NEVER FALL IN LOVE is a David Partridge song written years ago. It’s worn several arrangements, none of which quite fit, at least not to Buck and David’s satisfaction.

The problem was that with each successive version, the arrangement of the song just got bigger and more dramatic and, we admit it, longer. But the song itself is a relationship song and was originally written to have an intimacy; that intimacy had been lost.

So we decided to revisit Never Fall In Love with the intent of bringing a bit more whisper to a song that, frankly, was beginning to shout.

That wasn’t easy. Some cool electric guitar work from Buck fell by the wayside. Fortunately, some cool acoustic guitar work from Buck replaced it, supplemented by some clean electric work. His nicely crunchy solo in the middle remained. Hey, no need to go crazy!

The drums and percussion were next. A massive drum kit (there were even timbales in there) was replaced by a mélange of hand percussion. The groove is a blend of cajon, high hat, djembe and frame drum for those interested in the details. For those with less interest, a bunch of quieter stuff will suffice.

The vocals were next step in the renovation. This version of the song has a brand new vocal by David in keeping with the more personal feel of the new tracks. To bring a little warmth, we asked our friend Virginia (Vee) Evans to sing on the chorus. Vee has a rich, warm voice that brings a special timbre to the harmonies on the refrain. Some of the texture comes from the fact that Buck’s part is actually higher than the one being sung by Vee. She also contributed some countermelody parts that inspired the woven vocals in the coda.

One of the Comets’ very good friends told us that he vaguely recalls a previous version of the tune and asked that the old version be posted for forensic comparison. But, the thing is, we didn’t like the previous version. That’s why we went to the trouble of reimagining it!

One element that was not reimagined is Howard Rabkin’s fine bass line, a big solid reggae-inspired wonder that manages to be even more effective without the relative bombast of the drums and big guitars of the original.

Reading back, it seems that this entire note is a musical version of “Flip This House”. Who knows, Postcard Comets may yet be cable-worthy. As long as it’s not a spot on “Nancy Grace”!

We hope you enjoy Never Fall In Love. Be sure to take a moment to leave a comment.