THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

112-Andy Williams-Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.

1968-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 1.25. Didn’t your mother tell you it’s rude to stare.

Howard Andrew Williams (see also best songs 914) was born on December 3rd, 1927, in Wall Lake, Iowa, United States, he died on September 25th, 2012, of bladder cancer at the age of 84. Andy Williams first started singing with his three older brothers Bob, (1918-2003) Don, who was born in 1922, and Dick Williams (1926-2018) at the age of 10. The four ‘Williams Brothers’ appeared in four movies between 1944-1947, and were also the backing singers on Bing Crosby’s (1903-1977) (see also best songs 934-457 and 259) 1944 recording of ‘Swinging on a Star.’ The four brothers went their separate ways in 1951, but in the early 1990’s Andy Williams twin nephews Andrew and David continued the family tradition by recording together as the ‘Williams Brothers,’ recording five Albums, and releasing 12 singles.

Andy Williams is one of the worlds best selling artists with sales in excess of 100 million records, his discography includes 43 studio Albums released between 1956-2007, and 79 singles issued between 1948-2003. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, he has achieved 28 top 40 hits, with ‘Butterfly’ from 1956 giving him his only chart topper, while in the UK, 21 of his singles have made the top 40, with ‘Butterfly’ again being his only Number 1 song. Andy Williams is also remembered for his television variety show ‘The Andy Williams Show’ which ran from 1962 to 1971, which featured many of the worlds top artists as guests, the show also introduced the ‘Osmond Brothers,’ (see also best songs 642) who became regulars on the show.

‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ was co-written by the legendary songwriting team of Bob Crewe, (1930-2014) and Bob Gaudio, (see also best songs 1007-914-863-739-499-393-284-164 and 83) and was first recorded by Franki Valli (see also best songs 739-284 and 83) who took the song to Number 2 on Billboard in 1967. With the Franki Valli version not being a hit in the UK, Andy Williams took advantage taking his recording to Number 5 in 1968. In 2002 Williams re-recorded the song as a duet with the English actress Denise Van Outen, and this time the song made Number 23 on the chart. Other notable cover versions of the song come from the ‘Boystown Gang,’ (see also best songs 863) who reached Number 4 in the UK in 1982, and the American singer and rapper Lauryn Hill who recorded her version in 1997, which was then issued as the ‘hidden track’ on her 1998 Album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.’ Her version was nominated for a Grammy Award for ‘Best Female Pop Vocal Performance’ in 1999, becoming the first hidden track to ever receive a Grammy nomination. The song was also used as part of a medley by the ‘Lettermen’ in 1967, (Billboard Number 7) and by the ‘Pet Shop Boys’ in 1991, also as part of a medley (UK Number 4.) In 2019 the American Electronic musician ‘Surf Mesa’ remixed a cover version of the song as a single, under the title ‘ILY (I Love You Baby.’) which reached Number 23 on Billboard, and Number 22 in the UK.

Speaking about the song Franki Valli has said,’It’s a very, very tough song to do badly. When the song is that strong to start off with, that’s the kind of song you look for.’

‘Pardon the way that I stare, there’s nothing else to compare. The sight of you leaves me weak, there are no words left to speak.’