Especially for You

"Especially for You" is a song performed by the Australian recording artists Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, from Donovan's debut album Ten Good Reasons (1989). The song was released as his album's second single on 28 November 1988 and was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.

For other uses, see Especially for You (disambiguation).

"Especially for You"
Single by Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan
from the album Ten Good Reasons
B-side"All I Wanna Do Is Make You Mine"
Released28 November 1988
RecordedSydney, Australia
GenrePop
Length3:58
LabelPWL
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stock Aitken Waterman
Kylie Minogue singles chronology
"Je ne sais pas pourquoi"
(1988)		 "Especially for You"
(1988)		 "It's No Secret"
(1988)
Jason Donovan singles chronology
"Nothing Can Divide Us"
(1988)		 "Especially for You"
(1988)		 "Too Many Broken Hearts"
(1989)
Music video
Kylie and Jason "Especially for You" on YouTube

"Especially for You" received many positive reviews from older and contemporary critics, who deemed it one of the strongest of each singer's album, but also dubbed the song a classic. The song had commercial success, reaching number one in the UK, Ireland, Greece and Belgium and peaking inside the Top 5 in countries including Australia, New Zealand, France, Finland and Switzerland. In 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation's 20th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.[1]

Kylie Minogue also performed this song as a duet with Kermit the Frog on the show An Audience with... Kylie Minogue in 2001.

Background

Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan both appeared on the Australian TV series Neighbours but before they recorded the song, both left the series to concentrate on a music career. Kylie released the album Kylie, while Donovan was working on his studio album Ten Good Reasons. Both singers' production company Stock, Aitken & Waterman wrote a song for the singers so they could sing a duet on the track. The song was released as a single on 28 November 1988 but later was included on the American version of Kylie Minogue's second album, Enjoy Yourself. The single release came shortly after the UK broadcast of the Neighbours episode in which Kylie & Jason's characters, Charlene Mitchell and Scott Robinson, got married, and the singers were also a couple in real life at the time.[2]

In an interview with Sara Cox on BBC Radio 2 on Sounds of the 80s, broadcast 15 December 2017, Pete Waterman stated the original idea for the release of the duet between the two stars was suggested to the label by retail chain Woolworths who said they would order 250,000 copies of the record.

Years after the single was released, the song has been included on the following compilations released by the singers:

Kylie Minogue's compilations
  • Greatest Hits (1992)
  • Greatest Hits 1987–1999 (2003)
  • Greatest Hits 87–97 (2003)
  • Ultimate Kylie (2004)
  • Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection (2019)
Jason Donovan's compilations

Chart performance

"Especially for You" debuted at number two in Australia and stayed at that position for four consecutive weeks. This is Jason Donovan's highest peak in Australia, but not Kylie's, after setting a record with her first three singles debuting at Number One. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number four, until peaking at number two. To date, this is Donovan's only single to peak in the Top 20, and Kylie's highest and longest-charting single in that country, staying for 21 weeks.[3] The song then debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart, staying there for four weeks, rising to number one for three consecutive weeks. The song stayed in the chart for 14 weeks in total. It was Kylie's second number-one out of seven,[4] and Jason's first of four.[5] In 2014 the song became one of only 154 singles in UK Official Charts History to reach 1 million sales.[6]

In the European markets, the song debuted at number 39 on the French Singles Chart and rose to number three for two consecutive weeks. This was Kylie's highest single in France until "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (2001). The song debuted at number 73 on the Dutch Top 40, peaking at number four for a sole week, and was her highest until "Can't Get You Out Of My Head". The song spent a sole week at number ten in Norway, making it one of her lowest singles on that chart. The song had debuted at number 15 in Sweden, until peaking at number twelve for a solitary week. In Switzerland, the song peaked at number two for a single week, staying in the charts for fifteen weeks. This was Minogue's highest until "Can't Get You Out Of My Head". The song peaked at number twelve in Austria for one week.[7]

"Especially for You" was Kylie's biggest-selling single in the United Kingdom until 2001's "Can't Get You Out of My Head". The duet is also the bestselling Stock Aitken Waterman-penned single, selling more than one million copies to date as of December 2014.

Track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Especially for You".

  • CD single
  1. "Especially for You (Extended)" - 5:01
  2. "All I Wanna Do Is Make You Mine" (Extended) - 6:00
  3. "Especially for You" - 3:58
  • 7" single
  1. "Especially for You" - 3:58
  2. "All I Wanna Do Is Make You Mine" - 3:34
  • 12" single
  1. "Especially for You" (Extended) - 5:01
  2. "All I Wanna Do Is Make You Mine" (Extended) - 6:00

Live performances

Minogue performed the song on the following concert tours:

The song was also performed on:

Donovan performed the song on the following concert tours:

  • Doin' Fine Tour 1990
  • Ten Good Reasons & Greatest Hits Tour 2016

In July 2012, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan performed the song at the Hit Factory Live concert, their first performance together since 1989.[10] On 9 September 2018, Donovan joined Minogue on stage to perform the song as part of Minogue's headlining set at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park.[11]

Charts and certifications

Cover versions
  • Denise van Outen and Johnny Vaughan and pop group Steps released a cover version for UK TV Charity BBC Children in Need in 1998 which charted at number three on the charts.
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gollark: Unroll credits.
gollark: How are the sounds harbinging communism?

References
  1. Westbrook, Caroline (25 July 2015). "The Nation's Favourite 80s Number One: 12 more classic 80s chart-toppers which didn't make the cut". Metro. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  2. Goodall, Nigel; Stanley-Clarke, Jenny (2002). Kylie Naked: a biography. Ebury Press.
  3. Steffen Hung. "Kylie & Jason - Especially for You". charts.nz. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  4. Official Charts. "Kylie Minogue". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  5. Official Charts. "JASON DONOVAN". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  6. Justin Meyers. "Kylie and Jason's Especially for You hits one million UK sales. Kylie: "I'm thrilled!"". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  7. Steffen Hung .In Ireland it reached number 1. "Kylie & Jason - Especially for You". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  8. Kylie Minogue - Especially for You (Aphrodite Tour 2011 Live in Manila) on YouTube
  9. Comic Relief, BBC (21 March 2014). "Kylie Minogue and David Walliams perform Especially For You". YouTube.
  10. "Kylie Minogue has confirmed she is duetting with Jason Donovan at PWL Hyde Park - 06-Jun-2012". Home.nzcity.co.nz. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  11. "Kylie and Jason dance again in Hyde Park". BBC News. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  12. "Australian-charts.com – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  13. "Austriancharts.at – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  14. "Ultratop.be – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  15. "Danishcharts.com – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You". Tracklisten. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  16. Danish Singles Chart 20 January 1989
  17. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. 6 (4). 28 January 1989. pp. 30–31. OCLC 29800226.
  18. "Kylie & Jason: Especially for You" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  19. "Lescharts.com – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  20. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Especially for You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 5, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  23. "Dutchcharts.nl – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  24. "Charts.nz – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  25. "Norwegiancharts.com – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You". VG-lista. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  26. "Swedishcharts.com – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You". Singles Top 100. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  27. "Swisscharts.com – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  28. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  29. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1991). "Top 100 Singles: 1988". BPI YearBook 1989/90. London, England: British Phonographic Industry. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-0-9061-5410-6.
  30. "ARIA End of Year Singles 1989". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  31. "Ultratop: Jaaroverzichten 1989". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  32. "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 17 January 2020 – via American Radio History.
  33. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts: Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  34. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1989". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  35. "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1989". Single Top 100. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  36. "Top Selling Singles of 1989". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  37. "Swiss Year-End Charts 1989". Swiss Singles Chart. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  38. "Year-End Charts '89 – Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 3 March 1990. p. 16.
  39. "French single certifications – Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan – Especially for You" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 10 January 2015. Select KYLIE MINOGUE & JASON DONOVAN and click OK. 
  40. "British single certifications – Kylie & Jason – Especially for You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 January 2015. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Especially for You in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  41. Myers, Justin (25 May 2018). "Kylie Minogue's Official Top 40 biggest selling songs". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
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