Games People Play (The Alan Parsons Project song)

"Games People Play"
Single by The Alan Parsons Project
from the album The Turn of a Friendly Card
B-side	"The Ace of Swords"
Released	November 1980 [1]
Length	4:23 (album) 3:17 (7-inch single)
Label	Arista
Songwriters	Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson
Producers	Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson
The Alan Parsons Project singles chronology
"The Turn of a Friendly Card" (1980) "Games People Play" (1980) "Time" (1981)
Music video
"Games People Play" on YouTube

"Games People Play" is a 1980 song by the Alan Parsons Project. It peaked at No. 16 on 14 March 1981 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well as No. 18 on Cash Box . ^{[2] [3]} It appears on the album The Turn of a Friendly Card and was sung by Lenny Zakatek.

Single version

The single version of the song features two edits, one during the instrumental section preceding the guitar solo, and another shortening the guitar solo. It is also sped up slightly. The "single edit" included on the deluxe anniversary edition of The Turn of a Friendly Card from 2015 is edited differently and presented at the original pitch, so it is not the actual single version.

Critical reception

Record World wrote that the song's "irresistible keyboard melodies play with the rhythm [sic] drive." ^[4] Billboard called "Games People Play" an "uptempo track", adding that the "hook is incredibly infectious and [the] twin guitar work midway through adds extra bite." ^[5]

Personnel

• Ian Bairnson – guitars
• David Paton – bass guitar
• Eric Woolfson – keyboards
• Alan Parsons – Projectron
• Stuart Elliott – drums, percussion
• Lenny Zakatek – lead vocals and vocal FX
• Chris Rainbow – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1980–1981) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) [6] 95 Canada Top 100 ( RPM ) [7] 9 US Billboard Hot 100 16

Year-end charts Year-end chart (1981) Rank US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) [8] 66 Canada ( RPM ) [9] 90

Release history

Country	Date
United States	November 1980
United Kingdom	January 1981

References

1. "Great Rock Discography". p. 616.
2. "Music: Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
3. "Cash Box 3/14/81". Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
4. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World . 6 December 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 22 December 2025– via World Radio History.
5. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard . 22 November 1980. p. 79. Retrieved 22 December 2025– via World Radio History.
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 229. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
7. "RPM Top 50 Singles - February 28, 1981" (PDF).
8. "Number One Awards – Billboard's 1981 Year-End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 51. 26 December 1981. p. YE-9.
9. "RPM Top 100 Singles of 1981 - December 26, 1981" (PDF).