The Jackson 5 vs. Isaac Hayes vs. Gloria Gaynor | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 42^nd edition of Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️ (2022), The Jackson 5, Isaac Hayes, and Gloria Gaynor contend for the best rendition of “Never Can Say Goodbye.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In a special, three-person, 42^nd edition of head 🗣️2 head 🗣️ (2022), 🎙 The Jackson 5, 🎙 Isaac Hayes, and 🎙 Gloria Gaynor contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “Never Can Say Goodbye”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. The Jackson 5, “Never Can Say Goodbye”

💿 Maybe Tomorrow • 🏷 Motown • 📅 1971

“Never can say goodbye / … No, no, no, no I / Never can say goodbye.” The original version of the beloved soul classic, 🎵 “Never Can Say Goodbye”,  belongs to the iconic, Motown family group, 🎙 The Jackson 5.  A mega success for 🎙 Michael Jackson and company, “Never Can Say Goodbye” topped the R&B charts and peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It’s easy to hear why – it’s well-written (🎼 ✍ Clifton Davis) and sensationally performed by the collective.

“Even though the pain and heartache / Seems to follow me wherever I go,” 12-year-old Michael Jackson sings in the first verse, continuing, “Though I try and try to hide my feelings / They always seem to show.” Even if the romantic vibes of “Never Can Say Goodbye” feel the slightest bit young for a pre-teen (though not totally far-fetched), there’s just something special about hearing that boyish lead on this surefire highlight from 💿 Maybe Tomorrow (1971).  And with the support of his brothers, “Never Can Say Goodbye” is 1970s Motown at its best.  Perhaps the best line: “It says, ‘Turn around, you fool / You know you love her more and more.” Sigh, the nostalgia!

Appears in 🔻:

• The Jackson 5, “Never Can Say Goodbye”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 103 (2022)

2. Isaac Hayes, “Never Can Say Goodbye”

💿 Black Moses • 🏷 Concord • 📅 1971

Back in the day, covering recent singles and songs wasn’t far-fetched.  Many Motown artists, for example, recorded the same songs, some of which were hits for others. 🎙 Isaac Hayes wasn’t part of the legendary Motown roster (Stax), but that didn’t stop the iconic, deep-voiced singer from covering 🎵 “Never Can Say Goodbye” a big-time pop hit for 🎙 The Jackson 5.  Hayes’ take is more mature and more seasoned than that of the Jacksons.  It makes sense: he was in his late 20s when he dropped this rendition which appears on his 1971 album, 💿 Black Moses.

The depth of Hayes’ voice is a key selling point – nothing like a bass singer! In this case, his masculinity isn’t the least bit toxic but rather, sexy.  He expands a three-minute song to five (in the album version), masterfully.  The sounds are representative of a lush brand of soul, superbly produced by – wait for it – himself! In the hands of Hayes, who is incredibly authentic in his performance, “Never Can Say Goodbye” peaked at no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It couldn’t break through to the top of the pop charts like the original, but Hayes’ more mature take still performed respectably. “Never Can Say Goodbye,” which opens Black Moses, is one of its most popular songs.

3. Gloria Gaynor, “Never Can Say Goodbye”

💿 Never Could Say Goodbye • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 1975

It should go without saying that the record, 🎵 “Never Can Say Goodbye,” was kind of a big deal in the 1970s.  Just to recap, it was 🎙 The Jackson 5 that first brought the 🎼 ✍ Clifton Davis-penned number to the top of the pop charts (no. 2). After The Jacksons compelled with the youthful, pop-crossover, 🎙 Isaac Hayes would impress with a more mature, lengthier version from his 💿 Black Moses album, which also impacted the pop charts (no. 22).  🏆 Grammy-winning artist 🎙 Gloria Gaynor also joined the “Never Can Say Goodbye” train, even more successfully than Hayes, I might add.

The Gloria Gaynor take on “Never Can Say Goodbye” is starkly different from the Jacksons and Hayes. How so? Well, Gaynor embraced D-I-S-C-O, which was king by the time her 💿 Never Could Say Goodbye album arrived in 1975.  In Gaynor’s hands, the classic gets a slick, disco makeover, which is readymade for the dance floor.  The tempo is quick and Gaynor is assertive, bright, and on autopilot.   Sure, matters of the heart bring down the mood, but you can’t tell in this spirited rendition, which is one of disco’s essentials. Notably, Gaynor’s “Never Can Say Goodbye” topped the Billboard Dance/Disco chart.  Her more danceable rendition would outpace the Hayes interpretation, peaking at no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

🎙 The Jackson 5 or 🎙 Isaac Hayes or 🎙 Gloria Gaynor? Now that’s tough! All three versions are classics, period.  If I had to eliminate one, perhaps it’s Hayes cover, which didn’t arrive long after the original by the Jacksons.  Still, it’s not that easy to ever eliminate Isaac Hayes.  That would leave a mega showdown between The Jackson 5 and Gloria Gaynor.  Both acts saw their respective versions of “Never Can Say Goodbye” reach the top 10.  Obviously, The Jackson 5 earned the best chart success, and to this day, “Never Can Say Goodbye” is considered to be one of their best.  I can’t deny them, can I? No, but at the same time, I can’t deny how big the disco version is by GG! So, all told, we give Mr. Hayes third place while The Jackson 5 and Gloria Gaynor are co-champs! It’s worth noting, we didn’t even bring 🎙 The Communards into the mix!

The Jackson 5 vs. Isaac Hayes vs. Gloria Gaynor: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 42 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Concord, Kool Shooters, Layers, Mario Aranda, Motown, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, RODNAE Productions, Tima Miroshnichenko, UMG Recordings, Inc., Valentin Tikhonov]