in the UK, spending a single week at the top of the UK Singles Chart in March 1973.[2] In the U.S. it peaked at number 8.
Johnny Mathis original
| Chart (1957–58) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Sydney, Australia)[3] | 2 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 9 |
Cliff Richard version
| Chart (1964–65) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 6 |
| Hong Kong[6] | 5 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[7] [8] | 9 |
| Malaysia[9] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 13 |
Donny Osmond version
| Chart (1973) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] | 2 | |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] | 4 | |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[13] | 15 | |
| Germany (Media Control)[14] | 29 | |
| Malaysia[15] | 8 | |
| New Zealand (Listener)[16] | 5 | |
| Singapore[17] | 2 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[18] | 8 |
