Bachelor Boy

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"Bachelor Boy"
Cliff Richard Bachelor Boy.jpg
Song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows
from the album Summer Holiday
A-side "The Next Time" [1]
Released30 November 1962
Recorded16 November 1962
Studio EMI Studios, London
Genre Pop
Length2:02
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Norrie Paramor [1]
Cliff Richard and the Shadows singles chronology
"It'll Be Me"
(1962)		"Bachelor Boy"
(1962)		"Summer Holiday"
(1963)

"Bachelor Boy" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, written by Richard and Bruce Welch (from the Shadows). It became a hit when it was released as the B-side of Richard's single "The Next Time". Both sides of the single were regarded as having chart potential so both sides were promoted and in many markets "Bachelor Boy" became the bigger hit. The single spent three weeks at No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1963 [1] and was a major hit internationally, although it only reached No. 99 in the US. Both sides of the single were included on the accompanying soundtrack album Summer Holiday . On the soundtrack album the Michael Sammes Singers were credited as backing singers, although they were not credited on the single.

Contents

In the UK, the single was the first of three number 1 hit singles from Richard's musical film, Summer Holiday , the other two being "Summer Holiday" and "Foot Tapper". [1] The film was the most successful box-office attraction of the year.

The single was followed at number one by the Shadows' own single "Dance On!" [2]

The song is about some advice a father passes to his son, to "remain a bachelor boy until (his) dying day". Richard later commented when he wrote this song he "never expected it to be prophetic".[ citation needed ] While Richard has himself never married, the song itself does not rule out marriage, with the final verse stating that as time goes by, the speaker probably will fall in love marry and have a child "but until then I'll be a bachelor boy..." and indicates he would be happy to remain so for life.

Chart performance

The below table only includes countries where "Bachelor Boy" was listed separately on the chart, or where it was listed first when both were listed together on the chart. For a more complete list of countries where the single made the singles chart, refer to the article for "The Next Time".

Chart (1963)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [3] 9
Canada (CHUM) [4] [5] [*] 2
Denmark (Tracklisten) [6] 1
France (SNEP) [7] 31
Hong Kong [8] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [9] 1
Norway (VG-lista) [10] 8
South Africa (SARMD) [11] 1
Sweden (Kvällstoppen) [12] 2
Sweden ( Tio i Topp ) [13] 1
UK (NME ) [14] 3 [*]
US Billboard Hot 100 [15] 99

Notes:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 68. ISBN   0-85112-250-7.
  2. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 145–6. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  3. ↑ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969 (doc). Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-44439-5.
  4. ↑ "CHUM Chart". Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2018-06-09.|
  5. 1 2 "CHUM Hit Parade 13 May 1963". chumtribute.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "Denmark singles chart - Bachelor Boy". danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
  7. ↑ Select Cliff RICHARD from the drop-down selection box and click OK: "French Singles - Artists R". infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
  8. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 4 May 1963. p. 28. ISSN   0006-2510.
  9. ↑ "Cliff Richard – The Next Time / Bachelor Boy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  10. ↑ "Cliff Richard – Bachelor Boy". VG-lista.
  11. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. courtesy South African Record Manufacturers and Distributors Association (30 March 1963). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 28. ISSN   0006-2510.{{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  12. ↑ Hallberg, Eric (1993). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. p. 243. ISBN   9163021404.
  13. ↑ Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Premium Publishing. p. 313. ISBN   919727125X.
  14. ↑ Read, Mike; Lewry, Peter; Goodall, Nigel (1993). Cliff Richard - The Complete Chronicle. London: Hamlyn. p. 303. ISBN   0600578976 . Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  15. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Cliff Richard | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-26.


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