THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

914-Andy Williams-Music to Watch Girls By.

1967-Number 33 single. When it was re-released in 1999, it peaked at Number 9.

Best Bit-At 1.09. There’s only one thing better than listening to ‘Watching Girls Go By,’ and that is ‘Watching Girls Go By.’

‘Music to Watch Girls By’ started out life as jingle written by Sid Ramin in 1965, to promote ‘Diet Pepsi,’ in a television commercial. Sidney Nathan (or Norton) Ramin was born was born on January 22nd, 1919, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, he died on July 1st, 2019, at the age of 100. His other most famous works include, co-orchestrating, with Leonard Bernstein, (1918-1990) and Irwin Kostal, (1911-1994) the music for ‘West Side Story,’ (1961) and with Robert Ginzler, (1910-1962) he arranged the music for the Broadway musical ‘Gypsy’ (1959.) Ramin was also the composer of ‘Smile, You’re on Candid Camera,’ the theme to the long running American television series ‘Candid Camera.’

It was on hearing Sid Ramin’s ‘jingle’ that Bob Crewe decided to put together a full version of the commercial song, and release it as a single. Bob Crewe (see also best songs 1007-863-499-393-284-164-112 and 83) who is one of the most featured artists on this countdown with nine entries, was born Robert Stanley Crewe, on November 12th, 1930, in Newark, New Jersey, United States, he died on September 11th, 2014, at the age of 83, having been in declining health for several years following a fall. Bob Crewe is probably best remembered for his songwriting and production work with Bob Gaudio, on a string of hit singles for ‘Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, but his songs have been popular, and to a point groundbreaking, from the 1950’s, through to the 1970’s. In 1957 Crewe along with Frank Slay, (1930-2017) co-wrote ‘Silhouettes,’ (see also best songs 499) which became a ‘Doo-Wop’ anthem when recorded by the ‘Ray’s.’ In the 1970’s, Crewe turned to ‘Disco’ music, collaborating with Kenny Nolan on the American Billboard Number 1 single ‘Lady Marmalade,’ for ‘LaBelle,’ in total Bob Crewe has been the co-writer of seven American Billboard Number 1 singles. Crewe who issued 11 studio Albums between 1960-2006, also had a hit single on Billboard as ‘The Bob Crewe Generation,’ with ‘Music to Watch Girls By,’ which made Number 15 in 1967.

The Bob Crewe recording of ‘Music to Watch Girls By’ had instrumentation, and arrangement provided by ‘Hutch Davie,’ (1930-1920) with the prolific session musician Ralph Casale providing guitar work. Casale has recalled the session for ‘Music to Watch Girls By,”They lost the three guitar parts and realised it after the other two guitarists left the studio. The problem with that which no one seemed to care about was that each guitar had a different sound. I had only one guitar with me, so I overdubbed the three different parts with the same guitar. The arrangement was really good, and the song was great.’

In 1967 the American easy listening vocal artist Andy Williams (1927-2012) (see also best songs 112) recorded his version of ‘Music to Watch Girls By,’ with lyrics written by Tony Velona, (1920)-1986) for his 20th studio Album ‘Born Free,’ released in April 1967, the single and it’s parent Album were both produced by Nick De Caro (1938-1992.) The two other well known songs co-written, with lyrics by Tony Velona are ‘Domani (Tomorrow,’) a 1955 Billboard Hot 100 Number 13 hit for the American singer Julius La Rosa, (1930-2016) and ‘Lollipops and Roses,’ which was a ‘Grammy-Award’ winning recording by Jack Jones (see also best songs 376) in 1962. The Andy Williams recording of ‘Music to Watch Girls By’ became very popular for Williams after it was featured in a specially choreographed performance on his ‘Andy Williams Show,’ which aired between 1962-1971. In 1999 things came full circle when the song was once again used in a television advert. This time it was used as a promotion for ‘Fiat’ cars, and the Andy Williams version fared a lot better second time around, by reaching Number 9 in the UK.

‘The boys watch the girls, while the girls watch the boys, who watch the girls go by. Eye to eye, they solemnly convene to make the scene. Which is the name of the game, watch a guy watch a dame, on any street in town. Up and down, and over and across, romance is boss.’