I Won't Let You Down (Ph.D. song)

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"I Won't Let You Down"
Phd004.jpg
UK 7-inch single cover
Single by Ph.D.
from the album Ph.D.
B-side"Hideaway"
Released
  • 17 April 1981[1]
  • February 1982 (re-release)
Recorded1981–1982
StudioRamport, London
GenreSynth-pop[2]
Length4:10
LabelWEA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ph.D.
Ph.D. singles chronology
"Little Suzi's on the Up"
(1981) 		"I Won't Let You Down"
(1981) 		"There's No Answer to It"
(1982)

"I Won't Let You Down" is a song by British band Ph.D., released as the second single from their eponymous debut studio album (1981). It entered the UK Singles Chart in April 1982 at number 34, peaked at number three the following month. The band consisted of Jim Diamond who was the lead vocalist, Tony Hymas on keyboards and Simon Phillips on drums. It went on to become the 23rd best-selling single of 1982 in the UK.

The song preceded its UK chart success in Australia, where it reached number five in October 1981.[3]

Versions[]

The album and seven-inch single versions (which is usually the version played on radio) of the song are subtly different – the single version begins with a synth-based introduction based on the song's main hook, whilst the album version goes straight into the first verse. The album version also has one additional repeat of the "I won't let you down" line in the second rendition of the chorus, and has an additional drum fill in during the repeat of the chorus on the second verse. The music video of the song uses the album cut, whilst many 1980s compilation albums use the single cut instead, as do later pressings of the band's second album Is It Safe? which features the song at the end of Side 1 as a bonus track.

Diamond re-recorded the song on his eponymous 1993 album Jim Diamond with a slightly different arrangement, and it remained a staple of his live shows up until his death in 2015.

Music video and TV performances[]

The original music video for the song was set in and around the Queensway area of West London. As with the band's previous single "Little Suzi's on the Up", the video is shot in a slapstick comedy style and features Jim Diamond as a well-dressed man trying to win back the affections of his lover (thus mirroring the theme of the song) using presents and taking her to upmarket bars and restaurants. Tony Hymas appears as the video's antagonist; in various scenes dressed in various disguises he makes unsuccessful attempts to assassinate, or maim Diamond's character in order to win the affections of the woman. He is finally successful when, posing as a car dealer, he lures Diamond into a second hand car (a white Fiat 128), which is revealed to be on the end of a crane in a scrapyard being lifted up, whilst Hymas walks away with the girl as the camera zooms out and fades to black.

The performance for the German television show Bananas was set in a dressing room at a club with Diamond performing the song as he professes his love to a woman sitting next to him. He also looks at the mirror and after he turns around his image also sings. In the end, Diamond does win over the woman, but after he leaves the room as his mirror image walks up to her (who was in actuality looking in the mirror at Diamond).

The TopPop performance of the song is set in a studio with a large statue in the background. Diamond sings to twin sisters seated next to him with Hymas in the foreground on the synthesisers.

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Kate Ceberano version[]

"I Won't Let You Down"
I Won't Let You Down by Kate Ceberano.jpg
Single by Kate Ceberano
from the album True Romantic
A-side"I Won't Let You Down"
ReleasedJuly 1999 (July 1999)
Length4:31
LabelFestival
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mark Goldenberg
Kate Ceberano singles chronology
"Time to Think"
(1998) 		"I Won't Let You Down"
(1999) 		"True Romantic"
(1999)

In 1999, Australian singer Kate Ceberano recorded a cover version of "I Won't Let You Down", which was released in July 1999 as the first single for her first compilation album, True Romantic. She performed the song on Hey Hey It's Saturday.[19]

Track listing[]

  • CD single
  1. "I Won't Let You Down"
  2. "Trying Too Hard"
  3. "Feeling Alright" (live version)

Charts[]

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[20] 50

References[]

  1. ^ "Releases". Record Mirror: 26. 25 April 1981. Retrieved 8 February 2021 – via flickr.com.
  2. ^ Sweeting, Adam; MacAskill, Ewen (11 October 2015). "Jim Diamond obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Kent, David (2007). Australian Top 20 Book 1940–2006. Turramurra, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 978-0-646-47665-0.
  4. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ph.D. – I Won't Let You Down" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  5. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – PHD". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  6. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – PH-D" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ph.D. – I Won't Let You Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  8. ^ "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts P". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Ph.D. – I Won't Let You Down". Swiss Singles Chart.
  10. ^ "P-H-D: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ph.D. – I Won't Let You Down". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1982 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1982". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  15. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1982". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  16. ^ Rees, Dafydd; Lazell, Barry; Jones, Alan (1983). "The Top 100 UK Singles". Chart File Volume 2. London: Virgin Books. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-907080-73-1.
  17. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1982" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  18. ^ "British single certifications – Ph D – I Won't Let You Down". British Phonographic Industry. 1 May 1982. Retrieved 23 September 2019.Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type I Won't Let You Down in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  19. ^ "Kate Ceberano - I Won't Let You Down - Hey Hey It's Saturday 1999". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  20. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Kate Ceberano – I Won't Let You Down". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
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