Music to Watch Girls By

"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.[2] The music was composed by Sidney "Sid" Ramin.

"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
"The Whiffenpoof Song" (1960) "Music to Watch Girls By" (1966) "After the Ball" (1967)

"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[1]
Producer(s)	Nick De Caro
Andy Williams singles chronology
"In the Arms of Love" (1966) "Music to Watch Girls By" (1967) "More and More" (1967)

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."[2] 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"[3] recording went to #15 on the pop chart and #2 on the Easy Listening chart.[4]

Other Recordings

• A vocal recording from 1967 by Andy Williams, featuring lyrics written by Tony Velona, went to #34 in the United States,[1] and after it was used in a Fiat advertisement in the UK in 1999, the re-released single reached the top ten.[5]
• A version by Al Hirt reached #31 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #119 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.[6]
• A French-language version, "Le jeu du téléphone", was recorded in 1967 by Lucky Blondo, which was covered by Natacha Snitkine and also Ginette Lemieux (under the mononym Caroline).
• A version of this song, entitled "Music to Watch Space Girls By" was included on the 1967 album Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space.
• Another French-language version, "Ça s’est arrangé", from 1967 by Jean-Paul Keller was featured in the film A Simple Favor from 2018.
• The Higsons covered the vocal version in 1984; this was released on a single and the album The Curse of the Higsons.
• Other instrumental versions of the song were recorded by Billy Vaughn, Chet Atkins and Walter Wanderley.

References

1. Hit Records, 1950-1975 (Google eBook)
2. Adams, Greg. "Music to Watch Girls By". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
3. Leggett, Steve. "The Best of the Bob Crewe Generation:Music to Watch Girls By". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 66.
5. "Artist Profile: Andy Williams". The Breeze. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
6. Al Hirt's "Music To Watch Girls By" Chart Positions Retrieved March 24, 2013.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics