THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

573-Jackie DeShannon-When You Walk in the Room.

1963-Has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 0.04. One of the best guitar riffs in the world ever. Even Lennon and McCartney would have been proud of this.

Jackie DeShannon was born Sharon Lee Myers on August 24th, 1941, in Hazel, Kentucky, United States, she chose her stage name in 1960 when signing with ‘Liberty Records,’ believing that one of her Irish ancestors went by that name, she has also said that she liked the fact that ‘Jackie’ is a cross gender name. DeShannon has been married to her second husband Randy Edelman since 1976 (see also best songs 761.)

Jackie DeShannon was one of the first female singer/songwriters of the ‘Rock ‘N Roll’ era, although as a singer it took her 23 releases before finally making the Billboard top 40, with her cover of the Bacharach and David composition ‘What the World Needs Now Is Love,’ in 1965. Her other major Billboard hit was with her own song ‘Put a Little Love in Your Heart, which made Number 4, in 1969. That song would later be a hit in 1988, when recorded as a duet by Annie Lennox and Al Green.In 1960 DeShannon teamed up with Sharon Sheeley (1940-2002,) (see also best songs 422,) the girlfriend of Eddie Cochran, and together they wrote ‘Dum Dum,’ and Heart in Hand,’ which were both hits for Brenda Lee, and ‘Breakaway,’ for Irma Thomas, which in the 1980’s became a top 10 single in the UK for Tracy Ullman. But perhaps DeShannon’s best known song, and most successful was ‘Bette Davis Eyes,’ co-written with Donna Weiss in 1974, and when recorded by Kim Carnes in 1981, went to Number 1 on Billboard.

‘When You Walk in the Room’ was one of the tracks added to the 1964 Jackie DeShannon compilation Album ‘Breakin’ It Up on The Beatles Tour!’ Although DeShannon had opened for the Beatles on their 1964 North American tour, the 12 tracks on the Album are songs recorded for Liberty Records between 1962-1964, and have nothing to do with the tour. The song was most successful when covered by the British group ‘The Searchers in 1964, reaching Number 3 in the UK. In America the most successful version is by Pam Tillis who peaked at Number 2 on the Billboard Country Music chart in 1994.

‘I can feel a new expression on my face, I can feel a glowing sensation taking place. I can hear the guitars playin’ lovely tunes, every time that you walk in the room.’