What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?

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"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?"
Song
Written1916
Composer(s)James V. Monaco
Lyricist(s)

"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" is a song written by Joseph McCarthy, Howard Johnson and James V. Monaco in 1916 for the Broadway production Follow Me, in which it was performed by Henry Lewis.[1][2]

Early recordings[]

Lewis' version was released as a single on Emerson Records in early 1917.[3][4][5] Around the same time, a version by Sam Ash was released in February on Columbia Records, having been recorded on 11 December 1916.[6][7] It was first a hit when released in March that year by Ada Jones and Billy Murray on Victor Records, peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard chart.[8][9]

Emile Ford and the Checkmates version[]

"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?"
Single by Emile Ford and the Checkmates
A-side"Don't Tell Me Your Troubles"
ReleasedOctober 1959 (1959-10)
RecordedOctober 1959[10]
StudioLansdowne Studios, London[10]
GenreDoo-wop
Length2:01
LabelPye
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Emile Ford and the Checkmates singles chronology
"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?"
(1959) 		"On a Slow Boat to China"
(1960)

The song became a UK hit in 1959 when a doo-wop version was recorded by Emile Ford and the Checkmates as the B-side of their single "Don't Tell Me Your Trouble". This B-side became more popular and it topped the charts for six weeks over the Christmas and New Year of 1959/60. It retained the number one position for the first three weeks of 1960.[11] This earned Ford his first gold disc for sales of over a million, which was "an incredible feat for an unknown singer with his debut recording".[12] The song was co-produced by Ford and Joe Meek.[10]

Personnel[]

  • Emile Ford – lead vocals, guitar
  • George Sweetman – saxophone
  • Dave Sweetman – bass
  • Ken Street – guitar
  • Pete Carter – guitar
  • Les Hart – tenor saxophone
  • Alan Hawkshaw – piano
  • John Cuffley – drums

Charts[]

Chart (1959–60) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[15] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[16] 1

Shakin' Stevens version[]

"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For"
Shakin' Stevens What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For.jpg
Single by Shakin' Stevens
from the album Let's Boogie
B-side"(Yeah) You're Evil"
Released16 November 1987 (1987-11-16)
Recorded1987
GenrePop rock
Length2:49
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Carey Taylor
  • Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens singles chronology
"Come See About Me"
(1987) 		"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For"
(1987) 		"Feel the Need in Me"
(1988)

In 1987, Welsh singer Shakin' Stevens covered the song for his album Let's Boogie. It became his first UK Top 10 hit in two years, peaking at number 5 on the Singles Chart and became his last until the re-entry of "Merry Christmas Everyone" in 2018.[17]

Track listings[]

7": Epic / SHAKY 5 (UK)

  1. "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For" – 2:49
  2. "(Yeah) You're Evil" – 2:11

7": Epic / 651255 7 (Australia)

  1. "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For" – 2:49
  2. "If You're Gonna Cry" – 3:43

EP: Epic / SHAKY G5 (UK, Limited Edition)

  1. "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For" – 2:49
  2. "(Yeah) You're Evil" – 2:11
  3. "Merry Christmas Everyone" – 3:39
  4. "With My Heart" – 2:45

Charts[]

Chart (1987–88) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 25
Ireland (IRMA)[19] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 5

Other versions[]

  • The 1945 film Nob Hill, starring George Raft, Joan Bennett and Peggy Ann Garner, featured Vivian Blaine singing this song.
  • The 1950 film Wabash Avanue, starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Phil Harris, had used the chorus as a transition between scenes, following "I've Been Floating Down the Old Green River"
  • In 1960, Danish rock singer Otto Brandenburg recorded a cover of the song that gave him his breakthrough on the Danish music scene.
  • In 1963, Italian singer Don Backy recorded another cover of the song, using Italian lyrics, under the title "Ho rimasto". The title is intentionally grammatically wrong (it should have been "Sono rimasto") to catch public attention.
  • Les Gray's 1977 recording is on Warner Bros. Records K 17007.[20]
  • Swedish rock band Hep Stars incorporated the song into their repertoire, and a live version of it was recorded on their 1965 live album Hep Stars on Stage.[21]
  • Another Swedish singer, Christer Sjögren released recorded the song on his 2008 album Mitt sköna sextiotal.[22]

See also[]

References[]

Specific

  1. ^ Copyright 1916 Leo Feist Inc., USA. Sub-published Francis Day & Hunter Ltd., U.K.
  2. ^ "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? · Sheet Music". library.uta.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  3. ^ "Henry Lewis (3) - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For? / Love Is A Wonderful Thing". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  4. ^ "EMERSON 500/5000 numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  5. ^ "Emerson Phonograph Co" (PDF). Talking Machine World. Vol. 13 no. 3. 15 March 1917. p. 126. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Cover versions of What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? by Samuel Ash | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  7. ^ "Columbia Graphophone Co" (PDF). Talking Machine World. Vol. 13 no. 2. 15 February 1917. p. 117. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Victor 18224". Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Records. University of California, Santa Barbara Library. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  9. ^ "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? (song by Ada Jones & Billy Murray) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". www.musicvf.com. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  10. ^ a b c Thompson, Gordon (2008-09-10). Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 978-0-19-533318-3.
  11. ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 47. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  12. ^ Davis, Sharon (2012-01-06). Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Sixties. Random House. ISBN 978-1-78057-416-5.
  13. ^ "Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1960". www.top100singles.net.
  14. ^ "Emile Ford & the Checkmates – What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  15. ^ "Emile Ford & the Checkmates – What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?". VG-lista.
  16. ^ "Emile Ford and the Checkmates: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  17. ^ a b "Shakin Stevens: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  18. ^ "Shakin' Stevens – What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  19. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For". Irish Singles Chart.
  20. ^ "Les Gray - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-04-04.
  21. ^ "The Hep Stars on Stage". www.thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  22. ^ "Mitt sköna sextiotal / Christer Sjögren" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2016.

General

  • Nostalgia Book of Hit *Singles by Jimmy Saville and Tony Jasper (page 60, 1st pub. in G.B. in 1982 by Frederick Muller Ltd.)
  • Rock File 4 edited by Charlie Gillett & Simon Firth (page 167, 1st pub. 1976 by Panther Books Ltd., Frogmore, St Albans, Herts. U.K.)
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