To Sir with Love (song)

Last updated

"To Sir With Love"
To Sir With Love - Lulu.jpg
US vinyl release (Epic Records)
Single by Lulu
from the album To Sir, with Love
B-side
ReleasedSeptember 1967
Genre Pop [1]
Length2:47
Label Epic
Composer(s) Mark London
Lyricist(s) Don Black
Producer(s) Mickie Most
Lulu singles chronology
"Shout"
(1964)
"To Sir With Love"
(1967)
"Shout"
(1967)

"To Sir with Love" is the theme from James Clavell's 1967 film To Sir, with Love . The song was performed by British singer and actress Lulu (who also starred in the film), and written by Don Black and Mark London (husband of Lulu's longtime manager Marion Massey). Mickie Most produced the record, with Mike Leander arranging and conducting. The song peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and became the best-selling single of 1967 in the United States.

Contents

Background

At the time, it made Lulu only the second British female artist to top the US charts during the listing's Rock era after Petula Clark's "Downtown" in 1965—and third in the overall history of the US charts after "Downtown" and Vera Lynn's "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" in 1952—and so far the first of two Scottish female solo artists to achieve the feat. Sheena Easton became the second when she topped the US charts with "Morning Train (9 to 5)" in May 1981.

For 44 years, Lulu and Easton were the only Scottish solo artists to have topped the Billboard Hot 100—a record that ended when Calvin Harris topped the chart alongside Rihanna on their collaboration "We Found Love" in November 2011.

Oscar Nomination

The film's director, James Clavell and Lulu's manager Marion Massey were angered and disappointed when the title song was not included in the nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 40th Academy Awards in 1968. Clavell and Massey raised a formal objection to the exclusion, but to no avail. [2]

Chart performance

"To Sir With Love" was initially recorded by Lulu (with The Mindbenders, who also acted in the film). It was released as a single in the United States in 1967 and in October reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for five weeks. The single ranked No. 1 in Billboard's year-end chart. It became a gold record. [3]

Canada's RPM magazine put the song at No. 2 for the year 1967. [4] "To Sir with Love" did not chart in the UK, as it appeared only as a B-side to "Let's Pretend" (released in the UK on 23 June 1967), which reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.

Charts

Cover versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Red Wine</span> 1967 single by Neil Diamond

"Red Red Wine" is a song originally written, performed and recorded by American singer Neil Diamond in 1967 that appears on his second studio album, Just for You. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a person who finds that drinking red wine is the only way to forget his woes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ooo Baby Baby</span> 1965 song by The Miracles

"Ooo Baby Baby" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore. It is a classic 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. The song has inspired numerous other cover versions by other artists over the years, including covers by Ella Fitzgerald, Todd Rundgren, The Escorts, The Five Stairsteps, Linda Ronstadt, and many others. The Miracles' original version of "Ooo Baby Baby" is listed as number 266 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

"Here Comes My Baby" is a song written by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It is well known for being an international hit for the Tremeloes in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvira (song)</span> 1966 single by Dallas Frazier

"Elvira" is a song written and originally recorded by Dallas Frazier in 1966 on his album of the same name. Though a minor hit for Frazier at the time of release, the song became a bigger and much more famous country and pop hit by The Oak Ridge Boys in 1981. "Elvira" is now considered one of the Oak Ridge Boys' signature songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There's a Kind of Hush</span>

"There's a Kind of Hush" is a popular song written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens. Originally recorded by Stephens' group the New Vaudeville Band in 1967 as a neo-British music hall number, this version of the track became a hit in Australia and South Africa. However, in the rest of the world, a near-simultaneous cover was a big hit for Herman's Hermits. The song was a charted hit again in 1976 for The Carpenters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea of Love (Phil Phillips song)</span> 1959 single by Phil Phillips

"Sea of Love" is a song written by John Philip Baptiste and George Khoury. It was the only top-40 chart-maker for Phillips, who never recorded another hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)</span> 1973 song composed by Stevie Wonder, performed by Aretha Franklin

"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appear on an album until 1977's anthology Looking Back. The best-known version of this song is the 1973 release by Aretha Franklin, who had a million-selling top 10 hit on Billboard charts. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. It became an RIAA Gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Signs (Five Man Electrical Band song)</span> 1971 single by Five Man Electrical Band

"Signs" is a song by the Canadian rock group Five Man Electrical Band. It was written by the band's frontman, Les Emmerson, and popularized the relatively unknown band, who recorded it for their true first album, Good-byes and Butterflies, in 1970. The LP "Five Man Electrical Band" had begun as a Staccatos album with Brian Rading, the band's bassist suggesting the band's new name from the song title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Can I Be Sure</span>

"How Can I Be Sure" is a popular song written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, and originally recorded by the Young Rascals for their 1967 album Groovin' with a single release in August 1967 affording the group their fourth Top 10 hit peaking at #4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soul Man (song)</span> 1967 hit single

"Soul Man" is a 1967 song written and composed by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, first successful as a number 2 hit single by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam & Dave, which consisted of Samuel "Sam" Moore and David "Dave" Prater. In 2019, "Soul Man" was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress. It was No. 463 in "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" by Rolling Stone Magazine in 2010 and No. 458 in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Guy's in Love with You</span> 1968 single by Herb Alpert

"This Guy's in Love with You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and recorded by Herb Alpert. Although known primarily for his trumpet playing as the leader of the Tijuana Brass, Alpert sang lead vocals on this solo recording, arranged by Bacharach. An earlier recording of the song was by British singer Danny Williams titled "That Guy's in Love", which appears on his 1968 self-titled album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasted Days and Wasted Nights</span> 1975 single by Freddy Fender

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" is an American country and pop song recorded by Freddy Fender. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop idiom of south Louisiana and southeast Texas that had such a major musical impact on Fender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgy Girl (song)</span> 1966 single by The Seekers

"Georgy Girl" is a song by the Australian pop/folk music group The Seekers. It was used as the title song for the 1966 film of the same title. Tom Springfield, who had written "I'll Never Find Another You", composed the music and Jim Dale supplied the lyrics. The song is heard at both the beginning and end of the film, with markedly different lyrics. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song but the prize went to "Born Free".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He Will Break Your Heart</span> 1960 song by Jerry Butler

"He Will Break Your Heart", is a song originally performed and co-written by Jerry Butler, a top-ten hit in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Any Day Now (Burt Bacharach song)</span> 1962 song by Bacharach and Bob Hilliard

"Any Day Now" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard in 1962. It has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, including notable versions by Chuck Jackson in 1962, Alan Price in 1965, Elvis Presley in 1969, Scott Walker in 1973 and Ronnie Milsap in 1982. In the lyrics, the singer predicts the imminent demise of a romantic relationship and describes the sadness this will leave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crying Time</span> 1965 single by Ray Charles

"Crying Time" is a song from 1964 written and originally recorded by the American country music artist Buck Owens. It gained greater success in the version recorded by Ray Charles, which won two Grammy Awards in 1967. Numerous other cover versions have been performed and recorded over the intervening years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'd Love You to Want Me</span> 1972 single by Lobo

"I'd Love You to Want Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lobo. It was released in September 1972 as the second single from his second album Of a Simple Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Just Can't Help Believing</span>

"I Just Can't Help Believing" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Things We Do for Love (song)</span> British pop song released in 1976

"The Things We Do for Love" is a song by British band 10cc, released as a single in 1976. It later featured on the album Deceptive Bends released in 1977 and was the group's first release after the departure of band members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Other Guy (song)</span> 1983 single by Little River Band

"The Other Guy" is a song by Australian soft rock band Little River Band. It was released in February 1983 as the third and final single from the band's 1982 Greatest Hits album. The song also introduced the band's new lead vocalist, John Farnham, who replaced Glenn Shorrock.

References

  1. Breihan, Tom (22 October 2018). "The Number Ones: Lulu's "To Sir With Love"". Stereogum . Retrieved 14 June 2023. And its theme song, from the 19-year-old Scottish singer Lulu, was a dominant pop smash...
  2. Lulu: I Don't Want To Fight. Sphere Books (2 Dec. 2010) Paperback Edition. ISBN   978-0751546255
  3. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  4. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  6. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 366.
  7. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1967". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  8. "Top 100 Hits of 1967/Top 100 Songs of 1967". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  9. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1967". Tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  10. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  11. "Adult Contemporary Music Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  12. "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report . Retrieved 23 January 2023 via Imgur.com.
  13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  14. "New Zealand Singles Chart". Audioculture.co.nz. Retrieved 13 September 2020.