The Twelfth of Never

This article is about the Johnny Mathis song. For the idiom, see List of idioms of improbability. For the James Patterson novel, see 12th of Never (novel).

"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.^[1] 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.

"The Twelfth of Never"
US 7-inch single picture sleeve
Single by Johnny Mathis
from the album Johnny's Greatest Hits
A-side	"Chances Are"
Released	12 August 1957
Studio	Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City
Genre	Pop
Length	2:25
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Livingston, Paul Francis Webster
Johnny Mathis singles chronology
"It's Not for Me to Say" (1957) "The Twelfth of Never" (1957) "Wild Is the Wind" (1957)

"The Twelfth of Never"
Single by Cliff Richard
B-side	"I'm Afraid to Go Home"
Released	2 October 1964
Recorded	23 June 1964 (1964-06-23)
Studio	Abbey Road
Genre	Pop
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Livingston, Paul Francis Webster
Producer(s)	Norrie Paramor
Cliff Richard singles chronology
"On the Beach" (1964) "The Twelfth of Never" (1964) "I Could Easily Fall (In Love with You)" (1964)

"The Twelfth of Never"
Single by Donny Osmond
from the album Alone Together
B-side	"Life Is Just What You Make It"
Released	February 24, 1973
Recorded	November 27, 1972
Genre	Pop
Length	2:40
Label	MGM Records 14503
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Livingston, Paul Francis Webster
Donny Osmond singles chronology
"Why" / "Lonely Boy" (1972) "The Twelfth of Never" (1973) "Young Love" / "A Million to One" (1973)

Mathis initially disliked the song, which was released as the flip side to his number 1 hit single "Chances Are".^[2]

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.^[3] A version by Cliff Richard was released in 1964 and reached number 8 in the UK.^[4] 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.^[5] In the U.S. it peaked at number 8.^[6]

Chart performance

Johnny Mathis original

Chart (1957–58)	Peak position
Australia (Sydney, Australia)[7]	2
US Billboard Hot 100[8]	9

Cliff Richard version

Chart (1964–65)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9]	6
Hong Kong[10]	5
Ireland (IRMA)[11][12]	9
Malaysia[13]	3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14]	13
Norway (VG-lista)[15]	9
UK Singles (OCC)[16]	8

Donny Osmond version

Chart (1973)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9][17]	2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18]	14
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[19]	4
Denmark (Tracklisten)[20]	15
Germany (Media Control)[21]	29
Malaysia[22]	8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23]	12
New Zealand (Listener)[24]	5
Singapore[25]	2
UK Singles (OCC)[26]	1
US Billboard Hot 100[27]	8

Certifications

Donny Osmond version

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[28]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notable cover versions

• 1963: Nina Simone recorded her version on her album Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall, also included on Folksy Nina.
• 1966: Cher recorded her version on her album Chér.
• 1970: Tammy Wynette recorded her version on her album The Ways to Love a Man.
• 1974: Elvis Presley recorded an informal rehearsal which was released as a single in 1995 to promote Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters, reaching #21 in the UK.
• 1977ː David Houston on his album David Houston (single, reached #98 on US Billboard Country chart)
• 1989: Olivia Newton-John on her 1989 album Warm and Tender.
• 1993: Jeff Buckley: performed and recorded at his live performance and album Live at Sin-é
• 2005: Dolly Parton and Keith Urban on Parton's album Those Were the Days
• 2018: Jan Rot did a version in Dutch on his album Magistraal, the non-existing date translated as '30 Februari'.