"Sylvia's Mother" is a 1972 single by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show and the group's first hit song. It was written by Shel Silverstein, produced by Ron Haffkine and was highly successful in the United States, reaching #5 on the Billboard singles chart (tied with "Sexy Eyes" from the album Sometimes You Win for the band's best performing song),[1] as well as #2 in the United Kingdom. It spent three weeks at #1 on the Australian music charts,[2] making it the 15th ranked single in Australia for 1972; and also reached #1 in South Africa, where it was the 3rd ranked song for the year, and in New Zealand. The song spent 7 consecutive weeks at #1 in Ireland on the Irish Singles Chart.[3] It appeared on the group's first album, Doctor Hook.
"Sylvia's Mother" is autobiographical, with songwriter Shel Silverstein drawing upon his unsuccessful attempt to revive a failed relationship. Silverstein had been in love with a woman named Sylvia Pandolfi. She later became engaged to another man and ended up as a museum curator at the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil in Mexico City. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Desperate to continue the relationship, Silverstein called Pandolfi's mother, Louisa, but she told him the love had ended.[10]
Cash Box said "'T ain't easy to render unto Silverstein what is Shel's, but this group knows the secret to Top 40 success on this happy/sad tune, bound to be a huge request and sales item."[11]
In 1972, about the same time the Dr. Hook version was on the chart, country singer Bobby Bare recorded a cover version. Bare's version became a hit, reaching No. 12 on the BillboardHot Country Singles chart that October.[citation needed]
References
↑ Fread Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits (New York, Billboard, 2003), p. 312
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