1967 song recorded by Frankie Valli
"
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
" is a
1967
song written by
Bob Crewe
and
Bob Gaudio
, and first recorded and released as a single by Gaudio's
Four Seasons
bandmate
Frankie Valli
. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a
gold record
and reaching No. 2 on the
Billboard
Hot 100
for a week,
[6]
making it Valli's biggest solo hit until he hit No. 1 in 1975 with "
My Eyes Adored You
".
[7]
Gaudio describes the song as "the one that almost got away" until
Windsor, Ontario
, radio station
CKLW
(a station also serving the
Detroit
metro
on the American side of the border) intervened. In 1967, the record's producers urged Paul Drew, program director at the legendary station, to consider the tune for
rotation
. For much of the 1960s and 1970s, CKLW was credited with launching hit records via its powerful signal, blanketing the
Great Lakes
region. Drew did not warm to the song at first, but accepted an invitation to hear it live at the Roostertail, where Valli was performing a weeklong stint with the Four Seasons. Drew liked what he heard and added the song to his station's playlist. "The switchboards lit up, and the rest, as they say, is history", Gaudio recalled.
[8]
Valli recalled in 2014 that "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" was the first step in the fulfillment of his goal to sing music that did not require him to use falsetto: "I didn't want to sing like that my whole life. Once we established the sound, the plan was that eventually I would do solo [records] and some things I really wanted to do. I was very lucky to make the transition to 'My Eyes Adored You' and '
Swearin' to God
,' which had none of that." Valli also recalled that the record had been mothballed by The Four Seasons' record company for a year because of their fear that The Four Seasons (who had already lost
Nick Massi
in 1965) were breaking up, to which Valli insisted that he had no intentions of ever leaving The Four Seasons.
[9]
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" has been recorded in many other arrangements, many of which have charted in different countries.
Credits
[
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]
The song was written by
Bob Crewe
and
Bob Gaudio
. Melodic elements bear a similarity to passages from the
Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia
section of the 1956 ballet
Spartacus
(Suite No. 2) by
Aram Khachaturian
.
[10]
The original recording, from an arrangement by Gaudio and
Artie Schroeck
, was made at A & R Studio 2 (formerly Columbia Studio A), at 799 7th Avenue in
New York City
, with Crewe producing and
Phil Ramone
engineering.
Reception
[
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]
Billboard
described the single as "strong rhythm ballad material from the pen of Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio with an exceptional Valli vocal combined with an exciting Artie Schroeck arrangement."
[11]
Cash Box
called the single a "smooth, gentle, softly spoken romancer".
[12]
Charts
[
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]
Weekly charts
[
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]
|
Year-end charts
[
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]
Chart (1967)
|
Rank
|
Canada
[17]
|
18
|
US
Billboard
Hot 100
[18]
|
10
|
US
Cash Box
[19]
|
3
|
|
Certifications
[
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]
Boys Town Gang version
[
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]
In 1982, San Francisco-based
post-disco
band
Boys Town Gang
released a
dance
version of the song which reached the top spot in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain and number four in the United Kingdom.
[22]
[23]
This version was also successful in Japan, receiving a gold digital certification by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
(RIAJ) in 2011.
Track listings
[
edit
]
7-inch single
- "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" ? 3:28
- "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (reprise) ? 4:42
7-inch single
- "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" ? 3:40
- "Disco Kicks" ? 4:04
Charts
[
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]
Weekly charts
[
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]
Year-end charts
[
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]
Chart (1983)
|
Position
|
Australia (Kent Music Report)
[24]
|
71
|
Lauryn Hill version
[
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]
Lauryn Hill
's version of the song was recorded in 1997, while Hill was eight months pregnant with her first child.
[30]
It was first featured in the movie
Conspiracy Theory
(1997). While the song wasn't featured on the soundtrack, a radio jockey at
KMEL
in San Francisco put the song on a
CD
and began playing the song;
[31]
more radio stations followed suit, causing a
domino effect
around the U.S.,
[32]
[33]
ultimately leading the song to peak at number two on the
Rhythmic Top 40
chart, despite Hill's label's not releasing the song as a single.
[34]
[35]
Due to the popularity of the song it was added as a
hidden track
on
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
.
[36]
This version was also nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
in 1999, becoming the first hidden track to ever receive a Grammy nomination.
[37]
[38]
Consequence of Sound
named it the best hidden track of all time.
[39]
In 2014,
VH1
also named it the best hidden track of all time.
[40]
Academy Award
?winning actor
Forest Whitaker
was inspired to name his daughter True, after hearing Hill's version of the song.
[41]
Charts
[
edit
]
Other cover versions
[
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]
The song has been recorded by many artists. Among the most notable examples are the following:
- In late 1967,
the Lettermen
recorded the "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" as a medley with "
Goin' Out of My Head
". Their rendition reached number 7 on the U.S.
Billboard
Hot 100
and number 2
Easy Listening
.
[45]
- In 1968,
Andy Williams
' version made it to number 5 on the
UK singles chart
and number 8 on the
Irish Singles Chart
.
[46]
The arranger and producer was Nick DeCaro and the conductor was Eddie Karam.
[47]
In 2002 he recorded a new version of the song, as a duet with British actress and singer
Denise van Outen
, which reached number 23 in the UK singles charts.
[48]
- Maureen McGovern
released her cover as a single in 1979 (number 27 on the US Adult Contemporary chart in 1979; number 5 Canadian AC in 1980).
[49]
- In 1990,
Gloria Gaynor
covered "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" on her LP
Gloria Gaynor '90
.
[
citation needed
]
[50]
- In 1991, the
Pet Shop Boys
recorded "
Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
", a medley of the song with
U2
's "
Where the Streets Have No Name
", which reached number 4 in the U.K. and number 72 in the U.S.
[51]
- In 1992, Dutch singers
Gerard Joling
and
Tatjana ?imi?
recorded a duet version of the song (including a rap segment by Darrell Bell), which peaked at number 5 in the Dutch Top 40 charts.
[52]
- Morten Harket
of the Norwegian band
A-ha
recorded a cover version of the song, which was used as the soundtrack for the 1993 film
Coneheads
.
[
citation needed
]
- In 1995, Christian rock band
Daniel Amos
recorded a cover version for their concept album
Songs From the Heart
.
[53]
- In 1999,
Heath Ledger
's character, accompanied by his high school's
marching band
, sings a part of the song in the film
10 Things I Hate About You
,
for which he was nominated in the
2000 MTV Movie Awards
for
Best Musical Performance
.
[54]
[
importance?
]
- In 1999,
Turkish
singer
Tuba Onal
released "Gelmezsen Gelme", the Turkish cover of the song in her album
Onun Adı A?k
, with lyrics written by
Zeynep Talu
.
[
citation needed
]
- In 2000, Hong Kong singer
Leon Lai
released a Cantonese version of the song in his album
Beijing Station
, where the lyrics was written by
Albert Leung
.
[55]
- In 2005, a remix of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" was used in the
Lawrence Guterman
film
Son of the Mask
.
- In 2010, fans of the German football club
1. FC Union Berlin
started using the melody for a chant for their player
Torsten Mattuschka
, inspired by
Manchester United F.C.
fans who used it for their player
Owen Hargreaves
.
[56]
[
importance?
]
- In 2011,
Stereophonics
frontman
Kelly Jones
sang an acoustic version of the song in tribute to former
Wales national football team
manager
Gary Speed
. The song was adopted as an anthem for Welsh football fans during Speed's playing career with Wales after being used in a
BBC Wales
promo for the
1994 World Cup
qualifying campaign.
[57]
- In 2019,
Surf Mesa
remixed a cover version of the song as a single under the title "
ILY (I Love You Baby)
". The single reached the Top 40 in over 30 countries and is certified Platinum in six countries.
[
citation needed
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Official Frankie Valli Site"
. Retrieved
November 25,
2017
.
- ^
The Four Seasons; Frankie Valli (1991),
Greatest Hits, Volume 2
, Internet Archive, Warner Special Products
, retrieved
January 30,
2023
- ^
"Soul Music: Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
.
BBC Radio 4
. 2013
. Retrieved
November 14,
2022
.
- ^
Guarisco, Donald A.
"
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" song review"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
November 11,
2022
.
- ^
"Lifestyle's weekly Spotify playlist #65"
.
Northern Star
. November 6, 2022
. Retrieved
November 13,
2022
.
- ^
"Billboard Hot 100"
.
Billboard
. July 22, 1967
. Retrieved
July 31,
2015
.
- ^
Bronson, Fred.
The Billboard book of number 1 hits
. p. 398.
- ^
"The Four Seasons Rocked at The Roostertail in Detroit! · Jersey Boys Blog"
.
- ^
Willman, Chris (June 6, 2024).
"Frankie Valli on Jersey Boys and His Unlikely Success: 'The Way I Grew Up, It Was Basically Against All Odds'
"
.
Parade
. Retrieved
May 31,
2023
.
- ^
"Chicago Classical Review ≫ ≫ Violinist strikes sparks with belated Shostakovich premiere at Grant Park"
.
- ^
"Spotlight Singles"
(PDF)
.
Billboard
. April 29, 1967. p. 16
. Retrieved
February 27,
2021
.
- ^
"CashBox Record Reviews"
(PDF)
.
Cash Box
. April 29, 1967. p. 22
. Retrieved
January 12,
2022
.
- ^
"Go-Set National Top 40, 27 September 1967"
. Archived from
the original
on June 14, 2012
. Retrieved
November 26,
2019
.
- ^
"RPM Top 100 Singles ? July 15, 1967"
(PDF)
.
- ^
Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955?1990
?
ISBN
0-89820-089-X
- ^
"Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, July 15, 1967"
. Tropicalglen.com. December 23, 1967. Archived from
the original
on September 30, 2018
. Retrieved
April 18,
2017
.
- ^
"RPM Top 100 Singles ? January 6, 1968"
(PDF)
.
- ^
"Musicoutfitters.com"
. Musicoutfitters.com
. Retrieved
April 18,
2017
.
- ^
"Cash Box YE Pop Singles ? 1967"
. Tropicalglen.com. December 23, 1967. Archived from
the original
on September 30, 2018
. Retrieved
April 18,
2017
.
- ^
"British single certifications ? Frankie Valli ? Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
.
British Phonographic Industry
. Retrieved
July 19,
2021
.
- ^
"American single certifications ? Frankie Valli ? Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
.
Recording Industry Association of America
. Retrieved
July 19,
2021
.
- ^
"Top 40-lijst van week 24, 1982"
.
Top40.nl
. Retrieved
September 30,
2016
.
- ^
Roberts, David (2006).
British Hit Singles & Albums
(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 74.
ISBN
1-904994-10-5
.
- ^
a
b
"Kent Music Report ? National Top 100 Singles for 1983"
.
Kent Music Report
. Retrieved
January 22,
2023
– via Imgur.com.
- ^
"Boys Town Gang ? Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
.
ultratop.be
.
- ^
"
Nederlandse Top 40 ? week 24, 1982
" (in Dutch).
Dutch Top 40
. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^
Hung, Steffen.
"Boys Town Gang ? Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
.
hitparade.ch
.
- ^
chartsurfer.de
.
- ^
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
.
chartsurfer.de
. Retrieved
April 3,
2024
.
- ^
"The Quietus | Features | Anniversary | 20 Years On: The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill Revisited"
.
The Quietus
. Retrieved
May 5,
2021
.
- ^
"Lauryn Hill: "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill"
.
HiddenSongs.com
. Retrieved
May 5,
2021
.
- ^
Billboard
. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 27, 1999.
- ^
Billboard
. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 9, 1998.
- ^
"Lauryn Hill | Awards"
.
AllMusic
. May 26, 1975
. Retrieved
September 30,
2016
.
- ^
Billboard
. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 5, 1998.
- ^
"Knowledge Drop: Lauryn Hill Reportedly Recorded "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" While Lying On The Floor"
.
Genius
. Retrieved
May 5,
2021
.
- ^
Kot, Greg (January 6, 1999).
"10 NOMINATIONS PUT LAURYN HILL ATOP GRAMMY HEAP"
.
chicagotribune.com
. Retrieved
December 19,
2018
.
- ^
"Manna for fans: the history of the hidden track in music"
.
The Guardian
. January 25, 2015
. Retrieved
March 2,
2021
.
- ^
"20 Best Hidden Tracks on Albums"
.
Consequence of Sound
. July 8, 2014
. Retrieved
March 2,
2021
.
- ^
Runtagh, Jordan.
"Surprise! The 12 Greatest Hidden Tracks In Music"
.
VH1 News
.
Archived
from the original on May 28, 2022
. Retrieved
May 5,
2021
.
- ^
"True Whitaker, Daughter of Forest Whitaker, Is Delighted to Share Her Name With True Thompson, Daughter of Khloe Kardashian"
.
W Magazine
. April 17, 2018
. Retrieved
October 16,
2021
.
- ^
"australian-charts.com ? Discography Lauryn Hill"
.
australian-charts.com
. Retrieved
March 2,
2021
.
- ^
"Lauryn Hill"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
March 2,
2021
.
- ^
"Lauryn Hill"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
March 2,
2021
.
- ^
Whitburn, Joel
(1993).
Top Adult Contemporary: 1961?1993
. Record Research. p. 139.
- ^
"Official Singles Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company"
.
Officialcharts.com
. Retrieved
September 30,
2016
.
- ^
Love, Andy
by Andy Williams, album sleeve, 1967. New York: Columbia Records CS 9566
- ^
"Official Singles Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company"
.
Officialcharts.com
. Retrieved
September 30,
2016
.
- ^
"Item Display ? RPM ? Library and Archives Canada"
.
Collectionscanada.gc.ca
. Archived from
the original
on June 1, 2016
. Retrieved
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2016
.
- ^
"GLORIA GAYNOR - GLORIA GAYNOR '90 ALL NEW VERSIONS"
.
Massive Music Store
. Retrieved
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2024
.
- ^
"Pet Shop Boys Chart History | Billboard"
.
www.billboard.com
. Archived from
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on November 11, 2017.
- ^
"JAARLIJST 1992"
.
Members.chello.nl
. Retrieved
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2016
.
- ^
Allender, Mark.
"Songs of the Heart: The Story of Bud and Irma Akendorf Review"
. Retrieved
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2024
.
- ^
Wilkes, Neil (April 18, 2000).
"MTV Movie Award Nominations"
.
Digital Spy
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
"Cover versions by Leon Lai | SecondHandSongs"
.
secondhandsongs.com
. Retrieved
October 26,
2023
.
- ^
Roßbach, Daniel; Fiebrig, Sebastian (November 18, 2019).
"#22 ? Wie Torsten Mattuschka zu seinem Lied kam"
.
Und niemals vergessen
(in German)
. Retrieved
August 30,
2022
.
- ^
"BBC Sport ? Kelly Jones sings Gary Speed tribute"
.
wayback.archive-it.org
. Archived from
the original
on December 3, 2011.
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