"Never Too Much" is a song by the late R&B singer/songwriter Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross

Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...

. The song was released in 1981, as the title track of the album of the same name. The title track hit number one on the soul singles chart and peaked at number thirty-three on the Hot 100. "Never Too Much" also peaked at number four on the dance charts.

The album (Vandross's first as a solo artist) was popular, although it failed to sell in large numbers initially. Sales were boosted by his other chart successes and, eventually, by his death. A remixed version of the song reached #13 on the UK singles chart in October 1989.

The single is also included on his later album Luther Vandross - The Ultimate, which was released in 2001. The single was released alongside a music video in which he is shown singing in a recording studio

Recording studio

A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...

.

The song was used in the soundtrack for the Rockstar Games

Rockstar Games

Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...

 title, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...

on the in-game radio station Emotion 98.3.

The first minute of this song is used in the WKRP In Cincinnati

WKRP in Cincinnati

WKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...

episode "Fire" from Season 4, until it is unceremoniously cut off by Les Nessman when he reports that the Flimm Building is on fire.

Cover versions

In 1996, guitarist Craig T. Cooper covered the song for his album Romantic Letter.
In 1997, contemporary jazz

Smooth jazz

Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....

 guitarist Richard Smith recorded a take on the album First Kiss. In 2004, urban jazz

Urban jazz

Urban jazz is the fusion of smooth jazz and R&B/hip-hop music. Urban jazz usually contains strong R&B percussion and bass lines. A few of the better known urban jazz artists are Boney James, Ronny Jordan, Nick Colionne, Wayman Tisdale, Najee, and Paul Jackson, Jr.Some of the more successful...

 guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr.

Paul Jackson, Jr.

Paul Jackson, Jr. is a fusion/urban jazz composer, arranger, producer and guitarist. He was born and raised in Los Angeles. Jackson knew by the age of fifteen that he wanted to become a professional musician...

 recorded a cover

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 for the Vandross tribute album, Forever, For Always, For Luther. In 2005, it was covered by Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

 for another Vandross tribute album entitled So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross

So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross

So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross is a tribute album to the late soul legend Luther Vandross, consisting of cover versions of past songs by Vandross and other artists, recorded by several R&B and/or soul singers, in addition to rapper Wyclef Jean and pop singers Elton John and...

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Track listings

US 1981 7" single

1. "Never Too Much" – 3:50
2. "You Stopped Loving Me" – 4:59

UK 1981 7" single

1. "Never Too Much" – 3:50
2. "Don't You Know That?" – 4:04

UK 1981 12" single

1. "Never Too Much" (Extended Version) – 5:38
2. "Sugar and Spice (I Found Me a Girl)" – 4:57
3. "Don't You Know That?" – 4:04

UK 1989 7" single

1. "Never Too Much" (Remix '89 by Justin Strauss) – 4:02
2. "The Glow of Love" – 6:10

UK 1989 12" single

1. "Never Too Much" (Extended Remix '89 by Justin Strauss) – 6:42
2. "Never Too Much" (Original Remix '81 a.k.a. Extended Version) – 5:38
3. "The Glow of Love" – 6:10

UK 1989 alternate 12" single

1. "Never Too Much" (Ben Liebrand Mix) – 7:30
2. "Never Too Much" (Alternate Vocal Mix '89 by Justin Strauss) – 6:49
3. "Never Too Much" (Original 7" Version) – 3:50