Windy
| "Windy" | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1967 German picture sleeve |
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| Single by The Association | |||||||||
| from the album Insight Out | |||||||||
| B-side | "Sometime" | ||||||||
| Released | 1967 | ||||||||
| Genre | Sunshine pop | ||||||||
| Length | 2:53 | ||||||||
| Label | Warner Bros. | ||||||||
| Writer(s) | Ruthann Friedman | ||||||||
| The Association singles chronology | |||||||||
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| "Windy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Wes Montgomery | ||||
| from the album A Day in the Life | ||||
| B-side | "Watch What Happens" | |||
| Released | 1967 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Genre | Jazz instrumental | |||
| Length | 2:20 | |||
| Label | A&M/CTI | |||
| Writer(s) | Ruthann Friedman | |||
| Wes Montgomery singles chronology | ||||
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"Windy" is a pop music song written by Ruthann Friedman and recorded by The Association.[1] Released in 1967, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of that year. Later in 1967, an instrumental version by jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery became his biggest Hot 100 hit when it peaked at #44. "Windy" was The Association's second U.S. number-one, following "Cherish" in 1966.
According to rumor, the original lyrics by Ruthann Friedman were about a man and The Association changed them to be about a woman.[2]
"There are many explanations of who Windy actually was in Ruthann's life. She would have you know, she being me, Ruthann Friedman, that none of them are true. Windy was indeed a female and purely a fictitious character who popped into my head one fine day in 1967...
During the recording session the Association members, sure that they were in the middle of recording a hit, called the song writer, me again, in to sing on the fade at the end. I can be heard singing a blues harmony as the song fades out..."
Session musician Hal Blaine was brought in to play drums.[3]
[edit] Covers
Gary Lewis and the Playboys released the song in 1968 on their album, Gary Lewis Now!
The band Betty covered the song on their 1996 album Limboland.
Barry Manilow and The Association covered this song along with "Cherish" on the 2006 album The Greatest Songs of the Sixties. This song was also recorded by Astrud Gilberto on her album Windy.
[edit] In popular culture
A version of the song was used as the theme tune on the nightly Today program broadcast on Thames Television from 1968 to 1977.
On March 25, 2009, Life on Mars (U.S. TV series) featured this song in the episode "Everyone Knows It's Windy."
On June 6, 2010, television show Breaking Bad, at the start of the episode "Half Measures" (season 3, episode 12), has Wendy the prostitute turning tricks at the Crossroads Motel to the sounds of "Windy."
Brad Garrett sang a version of the song (replacing 'Windy' with 'Brad') in a commercial for 7-Up.
[edit] References
- ^ "Show 37 - The Rubberization of Soul: The great pop music renaissance. [Part 3] : UNT Digital Library" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. 1969. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19796/m1/. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
- ^ Ruthann Friedman lyrics
- ^ "Windy". Songfacts.com. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1874. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
| Preceded by "Respect" by Aretha Franklin |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single July 1, 1967 (four weeks) |
Succeeded by "Light My Fire" by The Doors |
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