In 1993, Rick Astley found himself at his record label, promoting the “total f***ing disaster” that was his Body & Soul album. Astley’s eye strayed to shelves bearing singles including “Hopelessly”, his recent No 33 semi-hit. Some mischievous scamp had erased the “ly” with a marker pen, so it read RICK ASTLEY: HOPELESS.
“Yeah, I thought, that sums things up.” The bare bones of the Rick Astley tale are familiar. A succession of global hits.
Frustration at being Stock/Aitken/Waterman’s pop puppet. A lengthy “whatever happened to..
.?” period. Resurrection via the “Never Gonna Give You Up” Rickrolling meme.
And on to his current status as a beloved British singer who – crucially for his self-worth – writes his own songs. To the untrained eye, now seems as good a time as any for a literary victory lap. To Astley’s immense credit, though, Never is nothing of the kind.
“I’m a terrible pessimist,” he admits. “I always look on the dark side.” He’s hardly Nick Cave, but nor is he the kind of all-round entertainer to be found acting (having to kiss on one of his videos was not to his liking), or presenting The One Show , let alone guesting on cookery programmes and/or competing on Strictly .
With ghostwriter Alexis Petridis working from a less colourful palette than the one he was given for Elton John’s Me , Never is a dark, gossip-free confessional (although not of the sex and drugs kind) in which Astley comes to terms with both who he is.