Forever 5th Dimension is saddened to belatedly report that Richard Addrisi, the singer-songwriter best known for teaming with his older brother, Don Addrisi, to pen the mega-selling pop standard “Never My Love,” passed away on October 16, at his home in Miami. He was 84.
“The Hollywood Reporter” shared:
While writing songs for other acts and recording at Valiant Records in the 1960s, the Addrisi Brothers also were given the responsibility for discovering new talent, which led to a partnership with The Association. The brothers wrote “Never My Love” for the pop group, who took it to No. 2 on the Hot 100 in October 1967.
The enduring “Never My Love” would go on to enter the Top 15 with versions by The 5th Dimension in 1971 and by the Swedish rock band Blue Swede in 1974. In 1977, the Addrisi Brothers’ version peaked at No. 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Over the years, “Never My Love” has been recorded by more than 300 notable artists. In 1999, BMI stated that “Never My Love” was the No. 2 most-played song of all time in U.S. radio/television history, trailing only “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” made famous by The Righteous Brothers.
Also, of special note for fans of The 5th Dimension is this exclusive quote, enthusiastically given to me by Richard for the liners of “Playlist: The Very Best of The 5th Dimension”:
“What’s better than The 5th Dimension doing your song? If I could catch a voice in mid-air, it would be Marilyn McCoo’s. It’s pure love.”
Fans know that interestingly, our songstress re-visited “Never My Love” on “The Many Faces of Love” project, a McCoo/Davis Jr. treatise on the great love songs, issued over a decade ago.
–Robert-Allan Arno
Listen to “Never My Love,” by The 5th Dimension, here:
Listen to the re-visited “Never My Love” by McCoo/Davis, here:
Forever 5th Dimension by Arno, a production of The Soul of The Voice, Ltd., copyright 2008-2025, intellectual property, all rights reserved
FOREVER 5TH DIMENSION 
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