Girl Don't Come

"Girl Don't Come" is a song, a Chris Andrews composition, that was a number 3 UK hit in the UK Singles Chart for Sandie Shaw in 1964–65.^[1]

Background

The track was recorded at Pye Recording Studios in Marble Arch in a session whose personnel included guitarists Big Jim Sullivan and Vic Flick.

"Girl Don't Come", originally envisioned as a ballad, was ultimately recorded at the tempo of Shaw's first hit "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me". Sandie Shaw disliked this arrangement of the song and had to be persuaded to record it, preferring that it be relegated to the B-side of another track, the Chris Andrews ballad "I'd Be Far Better Off Without You". Shaw's manager Evelyn Taylor favoured "Girl Don't Come" but acquiesced to Shaw's wishes. However when Shaw performed both songs on a television show "Girl Don't Come" drew the best reaction and radio airplay: it was as "Girl Don't Come" that the single entered the UK Top 50 (dated 12 December 1964) to peak at number 3 in the week of 23 January 1965.^[1]

Although not one of Shaw's three UK number 1's, "Girl Don't Come" is widely regarded as Shaw's signature hit and – unlike "Puppet on a String" – the singer has grown to appreciate the track to which she initially had an aversion. "Girl Don't Come" has also been recorded by Debby Boone, Cher, Ronnie Dyson (as the B-side to "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?"), and Eddie Rambeau.

International impact

"Girl Don't Come" gave Shaw a number 2 hit in South Africa, as well as reaching number 2 in Canada. In Australia, the track reached number 48. Like "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me", "Girl Don't Come" became a regional hit in the US – where it was released in February 1965 – without reaching the [Top 40] although it reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100. Shaw was unable to do US promotion – including a Shindig! appearance scheduled for March – due to the U.S. Federation of TV and Radio Artists refusing her a US work permit.^[2]

Shaw made a belated Italian rendition of "Girl Don't Come" entitled "E ti avrò" in 1966 and abetted by a performance by Shaw on Studio Uno, the top variety show in Italy, "E ti avrò" became a number 11 hit in 1966–67 (the single's B-side: "Viva l’amore con te" was a rendering of Shaw's UK #1 hit "Long Live Love"). Also in 1966 Shaw included a rendering of "Girl Don't Come" entitled "No vendrá" on an EP released in Spain, which also included Spanish renderings of Shaw's hits "Tomorrow", "Long Live Love" and "Message Understood".

Lill Lindfors recorded a Swedish version entitled "Ingen kom" for her 1967 album Du är den ende.

References