Silence Is Golden (song)

"Silence Is Golden"
Single by The Four Seasons
from the album Born to Wander
A-side	"Rag Doll"
Released	1964
Genre	Pop [1]
Length	3:25
Label	Philips
Songwriter(s)	Bob Crewe Bob Gaudio [2]
Producer(s)	Bob Crewe

"Silence Is Golden" is a song initially recorded by the American rock band the Four Seasons. Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, Philips Records released it in 1964 as the B-side of the U.S. number 1 single "Rag Doll", which was also written by Crewe and Gaudio. The Tremeloes' 1967 cover version reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the US charts. ^[3]

The Tremeloes version

"Silence Is Golden"
UK picture sleeve
Single by The Tremeloes
B-side	"Let Your Hair Hang Down"
Released	21 April 1967 [4]
Recorded	1967
Genre	Pop [5]
Length	3:11
Label	CBS (UK) Epic (US and Canada)
Songwriter(s)	Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio [2]
Producer(s)	Mike Smith [2]
The Tremeloes singles chronology
"Here Comes My Baby" (1967) "Silence Is Golden" (1967) "Even the Bad Times Are Good" (1968)

In 1967 British band The Tremeloes recorded their sound-alike version, using the same arrangement as the original. It reached the top position on the UK chart on 18 May 1967, ^[6] where it stayed for three weeks. ^[7] Band member Len "Chip" Hawkes remembered getting up in the middle of the night, going to London with the rest of the band, and walking down The Strand, on the night the song reached number one. ^[8] Guitarist Rick Westwood sang lead vocal on "Silence Is Golden". In the U.S., Epic Records released the single, which reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ^[9] and was one of the top 100 songs of 1967. The record sold one million copies globally, earning gold disc status. ^[10]

The song was also covered in 1967 by The Plus Four, and by Swedish singer Jim Jidhed (in English) in 1989. The Tremeloes recorded an Italian version, "E in silenzio".

Chart history

Weekly charts Chart (1967) Peak position Australia ( Go-Set ) [11] 3 Australia (Kent Music Report) [12] 5 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [13] 4 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [14] 10 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [15] 34 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [16] 8 Denmark (Danmarks Radio) [17] 2 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [18] 9 Germany (GfK) [19] 8 Ireland (IRMA) [20] 1 Malaysia (Radio Malaysia) [21] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [22] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [23] 5 New Zealand ( Listener ) [24] 1 Norway (VG-lista) [25] 1 Rhodesia (Lyons Maid) [26] 1 South Africa (Springbok Radio) [27] 1 Spain (Promusicae) [28] 18 Sweden (Kvällstoppen) [29] 4 Sweden ( Tio i Topp ) [30] 2 UK Disc and Music Echo Top 30 [31] 1 UK Melody Maker Top 30 [32] 1 UK New Musical Express Top 30 [33] 1 UK Record Retailer Top 50 [34] 1 US Billboard Hot 100 [35] 11 US Cash Box Top 100 [36] 9

Year-end charts Chart (1967) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report) [12] 46 Austria (O3 Austria) [37] 16 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [38] 53 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [39] 35 South Africa (Springbok Radio) [40] 1 US Billboard Hot 100 [41] 45 US Cash Box [42] 56

Personnel

• Rick Westwood – falsetto vocals, lead guitar
• Alan Blakley – vocals, rhythm guitar (died 1996)
• Len Hawkes – vocals, bass guitar
• Dave Munden – vocals, drums (died 2020)

References

1. A. Guarisco, Donald. "Silence is Golden song review". Allmusic . Retrieved 11 November 2022.
2. 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.
3. An Avid's Guide to Sixties Songwriters
4. "Tremeloes' dates" (PDF). Disc and Music Echo . 15 April 1967. p. 6. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
5. Bacon, Tony, ed. (March 28, 2008). "Silence is Golden - The Tremeloes". Classic Tracks Back to Back. San Diego: Thunder Bay Press. p. 90.
6. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 565. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
7. "Official Singles Chart UK Top 100". Theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
8. Pingitore, Silvia (2021-09-28). "The band chosen over The Beatles in 1962: The Tremeloes' interview with Len "Chip" Hawkes". The Shortlisted. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
9. "The Tremeloes | Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 2014-04-06.
10. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp.  231/2. ISBN   0-214-20512-6.
11. "Go-Set Australian charts - 26 July 1967". Poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
12. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-44439-5.
13. "The Tremeloes – Silence Is Golden" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
14. "The Tremeloes – Silence Is Golden" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
15. "The Tremeloes – Silence Is Golden" (in French). Ultratop 50.
16. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10087." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
17. "Top 20/30 / 1967 / Uge 25". Danske Hitlister. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
18. "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit Tom - TUN". Sisältää hitin. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
19. "The Tremeloes – Silence Is Golden" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Silence Is Golden". Irish Singles Chart.
21. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 16 September 1967. p. 69. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Tremeloes" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
23. "The Tremeloes – Silence Is Golden" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
24. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". www.flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
25. "The Tremeloes – Silence Is Golden". VG-lista.
26. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
27. "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (T)". Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
28. Salaverri, Fernando (2015). Sólo éxitos 1959–2012 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   978-84-8048-866-2.
29. "Silence Is Golden av Tremeloes". NostalgiListan (in Swedish). Retrieved 2022-09-29.
30. Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (2012). Tio i Topp - med de utslagna "på försök" 1961–74 (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Premium. p. 286. ISBN   978-91-89136-89-2.
31. "Disc Top Thirty" (PDF). Disc and Music Echo . 20 May 1967. p. 3. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
32. "Pop 30" (PDF). Melody Maker . 20 May 1967. p. 2. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
33. "NME Top 30". New Musical Express . 20 May 1967.
34. "TREMELOES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
35. Whitburn, Joel (2009). Top Pop Singles 1955–2008. Record Research. p. 996. ISBN   9780898201802.
36. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 12, 1967". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
37. "Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
38. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 100151." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
39. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1967". www.top40.nl. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
40. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1967". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
41. "Top 100 Hits of 1967/Top 100 Songs of 1967". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
42. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1967". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved 23 March 2019.

External links

• The Tremeloes information (unofficial)