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| type = single
| type = single
| artist = [[Charlene (singer)|Charlene]]
| artist = [[Charlene (singer)|Charlene]]
| album = [[Charlene (Charlene album)|Songs of Love]] {{noitalic|(1977) and}} I've Never Been to Me {{noitalic|(1982)}}
| album = [[Charlene (Charlene album)|Charlene / Songs of Love]] {{noitalic|(1977) and}} I've Never Been to Me {{noitalic|(1982)}}
| B-side = {{ubl|"It's Really Nice to Be in Love Again" (1977)|"Somewhere in My Life" (1982)}}
| B-side = {{ubl|"It's Really Nice to Be in Love Again" (1977)|"Somewhere in My Life" (1982)}}
| released = July 1977<br />February 1982 (re-release)
| released = July 1977<br />February 1982 (re-release)
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}}
}}
}}
}}
"'''I've Never Been to Me'''" is a [[Sentimental ballad|ballad]], written and composed by [[Ron Miller (songwriter)|Ron Miller]] and [[Ken Hirsch (composer)|Kenneth Hirsch]] and made popular via a recording by American singer [[Charlene (singer)|Charlene]]. Although its original release in 1977 barely registered on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], its re-release in 1982 hit #3 in the US and earned her a [[Music recording sales certification|gold certification]] in Australia,<ref name="gold">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YyQEAAAAMBAJ&q=billboard+charlene+i've+never+been+to+me+gold&pg=PT102 |title=Billboard – Google Books |date=December 25, 1982 |access-date=March 29, 2014}}</ref> where it held the #1 spot for six weeks. In addition, the song topped the charts in Canada (4 weeks), Ireland (3 weeks) and the United Kingdom. It was also a top ten triumph in Norway, Belgium, New Zealand and the Netherlands and became [[Motown]]'s first top ten hit by a white female solo singer.
"'''I've Never Been to Me'''" is a [[Sentimental ballad|ballad]], written and composed by [[Ron Miller (songwriter)|Ron Miller]] and [[Ken Hirsch (composer)|Kenneth Hirsch]] and made popular via a recording by American singer [[Charlene (singer)|Charlene]]. Although its original release in 1977 barely registered on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], its re-release in 1982 hit #3 in the US and earned her a [[Music recording sales certification|gold certification]] in Australia,<ref name="gold">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YyQEAAAAMBAJ&q=billboard+charlene+i've+never+been+to+me+gold&pg=PT102 |title=Billboard – Google Books |date=December 25, 1982 |access-date=March 29, 2014}}</ref> where it held the #1 spot for six weeks. In addition, the song topped the charts in Canada (4 weeks), Ireland (3 weeks) and the United Kingdom.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> It was also a top ten triumph in Norway, Belgium, New Zealand and the Netherlands and became [[Motown]]'s first top ten hit by a white female solo singer.


==Content==
==Content==
The song is best known as lyrically formatted for a female vocalist and as such is addressed to a desperate wife and mother who would like to trade her prosaic existence for the [[jet set]]ting lifestyle the song's narrator has led. The narrator alludes to various [[hedonism|hedonistic]] episodes in her life, concluding that while she's "been to paradise", she's ultimately failed to find self-fulfillment, expressing this with the line, "I've never been to me." There is also an alternative set of lyrics for the song formatted for a male singer, in which the narrator is an elderly man, destined to die the very next day, begging for a dime for a cup of coffee, addressing a younger man who is "raising hell" the way the old man used to do.
The song is best known as lyrically formatted for a female vocalist and as such is addressed to a dissatisfied wife and mother who would like to trade her prosaic existence for the [[jet set]]ting lifestyle the song's narrator has led. The narrator alludes to various [[hedonism|hedonistic]] episodes in her life, concluding that while she's "been to paradise", she's ultimately failed to find self-fulfillment, expressing this with the line, "I've never been to me." There is also an alternative set of lyrics for the song formatted for a male singer, in which the narrator is an elderly man, destined to die the very next day, begging for a dime for a cup of coffee, addressing a younger man who is "raising hell" the way the old man used to do.


==Early versions==
==Early versions==
Charlene had recorded "I've Never Been to Me" in 1976 for her debut album, the self-titled ''[[Charlene (Charlene album)|Charlene]]'', a Prodigal release (P6 10015S1), and the ballad contained a controversial spoken section. ''Songs of Love'' (P610018S1) came out six months later in 1977 and was essentially a re-issue of ''Charlene'', having a slightly different track listing but retaining "I've Never Been to Me" without the spoken bridge. In October 1977, "I've Never Been to Me" became Charlene's third consecutive single to stall in the lowest part of [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard's'' Hot 100]]. From the ''Charlene'' LP, the first single, "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down", went to No. 97 in March 1977 (and No. 23 on AC). The following single, "Freddie" from the ''Songs of Love'' album, made it to No. 96 on the Hot 100 in May 1977 (and No. 40 on AC). The Hot 100 peak of "I've Never Been to Me" in its original formal release without the monologue was No. 97,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1977-10-08|title=Top 100 Songs {{!}} Billboard Hot 100 Chart|work=Billboard|access-date=November 19, 2018}}</ref> and while Charlene's preceding two singles had both reached ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Easy Listening chart]], "I've Never Been to Me" failed to appear on that chart.
The earliest version of "I've Never Been to Me" to be released was by [[Randy Crawford]] which appeared on her 1976 album ''[[Everything Must Change (Randy Crawford album)|Everything Must Change]]''. Charlene had recorded "I've Never Been to Me" in 1976 for her debut album, the self-titled ''[[Charlene (Charlene album)|Charlene]]'', a Prodigal release (P610015S1), and the ballad contained a controversial spoken section. ''Songs of Love'' (P610018S1) came out six months later in 1977 and was essentially a re-issue of ''Charlene'', having a slightly different track listing but retaining "I've Never Been to Me" without the spoken bridge. In October 1977, "I've Never Been to Me" became Charlene's third consecutive single to stall in the lowest part of [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard's'' Hot 100]]. From the ''Charlene'' LP, the first single, "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down", went to No. 97 in March 1977 (and No. 23 on AC). The following single, "Freddie" from the ''Songs of Love'' album, made it to No. 96 on the Hot 100 in May 1977 (and No. 40 on AC). The Hot 100 peak of "I've Never Been to Me" in its original formal release without the monologue was No. 97,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1977-10-08|title=Top 100 Songs {{!}} Billboard Hot 100 Chart|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 19, 2018}}</ref> and while Charlene's preceding two singles had both reached ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Easy Listening chart]], "I've Never Been to Me" failed to appear on that chart.


The earliest version of "I've Never Been to Me" to be released was by [[Randy Crawford]] which appeared on her 1976 album ''Everything Must Change''. Besides Charlene's version, 1977 also saw the release of versions of the song by [[Nancy Wilson (jazz singer)|Nancy Wilson]] and [[Walter Jackson (singer)|Walter Jackson]]: Nancy Wilson's version served as the title track of her June 1977 album release and was the first version of the song to be released as a [[Single (music)|single]], reaching No. 47 on the ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B chart]], while Walter Jackson's version – featuring the lyric formatted from a male perspective – was featured on his ''I Want to Come Back as a Song'' album released in the spring of 1977.
Besides Charlene's version, 1977 also saw the release of versions of the song by [[Nancy Wilson (jazz singer)|Nancy Wilson]] and [[Walter Jackson (singer)|Walter Jackson]]: Nancy Wilson's version served as the title track of her June 1977 album release and was the first version of the song to be released as a [[Single (music)|single]], reaching No. 47 on the ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B chart]], while Walter Jackson's version – featuring the lyric formatted from a male perspective – was featured on his ''I Want to Come Back as a Song'' album released in the spring of 1977.


In February 1978, a mid-tempo recording of "I've Never Been to Me" by [[Mary MacGregor|Mary McGregor]] was released as the advance single from her ''[[...In Your Eyes|In Your Eyes]]'' album: this single reached #29 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Easy Listening and Canada's Adult Contemporary charts.<ref name="bac-lac.gc.ca">{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5475&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5475.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5475|title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=May 6, 1978 |access-date=February 8, 2019}}</ref> A modified version of MacGregor's version was sent out to radio stations with the possibly controversial line in the final chorus, "I spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that costs too much to be free", amended to "I thought my heart would wait but I learned too late that it costs too much to be free". Also in 1978, [[Marti Caine]] recorded "I've Never Been to Me" for her album ''Behind the Smile'' from which it was issued as a single, and [[Mary Roos]] recorded the German rendering by lyricist [[Michael Kunze]] entitled "Doch mich selber kenn ich nicht" ("But I do not know myself") for her album ''Maryland''.
In February 1978, a mid-tempo recording of "I've Never Been to Me" by [[Mary MacGregor]] was released as the advance single from her ''[[...In Your Eyes]]'' album: this single reached #29 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Easy Listening and Canada's Adult Contemporary charts.<ref name="bac-lac.gc.ca">{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5475&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5475.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5475|title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=May 6, 1978 |access-date=February 8, 2019}}</ref> A modified version of MacGregor's version was sent out to radio stations with the possibly controversial line in the final chorus, "I spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that costs too much to be free", amended to "I thought my heart would wait but I learned too late that it costs too much to be free". Also in 1978, [[Marti Caine]] recorded "I've Never Been to Me" for her album ''Behind the Smile'' from which it was issued as a single, and [[Mary Roos]] recorded the German rendering by lyricist [[Michael Kunze]] entitled "Doch mich selber kenn ich nicht" ("But I do not know myself") for her album ''Maryland''.


==Revival==
==Revival==
In 1982, [[Scott Shannon]], a disc jockey at Tampa radio station [[WRBQ-FM]], began playing the "I've Never Been to Me" track off the ''Charlene'' album (with the original recitative), and response from local listeners was such as to motivate Shannon, a former Motown employee, to alert Motown president Jay Lasker to the track's hit potential. Lasker located Charlene who, discouraged by the poor performance of her 1977 Motown releases and by the label's decision not to release a second album she had recorded, had left the music industry and met and married an Englishman, subsequently accompanying him to his native land and taking a job at a sweetshop in [[Ilford]]. Lasker personally telephoned her with the invitation to re-sign with Motown Records to facilitate the re-release of her "I've Never Been To Me" single, which occurred in February 1982.
In 1982, [[Scott Shannon]], a disc jockey at Tampa radio station [[WRBQ-FM]], began playing the "I've Never Been to Me" track off the ''Charlene'' album (with the original recitative), and response from local listeners was such as to motivate Shannon, a former Motown employee, to alert Motown president Jay Lasker to the track's hit potential. Lasker located Charlene who, discouraged by the poor performance of her 1977 Motown releases and by the label's decision not to release a second album she had recorded, had left the music industry and met and married an Englishman, subsequently accompanying him to his native land and taking a job at a sweetshop in [[Ilford]]. Lasker personally telephoned her with the invitation to re-sign with Motown Records to facilitate the re-release of her "I've Never Been To Me" single, which occurred in February 1982.


The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 dated March 6, 1982, showed "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene debuting at No. 84 – already 13 places higher than its 1977 peak. It subsequently rose as high as No. 3 on the Hot 100, where it held for three weeks during May and June, prevented from further chart movement by "[[Don't Talk to Strangers (Rick Springfield song)|Don't Talk to Strangers]]" by [[Rick Springfield]] and "[[Ebony and Ivory]]" by [[Paul McCartney]] and [[Stevie Wonder]]. The song ranked at No. 38 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100-year-end chart for 1982.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/charlene|title=Charlene|work=Billboard|access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref> The track had even greater impact internationally, attaining No. 1 status in Australia (six weeks), Canada (four weeks), Ireland (three weeks), and the United Kingdom (one week).<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 dated March 6, 1982, showed "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene debuting at No. 84 – already 13 places higher than its 1977 peak. It subsequently rose as high as No. 3 on the Hot 100, where it held for three weeks during May and June, prevented from further chart movement by "[[Don't Talk to Strangers (Rick Springfield song)|Don't Talk to Strangers]]" by [[Rick Springfield]] and "[[Ebony and Ivory]]" by [[Paul McCartney]] and [[Stevie Wonder]]. The song ranked at No. 38 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100-year-end chart for 1982.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/charlene|title=Charlene|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref> The track had even greater impact internationally, attaining No. 1 status in Australia (six weeks), Canada (four weeks), Ireland (three weeks), and the United Kingdom (one week).<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| last= Roberts
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| page= 410}}</ref> "I've Never Been to Me" also afforded Charlene a top ten hit in Belgium (Flemish Region) (#7), the Netherlands (#7), New Zealand (#5), and Norway (#5). In 1982, Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me" was also a top 10 hit on [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']]'s [[Adult Contemporary chart]] (#7) and a minor [[Hot Country Songs|C&W chart]] crossover (#60).
| page= 410}}</ref> "I've Never Been to Me" also afforded Charlene a top ten hit in Belgium (Flemish Region) (#7), the Netherlands (#7), New Zealand (#5), and Norway (#5). In 1982, Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me" was also a top 10 hit on [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']]'s [[Adult Contemporary chart]] (#7) and a minor [[Hot Country Songs|C&W chart]] crossover (#60).


When the song was revived in 1982, the version being played on radio was the take with the monologue (from the Prodigal LP ''Charlene'', P6 10015S1); this version was the one Motown re-issued, not the ''Songs of Love'' single version from 1977 (Prodigal, P610018S1).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Charlene-Charlene/master/313332|title=Charlene – Charlene|website=Discogs|access-date=August 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Charlene-Songs-Of-Love/master/655492|title=Charlene – Songs Of Love|website=Discogs.com|access-date=August 4, 2018}}</ref> The song was never actually re-recorded by Charlene in 1982.
When the song was revived in 1982, the version being played on radio was the take with the monologue (from the Prodigal LP ''Charlene'', P6 10015S1). This version was the one Motown re-issued, not the ''Songs of Love'' single version from 1977 (Prodigal, P610018S1).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Charlene-Charlene/master/313332|title=Charlene – Charlene|website=Discogs|year=1976 |access-date=August 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Charlene-Songs-Of-Love/master/655492|title=Charlene – Songs Of Love|website=Discogs.com|year=1977 |access-date=August 4, 2018}}</ref> The song was never actually re-recorded by Charlene in 1982.{{fact|date=May 2024|reason= A secondary source needs to be cited here to support this fact.}}


==Music video==
==Music video==
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==Legacy==
==Legacy==
As Charlene was unable to successfully follow up the success of "I've Never Been to Me" – her only subsequent Hot 100 entry "Used to Be" (a duet with [[Stevie Wonder]]) got as high as No. 46 – she remains a high-profile [[one-hit wonder]]. On the 2002 [[VH1]] special ''[[The Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders]]'', "I've Never Been to Me" was ranked at No. 75.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2008_27_fri.shtml |title=I've Never Been To Me enjoys a new release |publisher=BBC |work=BBC.co.uk |date=July 4, 2008 |access-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref> In the program, it was stated that her entry "expresses the post-'70s hangover."
As Charlene was unable to successfully follow up the success of "I've Never Been to Me" – her only subsequent Hot 100 entry "Used to Be" (a duet with [[Stevie Wonder]]) got as high as No. 46 – she remains a high-profile [[one-hit wonder]]. On the 2002 [[VH1]] special ''[[The Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders]]'', "I've Never Been to Me" was ranked at No. 75.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2008_27_fri.shtml |title=I've Never Been To Me enjoys a new release |publisher=BBC |work=BBC.co.uk |date=July 4, 2008 |access-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref> In the program, it was stated that her entry "expresses the post-'70s hangover." The song is the opening number in the 1994 film ''[[The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]]'', lip-synched by [[Hugo Weaving]]'s drag queen character.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soundtracking: "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" - Blog - The Film Experience |url=http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2017/6/14/soundtracking-the-adventures-of-priscilla-queen-of-the-deser.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=thefilmexperience.net |language=en}}</ref>


==Chart history==
==Chart history==
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|Canada ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Top Singles<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4361&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4361.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4361|title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=July 3, 1982 |access-date=February 4, 2019}}</ref>
|Canada ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Top Singles<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4361&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4361.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4361|title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=July 3, 1982 |access-date=February 4, 2019}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|Denmark ([[Hitlisten]])<ref>Danish Charts Archive. September 1982.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
|-
|{{singlechart|Ireland2|1|song=I've Never Been to Me|access-date=June 22, 2017}}
|{{singlechart|Ireland2|1|song=I've Never Been to Me|access-date=June 22, 2017}}
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! Rank
! Rank
|-
|-
|Australia<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.top100singles.net/2011/06/amr-top-singles-of-1982.html|title=AMR Top Singles of 1982|website=Top100singles.net|access-date=April 23, 2021}}</ref>
|Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name="aus82">{{cite web|title= National Top 100 Singles for 1982 |publisher= [[Kent Music Report]] |via= [[Imgur]] |issue= 445 |date= January 3, 1983 |access-date= January 22, 2023 |url= https://i.imgur.com/iP7HHqt.jpg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.top100singles.net/2011/06/amr-top-singles-of-1982.html|title=AMR Top Singles of 1982|website=Top100singles.net|access-date=April 23, 2021}}</ref>
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|New Zealand<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3871|title=Top Selling Singles of 1982 – The Official New Zealand Music Chart<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=Nztop40.co.nz|access-date=August 4, 2018}}</ref>
|New Zealand<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1982-12-31|title=Top Selling Singles of 1982 – The Official New Zealand Music Chart<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=Nztop40.co.nz|access-date=August 4, 2018}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|40
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==Other versions==
==Other versions==
A Spanish language recording of "I've Never Been to Me" entitled "Nunca He Ido A Mi" was recorded by Charlene and was one of two [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] tracks featured on the re-release of "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down" – the followup to the 1982 release of "I've Never Been to Me" – in its UK format (in other territories "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down" featured only the one B-side "If I Could See Myself").
A Spanish language recording of "I've Never Been to Me" entitled "Nunca He Ido A Mi" was recorded by Charlene and was one of two [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] tracks featured on the re-release of "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down" – the followup to the 1982 release of "I've Never Been to Me" – in its UK format (in other territories "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down" featured only the one B-side "If I Could See Myself").

⚫
Charlene re-released the song in the form of a dance remix via download music in 2008.

==English cover versions==
*[[The Temptations]] recorded "I've Never Been to Me" with the male-formatted lyrics on their ''[[Reunion (Temptations album)|Reunion]]'' album in 1982.
*[[Howard Keel]] recorded "I've Never Been to Me" with the male-formatted lyrics for his album ''Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.'' Keel made this song a staple of his live concerts from 1985 to 2002.
*Dutch singer [[Patricia Paay]] recorded the song for her 1995 English-language album ''Time of My Life'' comprising songs from movies, "I've Never Been to Me" being the opening number in the film ''[[The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]].''
*[[Tracy Huang]], a [[Taiwanese people|Taiwanese]] [[diva]], covered this song in 1978. She is better known for this song in Singapore, [[Malaysia]] and other parts of Asia than the original singer. This version replaces the words "subtle whoring" with "inner feelings."
*[[Neds Atomic Dustbin]] covered the song for the 1992 compilation ''[[Ruby Trax]]''. It was also included on their 1994 album ''[[0.522]]''.
*Taiwanese girl group [[S.H.E]] included a cover on their 2002 album, ''[[Youth Society (S.H.E album)|Youth Society]]''.
*A [[hi-NRG]]/[[eurodance]] cover of the song by Rainbow Nation featuring Monica Dionne was released as a single through [[Almighty Records]] in 2003. An audio sample can be heard on the official Almighty Records website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://almightyrecords.com/product/ALMY064/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027051149/http://almightyrecords.com/product/ALMY064/ |archive-date=October 27, 2010 |title=Almighty Records.com &#124; Rainbow Nation feat. Monica Dionne &#124; I've Never Been To Me |publisher=AlmightyRecords.com |date=October 27, 2010 |access-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref>
*J-pop singer [[Yuki Koyanagi]] recorded a Japanese-language cover. It was included on the "Love Knot-Ai No Kizuna" single from 2004. She sang it in English as well.
*Japanese musical actress [[Seiko Niizuma]] covered the song on her live album ''Live Moments'' in 2013.

==Non-English cover versions==

===European===
*Czech: "Já Slyšel O Ráji" – I heard about paradise – recorded by [[Karel Gott]] for his 1983 album release ''...a to mám rád''.
*Dutch: "Ik moet leren" ("I need to learn") recorded by Garry Hagger ([[:nl:Garry Hagger|nl]]) for his 1996 album release ''Het allermooiste.''
*Finnish: "En tunne itseäin" ("I do not know myself") recorded by [[Seija Simola]] in 1984. It was released as a single, as well as on the compilation ''Jokamiehen suosikit 10''.
*German:
**"Ich hab' ins Paradies geseh'n (I've peeked into paradise)" 1982 single release for the Swiss singer Paola. – remade by [[: Michael von der Heide|Michael von der Heide]] 2000 single release.
**"Doch mich selber kenn ich nicht" (But I do not know myself – lyric by [[Michael Kunze]]) – introduced by [[Mary Roos]] on her 1978 album ''Maryland'' – remade by [[:de:Leonard (Sänger)|Leonard]] for his 2001 ''Rhythmus der nacht'' album.
**"De Wind vun Hamborg" (the breeze of Hamburg) a "Plattdüütsch" (Low German) rendering recorded by Ina Müller in 2009 having been a staple of Müller's live act for several years. Müller is herself the lyricist for this rendering radically reinvents the original English song relating the singer's experiences during her travels of Northern Germany and concluding that the most happy times have always been when she felt the breeze of Hamburg blowing, thereby transporting the sentiment of there being no place like home.
*Swedish: "Jag har sett himmelen" (''I have seen heaven'') recorded by [[Kikki Danielsson]] for her 1983 album ''[[Singles Bar]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/id/001886156 |title=Information at Svensk mediedatabas |publisher=Smdb.kb.se |access-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref>

===Asian===
*Cantonese: [[Vivian Chow]]'s version "孤單的心痛" (''lit.''The solitary heartache) is a [[Cantopop]] love song based on ''I've Never Been to Me''.
*Japanese: There are two different versions of the lyrics in Japanese. One largely follows the original theme, while a newer version has completely different lyrics written by Keiko Aso(麻生圭子) with the title "LOVE IS ALL　～愛を聴かせて～"(Love is All -Let me hear your love-). Japanese female singer Megumi Shiina(椎名恵) recorded it for a TV period drama of the unrequited love between [[Takeda Shingen]]'s daughter and [[Oda Nobunaga]]'s son. The latter, positive version is often used as a wedding song in Japan; the chorus line "never been to me" is replaced with "my love is true".
*Korean: "[[As One (musical duo)|As One]]" (애즈 원), South Korean female duo, Crystal (Dahee Chae 채다희) and Min (Minyoung Lee 이민영). Lyric by Sara Yun (윤사라), and re-arranged by Jaehong Shin (신재홍). Album ''Day by day'', released on November 11, 1999.
*Taiwan Mandarin:
**三月的玫瑰" (''lit.'' Rose of March), performed by Taiwanese singer, {{ill|Jin Ruei-yao|zh|金瑞瑤}}.
**Taiwanese singer [[Teresa Teng]] recorded versions of this song both in [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] and in English
*Vietnamese: "Thiên Đường Ảo" ("Virtual Heaven") was written and sung by Vân Quỳnh.

==Parodies and references==
*It was covered by Irish TV puppet [[Dustin the Turkey]] (from the children's TV series ''[[The Den (television)|The Den]]'') with re-worked lyrics on his album ''[[Unplucked]].'' This version replaces the title with a claim that Dustin has "never been to [[County Meath|Meath]]."
*[[WLW]] Radio in [[Cincinnati]] (''The Gary Burbank Show'') played a parody called "Never Been To [[Xenia, Ohio|Xenia]]" in the 1980s.
*[[Philippines|Filipino]] singer-songwriter [[Ogie Alcasid]] recorded a cover of the song with the lyrics sung from a second-person point of view.
*[[The Kinsey Sicks]] performed a parody called "I've Been Through Parasites (Never Had [[Venereal disease|VD]])" which appears on their album, I Wanna Be A Republican.
*In 2015, on the ''[[Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon]]'', [[Jimmy Fallon]] performed a lip synched version of the song.

==Sampling==
*Australian artist [[Ben Lee]] sampled the song for his track "No Room to Bleed," from his album ''[[hey you. yes you.]],'' which he released in 2002.
*Polish producer [[:pl:Lubay|Lubay]] featured the 1982 sample for an unreleased tune to be used as a soundtrack in 2006, as it states on his [[SoundCloud]] profile.<ref>{{cite AV media |author=Lubay |year=2006 |title=No Place feat. Charlene |url=https://soundcloud.com/lubay/no-place-feat-charlene |publisher=SoundCloud}}</ref>


⚫
Charlene re-released the song in the form of a [[Dance music|dance]] [[remix]] via [[Music download|download music]] in 2008.
==Live cover performances==
*It has been covered live by Korean female duo As One in English with the original lyrics, and in Korean with completely rewritten lyrics.
*K-pop and J-pop singer [[Younha]] sung a cover of the song in English on the Korean TV program ''Music Travel Lalala''.


==Worst song lists==
==Appearances / references in other media==
*The song was listed as the No. 3 worst song of all time in Jimmy Guterman's 1991 book "The Worst Rock n' Roll Records of All Time: A Fan's Guide to the Stuff You Love to Hate."<ref>Guterman, Jimmy and O'Donnell, Owen. The Worst Rock n' Roll Records Of All Time (Citadel Press, 1991.)</ref>
*The song was listed as the No. 3 worst song of all time in Jimmy Guterman's 1991 book "The Worst Rock n' Roll Records of All Time: A Fan's Guide to the Stuff You Love to Hate."<ref>Guterman, Jimmy and O'Donnell, Owen. The Worst Rock n' Roll Records Of All Time (Citadel Press, 1991.)</ref>
*In 1994, the film ''[[The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]]'' opened with [[Hugo Weaving]] [[lip-synch]]ing this song in [[Drag queen|drag]] to Charlene's vocals. (Charlene's original version of the ballad is also included on the soundtrack.) A popular choice for drag queens, the song is featured as well in the first act of [[Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (musical)|the stage musical]] where it is mimed onstage by two Sydney [[female impersonators]] at the Imperial Hotel in [[Erskineville, New South Wales|Erskineville, Australia]].
*In episode five of season three of the series ''[[Absolutely Fabulous]]'' ("Fear," 1995), Edina Monsoon says, "Sweetie, I've been to paradise, but I have never, ever been to me."
*In the sitcom ''[[Will & Grace]],'' [[Jack McFarland]] comically performed this song during "Just Jack," his first show in the 1998 first-season episode "Between A Rock And Harlin's Place."
*In episode 3 of series 1 ("Grapes of Wrath," 2000) of the sitcom ''[[Black Books]],'' [[Fran Katzenjammer]] realizes her date is gay when he requests the song be played at a restaurant inside which they are eating.
*In 2001, [[Me Without You (film)|''Me Without You'']] used the song in both the film and its soundtrack.
*The song was referenced by [[Dan Castallaneta]] on ''[[The Simpsons]]'' in the 15th-season episode from 2004, "[[Catch 'Em If You Can]]." When [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] is reminded that he has been to space, he replies, "And yet I've never been to me."
*The song was sung by [[Edie Britt]] on the television show ''[[Desperate Housewives]],'' in the season one episode "[[Move On (Desperate Housewives)|Move On]]," from 2005.
*A 2006 [[CNN]] poll listed the song as the No. 4 worst song of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2006/04/27/Paul-Anka-wins-worst-song-poll-by-CNN/UPI-74281146163429/|title=Paul Anka wins worst song poll by CNN|date=June 27, 2006|publisher=UPI.com|access-date=January 11, 2012}}</ref>
*A 2006 [[CNN]] poll listed the song as the No. 4 worst song of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2006/04/27/Paul-Anka-wins-worst-song-poll-by-CNN/UPI-74281146163429/|title=Paul Anka wins worst song poll by CNN|date=June 27, 2006|publisher=UPI.com|access-date=January 11, 2012}}</ref>
*In 2006, the song was used in Toffee Pops biscuit commercials in New Zealand.
*In 2006, "I've Never Been to Me" was released as one of the songs on ''[[SingStar Anthems]]'', one of the popular [[SingStar]] video games.
*In 2007, the song was used in the movie ''[[Shrek the Third]].''
*The [[Weekend Update]] segment of the September 25, 2004, episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' featured [[Rachel Dratch]] portraying [[Barbara Walters]] conducting an interview with herself (i.e. Walters): the routine ended with "Barbara" talk-singing the second chorus of "I've Never Been to Me."
*In the 2008 UK TV Series, ''[[Beautiful People (UK TV series)|Beautiful People]],'' Simon's teacher, Miss Prentice, delivers the second verse and chorus as a farewell speech when leaving the school, replacing the word 'paradise' in the chorus with the town of [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]], where the show is set.
*In 2008, the song was used in a montage for [[Tina Lord]] on ''[[One Life to Live]].''
*This song can be unlocked in [[Wii Music]].
*In 2015, the song was mentioned in the comedy film ''[[Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2]].''
*In 2017, the song was prominently used in the film ''[[You Were Never Really Here]].''
*In the 2018 season-two episode of ''[[Splitting Up Together]]'' entitled "Asking for a Friend," [[Jenna Fischer]]'s Lena longingly begins singing the song to her children; this prompts her youngest son, Milo, to question aloud if his mother is having a nervous breakdown.


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:UK singles chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ron Miller (songwriter)]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ron Miller (songwriter)]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ken Hirsch]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ken Hirsch]]

Latest revision as of 09:02, 25 November 2024

For the Nancy Wilson album, see I've Never Been to Me (album).

"I've Never Been to Me"
Side A of the 1982 US reissue
Single by Charlene
from the album Charlene / Songs of Love (1977) and I've Never Been to Me (1982)
B-side
  • "It's Really Nice to Be in Love Again" (1977)
  • "Somewhere in My Life" (1982)
ReleasedJuly 1977
February 1982 (re-release)
Recorded1976
GenrePop
Length3:49 (1977)
3:47 (1982)
LabelProdigal (1977)
Motown (1982)
Songwriter(s)Ron Miller, Kenneth Hirsch
Producer(s)Ron Miller, Don Costa,
Berry Gordy
Charlene singles chronology
"Freddie"
(1977) 		"I've Never Been to Me"
(1977) 		"Are You Free"
(1978)
"Hungry"
(1980)
"I've Never Been to Me"
(1982)
""Used to Be" (with Stevie Wonder)"
(1982)

"I've Never Been to Me" is a ballad, written and composed by Ron Miller and Kenneth Hirsch and made popular via a recording by American singer Charlene. Although its original release in 1977 barely registered on the Billboard Hot 100, its re-release in 1982 hit #3 in the US and earned her a gold certification in Australia,[1] where it held the #1 spot for six weeks. In addition, the song topped the charts in Canada (4 weeks), Ireland (3 weeks) and the United Kingdom.[2] It was also a top ten triumph in Norway, Belgium, New Zealand and the Netherlands and became Motown's first top ten hit by a white female solo singer.

Content

[edit]

The song is best known as lyrically formatted for a female vocalist and as such is addressed to a dissatisfied wife and mother who would like to trade her prosaic existence for the jet setting lifestyle the song's narrator has led. The narrator alludes to various hedonistic episodes in her life, concluding that while she's "been to paradise", she's ultimately failed to find self-fulfillment, expressing this with the line, "I've never been to me." There is also an alternative set of lyrics for the song formatted for a male singer, in which the narrator is an elderly man, destined to die the very next day, begging for a dime for a cup of coffee, addressing a younger man who is "raising hell" the way the old man used to do.

Early versions

[edit]

The earliest version of "I've Never Been to Me" to be released was by Randy Crawford which appeared on her 1976 album Everything Must Change. Charlene had recorded "I've Never Been to Me" in 1976 for her debut album, the self-titled Charlene, a Prodigal release (P610015S1), and the ballad contained a controversial spoken section. Songs of Love (P610018S1) came out six months later in 1977 and was essentially a re-issue of Charlene, having a slightly different track listing but retaining "I've Never Been to Me" without the spoken bridge. In October 1977, "I've Never Been to Me" became Charlene's third consecutive single to stall in the lowest part of Billboard's Hot 100. From the Charlene LP, the first single, "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down", went to No. 97 in March 1977 (and No. 23 on AC). The following single, "Freddie" from the Songs of Love album, made it to No. 96 on the Hot 100 in May 1977 (and No. 40 on AC). The Hot 100 peak of "I've Never Been to Me" in its original formal release without the monologue was No. 97,[3] and while Charlene's preceding two singles had both reached Billboard's Easy Listening chart, "I've Never Been to Me" failed to appear on that chart.

Besides Charlene's version, 1977 also saw the release of versions of the song by Nancy Wilson and Walter Jackson: Nancy Wilson's version served as the title track of her June 1977 album release and was the first version of the song to be released as a single, reaching No. 47 on the Billboard's R&B chart, while Walter Jackson's version – featuring the lyric formatted from a male perspective – was featured on his I Want to Come Back as a Song album released in the spring of 1977.

In February 1978, a mid-tempo recording of "I've Never Been to Me" by Mary MacGregor was released as the advance single from her ...In Your Eyes album: this single reached #29 on Billboard's Easy Listening and Canada's Adult Contemporary charts.[4] A modified version of MacGregor's version was sent out to radio stations with the possibly controversial line in the final chorus, "I spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that costs too much to be free", amended to "I thought my heart would wait but I learned too late that it costs too much to be free". Also in 1978, Marti Caine recorded "I've Never Been to Me" for her album Behind the Smile from which it was issued as a single, and Mary Roos recorded the German rendering by lyricist Michael Kunze entitled "Doch mich selber kenn ich nicht" ("But I do not know myself") for her album Maryland.

Revival

[edit]

In 1982, Scott Shannon, a disc jockey at Tampa radio station WRBQ-FM, began playing the "I've Never Been to Me" track off the Charlene album (with the original recitative), and response from local listeners was such as to motivate Shannon, a former Motown employee, to alert Motown president Jay Lasker to the track's hit potential. Lasker located Charlene who, discouraged by the poor performance of her 1977 Motown releases and by the label's decision not to release a second album she had recorded, had left the music industry and met and married an Englishman, subsequently accompanying him to his native land and taking a job at a sweetshop in Ilford. Lasker personally telephoned her with the invitation to re-sign with Motown Records to facilitate the re-release of her "I've Never Been To Me" single, which occurred in February 1982.

The Billboard Hot 100 dated March 6, 1982, showed "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene debuting at No. 84 – already 13 places higher than its 1977 peak. It subsequently rose as high as No. 3 on the Hot 100, where it held for three weeks during May and June, prevented from further chart movement by "Don't Talk to Strangers" by Rick Springfield and "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. The song ranked at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100-year-end chart for 1982.[5] The track had even greater impact internationally, attaining No. 1 status in Australia (six weeks), Canada (four weeks), Ireland (three weeks), and the United Kingdom (one week).[2] "I've Never Been to Me" also afforded Charlene a top ten hit in Belgium (Flemish Region) (#7), the Netherlands (#7), New Zealand (#5), and Norway (#5). In 1982, Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me" was also a top 10 hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart (#7) and a minor C&W chart crossover (#60).

When the song was revived in 1982, the version being played on radio was the take with the monologue (from the Prodigal LP Charlene, P6 10015S1). This version was the one Motown re-issued, not the Songs of Love single version from 1977 (Prodigal, P610018S1).[6][7] The song was never actually re-recorded by Charlene in 1982.[citation needed]

Music video

[edit]

A music video was made for the song's 1982 reissue. The video was filmed on location at Blickling Hall, Norfolk, England and features Charlene wearing her actual wedding dress from her marriage to Jeff Oliver, whom she had married at the time of the song's revival.[8]

Legacy

[edit]

As Charlene was unable to successfully follow up the success of "I've Never Been to Me" – her only subsequent Hot 100 entry "Used to Be" (a duet with Stevie Wonder) got as high as No. 46 – she remains a high-profile one-hit wonder. On the 2002 VH1 special 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders, "I've Never Been to Me" was ranked at No. 75.[9] In the program, it was stated that her entry "expresses the post-'70s hangover." The song is the opening number in the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, lip-synched by Hugo Weaving's drag queen character.[10]

Chart history

[edit]

Weekly charts

[edit]

Nancy Wilson

Chart (1977) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles 47
US Record World [11] 135

Charlene

Chart (1977) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 97

Mary MacGregor

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[4] 29
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[13] 29

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[36] Gold 50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

[edit]

A Spanish language recording of "I've Never Been to Me" entitled "Nunca He Ido A Mi" was recorded by Charlene and was one of two B-side tracks featured on the re-release of "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down" – the followup to the 1982 release of "I've Never Been to Me" – in its UK format (in other territories "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down" featured only the one B-side "If I Could See Myself").

Charlene re-released the song in the form of a dance remix via download music in 2008.

Worst song lists

[edit]
  • The song was listed as the No. 3 worst song of all time in Jimmy Guterman's 1991 book "The Worst Rock n' Roll Records of All Time: A Fan's Guide to the Stuff You Love to Hate."[37]
  • A 2006 CNN poll listed the song as the No. 4 worst song of all time.[38]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Billboard – Google Books. December 25, 1982. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 410. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ^ "Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. May 6, 1978. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  5. ^ "Charlene". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  6. ^ "Charlene – Charlene". Discogs. 1976. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  7. ^ "Charlene – Songs Of Love". Discogs.com. 1977. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  8. ^ "Charlene | Classic Motown". Classic.motown.com. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "I've Never Been To Me enjoys a new release". BBC.co.uk. BBC. July 4, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  10. ^ "Soundtracking: "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" - Blog - The Film Experience". thefilmexperience.net. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Record World, November 19, 1977
  12. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 146.
  14. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  15. ^ "Charlene – I've Never Been to Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  16. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. June 12, 1982. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  17. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 3, 1982. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  18. ^ Danish Charts Archive. September 1982.
  19. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I've Never Been to Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  20. ^ "Charlene – I've Never Been to Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  21. ^ "Charlene – I've Never Been to Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  22. ^ "Charlene – I've Never Been to Me". VG-lista. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  23. ^ "Charlene: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  24. ^ "Charlene Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  25. ^ "Charlene Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  26. ^ "Charlene Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  27. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 6/05/82". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  28. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. January 3, 1983. Retrieved January 22, 2023 – via Imgur.
  29. ^ "AMR Top Singles of 1982". Top100singles.net. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  30. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 1982 in Canada". Musiccanada.wordpress.com. October 3, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  31. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1982". Top40.nl. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  32. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1982 – The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  33. ^ Rees, Dafydd; Lazell, Barry; Jones, Alan (1983). "The Top 100 UK Singles". Chart File Volume 2. London, England: Virgin Books. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-907080-73-1.
  34. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1982/Top 100 Songs of 1982". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  35. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1982". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  36. ^ "Platinum and Gold Singles 1982". Kent Music Report. February 28, 1983. Retrieved November 10, 2021 – via Imgur.
  37. ^ Guterman, Jimmy and O'Donnell, Owen. The Worst Rock n' Roll Records Of All Time (Citadel Press, 1991.)
  38. ^ "Paul Anka wins worst song poll by CNN". UPI.com. June 27, 2006. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
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