| "Silhouettes" | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Rays | |
| B-side | Daddy Cool |
| Released | 1957 |
| Format | 45 rpm single |
| Recorded | 1957 |
| Genre | Doo-wop |
| Length | 2:45 |
| Label | XYZ; Cameo |
| Writer(s) | Bob Crewe, Frank Slay |
| Producer | Bob Crewe, Frank Slay |
| Certification | Gold |
"Silhouettes" is a song made famous by the doo-wop group The Rays in 1957. A competing version by The Diamonds was also successful, and the song was a number 5 hit in 1965 for Herman's Hermits.
Contents |
In May 1957, songwriter Bob Crewe saw a couple embracing through a windowshade as he passed on a train. He quickly set about turning the image into a song. Frank Slay, who owned the small Philadelphia record label XYZ with Crewe, added lyrics, and they soon had a complete song ready to record.[1] The story has frequently been reported that Slay heard The Rays audition for Cameo-Parkway Records, for which he worked, and immediately decided that they were the perfect group for "Silhouettes". However, Slay and Crewe were actually already familiar with the group, as "Silhouettes" was their third single with them.[2]
The song received a break when popular local disc jockey Hy Lit fell asleep with a stack of newly released records on his record player. "Silhouettes" happened to be the last to play, and so it repeated until he woke up. He began to play the song on his show.[1] It became popular enough that Cameo-Parkway picked it up for national distribution, and it eventually reached number 3 on Billboard Top 100, while also hitting the top five on both the sales and airplay charts. It was the group's only top 40 hit.
The Canadian pop group The Diamonds, who had experienced success with cover versions of other doo-wop records, quickly put out their own version of the song. They even used the same song, "Daddy Cool", on the b-side of their record as The Rays had.[3] Their version received widespread radio play, also reaching the top ten of the Billboard airplay chart. However, it did not reach Billboard's sales chart, and only hit number 60 on the Top 100.[4]
The "British Invasion" group Herman's Hermits recorded the song in 1965 after hearing the song on American Armed Forces Radio.[1] It reached number 1 in Canada (In both RPM and CHUM charts). It became their third hit in the US, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also reached the top 5 in the UK. Information from Peter Noone and others indicates that guitarist Vic Flick played on the track, and not Jimmy Page as previously thought. [5]
Other artists who've recorded "Silhouettes" include:
A rock and roll revival act, Sha Na Na, performed the song at the Woodstock Festival in mid-1969.
The Ronettes released a version of the song on their 1965 Colpix Records release, "The Ronettes featuring Veronica."
Doo-wop group The Silhouettes (known for their hit "Get A Job") were named after the song.[8]
According to John Lennon, The Beatles' song "No Reply" (1964) was inspired by "Silhouettes".[9]
The song also appears in the Broadway musical Jersey Boys.[10]