"The Next Time" backed with "Bachelor Boy" was the first of three number one hit singles from the Cliff Richard musical, Summer Holiday. Both sides were marketed as songs with chart potential, and the release is viewed retroactively as a double A-side single. However, technically double A-sides were not regarded as such until 1965, so "The Next Time" was pressed as the A-side, with "Bachelor Boy" the B-side (written by Bruce Welch and Cliff Richard). The song was succeeded at number one by The Shadows' "Dance On!". The recording of the song took place at Abbey Road Studios in London on 10 May 1962. It was produced by Norrie Paramor and engineered by Malcolm Addey. The single spent three weeks at No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1963. The song was included on the January 1963 album Summer Holiday. The film was the most successful box-office attraction of the year.

Chart performance

The single is retroactively referred to as a double A-side because both sides of the single were promoted. In many countries, "Bachelor Boy" became the bigger hit and the charts listed it first or on its own. In some countries both songs were listed separately on the charts despite them being the same record.

The Next Time

Bachelor Boy

Notes:

Other versions

The singer Richard Anthony made a French version entitled "Après toi". Hank Marvin did an instrumental version on Hank Plays Cliff (1995).