Music to Watch Girls By
| "Music to Watch Girls By" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Bob Crewe Generation | ||||
| from the album Music to Watch Girls By | ||||
| B-side | "Girls On the Rocks" | |||
| Released | December 1966 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:27 | |||
| Label | DynoVoice Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Sid Ramin | |||
| Producer(s) | Bob Crewe | |||
| The Bob Crewe Generation singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Music to Watch Girls By" was the first Top 40 hit by Bob Crewe using his own name, recorded by his group The Bob Crewe Generation.[1] The music was composed by Sidney "Sid" Ramin.
Background
Crewe first heard the song performed in a jingle demo for a Diet Pepsi commercial, and according to Greg Adams, writing for All Music Guide, the song "exemplified the groovy state of instrumental music at that time."[1] In Bob Crewe's version, a trumpet plays the whole verse, the first time around, sounding like Herb Alpert's Tijuana brass style. The second time the verse is played, a half step up in tone from G minor to A-flat minor, a tenor saxophone plays a jazzier version, accompanied by strings, surf-style guitar (reminiscent of 1960s spy films) and a harpsichord, that play a counter-melody. The trumpets finish up the refrain, and all of the parts are played, repeating the first part in the coda, before the fade.
Chart performance
The "big-band, horn driven"[2] recording went to #15 on the pop chart and #2 on the Easy Listening chart.
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard' Easy Listening[3] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 15 |
Andy Williams version
| "Music to Watch Girls By" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Andy Williams | ||||
| from the album Born Free | ||||
| B-side | "The Face I Love" | |||
| Released | March 1967 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:32 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Composer(s) | Sid Ramin | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Tony Velona[5] | |||
| Producer(s) | Nick De Caro | |||
| Andy Williams singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
A vocal recording from 1967 by Andy Williams, featuring lyrics written by Tony Velona, went to #34 in the United States. This version was later used in a Fiat advertisement in the UK in 1999, with the re-released single reaching the top ten in that country.[6]
Chart performance
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 33 |
| US Billboard' Easy Listening[7] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 34 |
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[9] | 9 |
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[10] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other recordings
- A version by Al Hirt reached #31 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #119 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.[11]
References
- ^ a b Adams, Greg. "Music to Watch Girls By". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ Leggett, Steve. "The Best of the Bob Crewe Generation:Music to Watch Girls By". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 66.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 202.
- ^ Hit Records, 1950-1975 (Google eBook)
- ^ "Artist Profile: Andy Williams". The Breeze. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 258.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 913.
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ "British single certifications – Andy Williams – Music to Watch Girls By". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ Al Hirt's "Music To Watch Girls By" Chart Positions Retrieved March 24, 2013.
