Music to Watch Girls By

1966 single by Bob Crewe

"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)

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"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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

"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
| "In the Arms of Love"
(1966)  | "Music to Watch Girls By"
(1967)  | "More and More"
(1967)

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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] This same version was also used in Samsung's commercial for the D820 cell phone in 2005.

### Chart performance[edit]

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[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[10] | Silver  | 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Other recordings[edit]

* A version by Al Hirt reached #31 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #119 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.[11]
* A version by French singer Jean-Paul Keller with the title of "Ça S'est Arrange" with French lyrics by André Salvet and Claude Carrère was also released in 1967.[12] This version was also included in the soundtrack of A Simple Favor (film) in 2018. [13]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Adams, Greg. "Music to Watch Girls By". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
2. ^ Leggett, Steve. "The Best of the Bob Crewe Generation:Music to Watch Girls By". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 66.
4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 202.
5. ^ Hit Records, 1950-1975 (Google eBook)
6. ^ "Artist Profile: Andy Williams". The Breeze. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 258.
8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 913.
9. ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
10. ^ "British single certifications – Andy Williams – Music to Watch Girls By". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
11. ^ Al Hirt's "Music To Watch Girls By" Chart Positions Retrieved March 24, 2013.
12. ^ title=youtube.com|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQxkLtfQqjk.Retrieved March 24, 2024.
13. ^ title=IMDB|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7040874/soundtrack/ Retrieved March 24,2024.

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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