Puppet on a String (Sandie Shaw song)

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"Puppet on a String"
Puppet on a string sandie shaw UK single solid centre.png
One of solid centre variants of the UK single
Single by Sandie Shaw
from the album Puppet on a String
B-side "Tell the Boys"
Released7 March 1967
Recorded1967
Genre Europop [1]
Length2:21
Label Pye [2]
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Ken Woodman [3]
Sandie Shaw singles chronology
"I Don't Need Anything"
(1967)		"Puppet on a String"
(1967)		"Tonight in Tokyo"
(1967)
Eurovision Song Contest 1967 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
English
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • Bill Martin
  • Phil Coulter
Conductor
Finals performance
Final result
1st
Final points
47
Entry chronology
◄ "A Man Without Love" (1966)
"Congratulations" (1968) ►

"Puppet on a String" is a song recorded by British singer Sandie Shaw, written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. It represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1967, held in Vienna, winning the contest, becoming the first of the United Kingdom's five Eurovision wins. [4] [5]

Contents

As her thirteenth UK single release, "Puppet on a String" became a UK Singles Chart number one hit on 27 April 1967, staying at the top for a total of three weeks. [6] In the United States, a 1967 version by Al Hirt went to number 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 129 on the Billboard Hot 100. [7]

Background

Conception

"Puppet on a String" was written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, [3] and recorded by Sandie Shaw.

Selection

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) internally selected Shaw as their representative for the 12th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. She had never been taken with the idea of taking part in the contest but her discoverer, Adam Faith, had talked her into it, saying it would keep her manager Eve Taylor happy. Taylor wanted to give Shaw a more cabaret appeal and felt that this was the right move – and also felt that it would get Shaw back in the public's good books as she had recently been involved in a divorce scandal. [8]

Shaw performed the song as one of five prospective numbers for the contest on The Rolf Harris Show. Of the five songs, "Puppet on a String" was Shaw's least favourite. In her own words, "I hated it from the very first 'oompah' to the final 'bang' on the big bass drum. I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune". [9] On 25 February 1967, Shaw performed the five songs on A Song for Europe 1967 , the national final organized by the BBC to select the song she would perform in the contest. The winner was chosen by postcard voting and on 4 March the BBC announced that "Puppet on a String" had won the competition becoming the British entry for Eurovision. [10]

Shaw also recorded "Puppet on a String" in French –as "Un tout petit pantin"–, Italian –"La danza delle note"–, Spanish –"Marionetas en la cuerda"–, and German –"Wiedehopf im Mai"–. [11]

Eurovision

On 8 April 1967, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Großer Festsaal der Wiener Hofburg in Vienna hosted by Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Shaw performed "Puppet on a String" eleventh on the night, following Belgium's "Ik heb zorgen" by Louis Neefs and preceding Spain's "Hablemos del amor" by Raphael. Kenny Woodman conducted the live orchestra in the performance of the British entry. [12]

At the close of voting, the song had received 47 points, placing it first in a field of sixteen, and winning the contest [13]

Aftermath

As a result of it winning the Eurovision Song Contest, "Puppet on a String" became Shaw's third number one hit in the UK –a record for a woman at the time– and was a big worldwide smash. Globally, the single achieved sales in excess of four million, making it the biggest-selling winning Eurovision track to date. [14] Some estimates suggest this makes the track the biggest selling single by a British female artist of all time. [15]

Shaw performed her song in the Eurovision twenty-fifth anniversary show Songs of Europe held on 22 August 1981 in Mysen. [16]

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1967) [5] Peak
position
Argentina (ACPVP) [17] 1
Australia (Go-Set National Top 40) [18] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [19] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [20] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [21] 1
Canada (Canadian Singles Chart)13
Denmark (Danish Singles Chart) [22] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [23] 5
France (Institut français d'opinion publique) [24] 2
Ireland (IRMA) [25] 1
Italy (Musica e dischi) [26] 8
Malaysia (Radio Malaysia) [27] 2
Netherlands (Veronica Top 40) [25] 1
Netherlands (Mega Top 30) [28] 1
New Zealand (PPNZ) [29] 2
Norway (VG-lista) [30] 1
Singapore (Radio Singapore) [27] 3
South Africa (Entertainment Monitoring Africa) [31] 3
Spain (Cadena SER) [32] 1
Sweden (Kvällstoppen) [33] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [27] 1
UK Singles (OCC) [3] 1
Venezuela [34] 6
West Germany (Schallplatte) [35] 1

Sales

RegionCopies
Belgium45,000 [36]
Germany750,000 [37]
Worldwide4,000,000 [38]

Legacy

Cover versions

The song was covered in over 200 versions in over 30 languages. [39] [ better source needed ]

Covers include:

The song was featured in The 1975 Bulgarian Cartoon Buffo-Synchronists by Proiko Proikov and the soundtrack of the 2021 film Last Night in Soho . [64] In July 2024, the song was sampled by English singer Jade, for her debut single titled "Angel of My Dreams". [65]

Related Research Articles

The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1967 with the song "Puppet on a String", written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, and performed by Sandie Shaw. The British participating broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), selected its entry through a national final titled A Song for Europe 1967, after having previously selected the performer internally. The entry eventually won the Eurovision Song Contest.

The United Kingdom was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 with the song "Congratulations", written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, and performed by Cliff Richard. The British participating broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), selected its entry through a national final, after having previously selected the performer internally. In addition, the BBC was also the host broadcaster and staged the event at the Royal Albert Hall in London, after winning the previous edition with the song "Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw.

Philip Coulter is an Irish musician, songwriter and record producer from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was awarded the Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in October 2009.

The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Touch My Fire" written by Javine Hylton, John Themis and Jonathan Shalit. The song was performed by Javine. The British entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected via the national final Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2005, organised by the British broadcaster BBC. Five acts competed in the national final and the winner was selected entirely through a public vote.

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William Wylie MacPherson, known professionally as Bill Martin, was a Scottish songwriter, music publisher and impresario. His most successful songs, all written with Phil Coulter, included "Puppet on a String", "Congratulations", "Back Home", and "Saturday Night". He was presented with three Ivor Novello Awards, including one as Songwriter of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poupée de cire, poupée de son</span> 1965 song by France Gall

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<i>Marionetas En La Cuerda – Sandie Shaw Canta En Español</i> 2004 compilation album by Sandie Shaw

Marionetas en la cuerda – Sandie Shaw canta en Español is a Spanish-language album by the British singer Sandie Shaw. It is a compilation of her recordings in this language, featuring Spanish versions of many of her hits.

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The Collection is a compilation album by the British singer Sandie Shaw, which was released in 2007 shortly after her 60th birthday. Released as a budget-priced album by EMI, it contained mostly recordings from the 1960s including A-sides, B-sides, album tracks plus two exclusive foreign language songs.

<i>Puppet on a String</i> (album) 1967 compilation album by Sandie Shaw

Puppet on a String is Sandie Shaw's third full-priced album, released on the Pye label in May 1967 on the back of her Eurovision success.

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Sandra Ann Goodrich, known by her stage name Sandie Shaw, is a retired English pop singer. One of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s, she had three UK number one singles with "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (1964), "Long Live Love" (1965) and "Puppet on a String" (1967). With the latter, she became the first British entry to win the Eurovision Song Contest. She returned to the UK Top 40, for the first time in 15 years, with her 1984 cover of the Smiths song "Hand in Glove". Shaw retired from the music industry in 2013.

"A Man Without Love" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966, performed in English by Kenneth McKellar.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Songs of Europe (1981 concert)</span>

Songs of Europe is a concert television programme commemorating the Eurovision Song Contest's twenty-fifth anniversary. The event was held in Mysen, Norway in 1981, featuring all but eight of the winners of the Eurovision Song Contest from its first edition in 1956 to 1981, and broadcast to more than 100 million viewers all over Europe.

<i>Blooming Hits</i> Studio album by Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra

Blooming Hits was a studio instrumental album by Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra. It was released in 1967 and spent five weeks at number one in 1968. It was certified as a Gold LP by the Recording Industry Association of America. The single "Love Is Blue" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. The success of this song in the United States led to Philips Records requesting Mauriat's French label to complete an entire album. The completed album included instrumentals of hits such as the Beatles' "Penny Lane," Herman's Hermits' "There's a Kind of Hush," Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid" and Sandie Shaw's 1967 Eurovision song contest winner "Puppet on a String." The album was briefly re-released by Collectors' Choice Music on CD, but is now out of print.

The United Kingdom originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "My Last Breath" written by James Newman, Ed Drewett, Adam Argyle and Iain James. The song was performed by James Newman, who was internally selected by the British broadcaster BBC to represent the United Kingdom at the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Newman and "My Last Breath" was announced as the British entry on 27 February 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Even the Bad Times Are Good</span> 1967 single by the Tremeloes

"Even the Bad Times Are Good" is a song recorded by British group the Tremeloes, released as a single in July 1967. It became their third consecutive top-ten hit in the UK and continued their international success.

References

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  3. 1 2 3 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 109. ISBN   0-85112-250-7.
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  5. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 495. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  6. ↑ "Puppet on a String full official chart history". Theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Puppet on a String (song by Al Hirt) • Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "Sandie Shaw's Love scandal that almost cost Britain its first Eurovision victory". 25 December 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Shaw, Sandie: The World at my Feet. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; 1991. ISBN   978-0002159210
  10. ↑ "UK National Final 1967". natfinals.50webs.com.
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  12. ↑ "Eurovision Song Contest 1967". Eurovision Song Contest. 8 April 1967. ORF / EBU.
  13. ↑ "Official Eurovision Song Contest 1967 scoreboard". Eurovision Song Contest .
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  26. ↑ "Hits of the World". Billboard . 17 June 1967. p. 49. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  27. 1 2 3 "Billboard Magazine, July 1, 1967". Billboard. July 1967.
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  35. ↑ "Billboard Magazine, June 1967". Billboard. 8 July 1967.
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  43. ↑ "Yvonne Přenosilová - Louka". YouTube. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  44. ↑ "Grethe Sønck - Lille Marionet". YouTube. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  45. ↑ "Reggy van der Burgt - Speelbal in de Wind". YouTube. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
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  50. ↑ "Helena Eyjólfsdóttir - Þú kyssir mig". YouTube. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  51. ↑ "Violeta Riaubiškytė -Lélé". YouTube. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  52. ↑ "Los Rocking Devils - Muñeco de Cuerda". YouTube. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
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  55. ↑ "Ed Carlos - Estou Feliz". YouTube. May 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
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  57. ↑ "Discography of Emil Gorovets" (in Russian). Popsa.info. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  58. ↑ Janjatović, Petar (2007). EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 203.
  59. ↑ "Singles of Tatjana Hubinská". Tatianahubinska.estranky.cz. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  60. ↑ "Jana Procházková - Ako malý psík". YouTube . October 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  61. ↑ "Majda Sepe - Marioneta". YouTube. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  62. ↑ "Gloria Lasso - Las Marionetas en la Cuerda". YouTube. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  63. ↑ "Svensk mediedatabas" . Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  64. ↑ Sanchez, Gabrielle (21 October 2021). "Anya Taylor-Joy sings a chilling, downtempo cover of "Downtown" for Last Night In Soho soundtrack". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  65. ↑ "Jade Thirlwall: Phil Coulter 'thrilled' by debut solo single sample". BBC News. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest winners
1967 		Succeeded by
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