Just One Look (song)

"Just One Look" was a hit single co-written and sung by American R&B singer Doris Troy in 1963. The song peaked at #10 in the U.S. singles charts.

Details vary as to how the single came to be released on Atlantic Records. According to the book Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders^[2], James Brown saw Troy performing in a nightclub (under her then-stage name Doris Payne), and introduced her to Atlantic.^[1] According to a more recent and detailed story in Soulful Divas^[3], Payne recorded a studio demo of the song and took it to Sue Records first, but their lack of response led her to offer it to Jerry Wexler at Atlantic, where the label released the demo unchanged.^[1]

The single's release was the first time she started using "Doris Troy" as her stage name, though her pen name remained Doris Payne.^[1]

"Just One Look" became a UK hit via a version by the Hollies which reached #2 in the spring of 1964. Although not a major US hit in its original release, the Hollies' "Just One Look" marked the first appearance of the Hollies on the Billboard Hot 100 at #98 and a US re-issue in 1967 saw the Hollies' "Just One Look" rise as high as #44. The Beatle tribute band, "The Buggs", also recorded an obscure version (retitled "Soho Mash") on their 1964 Coronet album, "The Beetle Beat".

Anne Murray remade "Just One Look" for her 1974 Love Song album and the track was issued as a single that October to become a minor Billboard Hot 100 entry at #86. Linda Ronstadt remade "Just One Look" for her 1978 Living in the USA album; issued as the album's third single in February 1979, the track just fell short of the Top 40 with a #44 peak.

Other versions of "Just One Look" are those by Lynda Carter, Faith Hope and Charity (#38 UK January 1976), Mark Farner, Lulu, Harry Nilsson on his 1976 album …That's the Way It Is and Klaus Nomi on his 1982 album Simple Man.

Troy's version was featured in a 1997 television commercial for Pepsi starring Cindy Crawford that aired during Super Bowl XXXI. Her version was also heard on DTV Disney set to The Wind in the Willows segment of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.

See also

• One-hit wonders in the United States

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Doris Troy Biography
2. ^ Jancik, Wayne, Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, revised and expanded, Billboard Books, 1998.
3. ^ Nathan, David, Soulful Divas, Billboard Books, 1998.