Comments on: Music to Watch Lady Marmalade's Silhouette By

Music to Watch Lady Marmalade's Silhouette By

Herodios — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:56:42 -0800

Songwriter and producer Bob Crewe is one of those behind the scenes guys who was seemingly everywhere during the rock era. Records written and/or produced by Crewe charted over a twenty year period, including My Eyes Adored You and Lady Marmalade, both in 1975.

Bob Crewe at Wikipedia Bob Crewe at Songwriters Hall of Fame Bob Crewe at IMDB He wrote or co-wrote: For The Rays Silhouettes (1957) As covered by Herman's Hermits (1965) For Freddy Cannon Talahasee Lassie (1959) For The Four Seasons Bob Crewe wrote a ton of tunes with Bob Gaudio for the Four Seasons, one of the few American groups that consistently placed high in the charts during the British Invasion. Sherry (1962) Big Girls Don't Cry (1962) Walk Like a Man (1963) Rag Doll (1964) Ronnie (1964) Let's Hang On (1965) For Frankie Valli Solo Can't Take My Eyes Off You (1967) My Eyes Adored You (1975) For Patti Labelle Lady Marmalade (1975) With The Bob Crewe Generation Anna (1967) Miniskirts in Moscow (1967) As an 'artist' he's best known for a song he didn't write: Music to Watch Girls By (1967), which was also used in a sodapop commercial (Diet Pepsi, I think). Andy Williams recorded a version with lyrics. Crewe also 'discovered' and produced Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels Jenny Takes a Ride (1965) Devil with a Blue Dress (1966) Here's a bar-band cover of Sock It To Me Baby (1967) Crewe was also the music supervisor on the Roger Vadim/Jane Fonda film Barbarella (1968). This song about Barbarella , with Morrisey and Albert Lee was not in the film.

By: joseph_elmhurst

joseph_elmhurst — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:14:47 -0800

I've always enjoyed this version (with lyrics in German) of "Music To Watch Girls By" sung by yé-yé singer France Gall.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:23:28 -0800

No Disco Tex and the Sex-o-lettes?

By: Herodios

Herodios — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:34:24 -0800

Klang, I know Crewe was involved with Disco-tex and other disco artists but I have to plead ignorance of which tunes. I am not programmed to respond in this area. Meanwhile, here and here are links to a nice Bob Crewe information site I left out. Has a 'disco years' section, so knock yourself out, disco fans.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:35:23 -0800

Fuckin' A.

By: Faze

Faze — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:26:54 -0800

I can't seem to find the information anywhere on the web, but I definately recall back in 1966, that Bob Crewe was involved in the record contract for the Choir's legendary garage pop single, "It's Cold Outside". (The Choir, of course, morphed into the Raspberries, founding deities of power pop.) Crewe got the single onto mafia-controlled Roulette records. Am I wrong or what? In any case, whatever the man's moral shortcomings (and I understand these are touched upon in Jersey Boys), he deserves to go to heaven for the opening bars of "Rag Doll" alone.

By: Herodios

Herodios — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:50:49 -0800

Faze, I've never heard of a Bob Crewe connection with The Choir before. They did record for Roulette, though. Oddly enough, I just played It's Cold Outside this past Sunday at a pick-up pop gig for a charity event. (We did it in a sort-of medley with The Outsiders' Time Won't Let Me). Totally was not expecting to see it mentioned here so soon after! -

By: Herodios

Herodios — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:08:18 -0800

Oh, and Faze is right about Rag Doll. All of the Four Seasons' tracks linked above are topnotch pop records that stand up with the contemporary efforts of the Beatles and Beach Boys. Some other great ones not listed (because I couldn't confirm Bob Crewe involvement) are: The Four Seasons original Silence is Golden (1964) The Tremelos bigger hit version (1967) Opus 17 (1966) Wikipedia claims that Opus 17 ties Bobby Darin's Mack The Knife for the most chromatic key changes in a pop song (five). Working My Way Back To You (1966) The Spinners' fine update (1979) of Working My Way Back To You, with a bridge that doesn't appear in the original. Save It For Me (1964) Big Man In Town (1964) Their cover of The Zodiacs' Stay (1964) Candy Girl (1963) Dawn (Go Away) (1964) Bye, Bye, Baby (1965) C'mon Marianne" (1967) -- stronger than dirt and predating The Doors' Touch Me by a year (for those keeping score at home). Unfortunately I can't find a clip of The Four Seasons recording of Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice It's Alright (under the pseudonym '"The Wonder Who'). -

By: Faze

Faze — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:43:23 -0800

Herodios -- You are totally on the ball, here. (Actually, I think the Tremelos "Silence is Golden" is stronger than the Four Seasons version.) Thanks for clearing up the time line difficulties on the "C'mon Marianne" and "Touch Me" similarities. Here's something for someone to look up: You know how Frankie Valli uses that "little girl" voice on "Don't Think Twice"? He's actually doing a perfect imitation of a certain female Jazz singer of the '50s who had that trademark voice -- I've heard her songs a couple of times on the radio, but never caught her name. I mean, the imitation is PERFECT. But thanks for this terrific post.

By: jonp72

jonp72 — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:04:25 -0800

What's even more strange about the "My Eyes Adored You"/"Lady Marmalade" connection is that they were #1 hits back-to-back in 1975.

By: Herodios

Herodios — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:59:55 -0800

Faze, I'll see what I can find out.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:32:40 -0800

Hey, Herodios, slamming post, bro! Talk about deep excavation from the YouTube mines!

By: Herodios

Herodios — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:14:26 -0800

Praise from the master! One does what one can. I get carried away when I see that so much of this stuff from my youth is available. for now.