Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Infobox Single
Name = Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
also known as
"Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You"
(legal title per BMI)
and
"I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
Artist = Frankie Valli
from Album = The 4 Seasons Present frankie valli solo (Philips 247)
B-side = The Trouble With Me
Released = April 1967
Format = 7" 45 rpm vinyl
Recorded = March 1967
Genre = Pop
Length =
Label = Philips
Writer = Bob Crewe-Bob Gaudio
Producer = Bob Crewe
Certification = RIAA gold record
Chart position = * #2 (US Billboard Hot 100)
Last single = The Proud One
1966
This single = Can't Take My Eyes Off You
April 1967
Next single = I Make a Fool of Myself
July 1967

"Can't Take My Eyes Off You", written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, was a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was one of several hits that Valli recorded with the participation of his vocal group, The Four Seasons, and his biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1974 with "My Eyes Adored You".

Cover versions

The song has been covered by a variety of artists over the years. A version by Andy Williams made it to #5 on the UK singles chart in 1968.

In 1991, the Pet Shop Boys used part of the song on their double A-side single "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)/How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?", which reached the top five in the U.K. (In the U.S., both sides of the single were released as separate singles and both charted, with "How Can You Expect to be Taken Seriously?" at #93 and the "Where The Streets Have No Name/I Can't Take My Eyes Off You" medley at #72.)

Other renditions of the song to have charted in the U.S. included versions by The Lettermen (#7 in 1968, in a medley with "Goin' Out Of My Head"), Nancy Wilson (#52 in 1969), Maureen McGovern (#27 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1979), Boys Town Gang (#1 in the Netherlands in 1982 [cite web |url=http://www.radio538.nl/web/show/id=44685/chartid=5763 |title=De Nederlandse Top 40, week 23, 1982 |accessdate=2008-02-18] ) and Lauryn Hill (#35 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart in 1998). Experimental progressive rock guitarist Bumblefoot recorded a heavy metal version of the song. In 2005 the song was covered by Queens for their debut album "Made For Dancing". In 2007 this song was covered by Soccx. In Germany this song was used for dancing at the ADTV-Worlddance-Day 2007, ChaChaCha-Simultan-Event and Quintal. In 2004, tejano singer Jennifer Peña released a cover version in Spanish, titled "No Hay Nadie Igual Como Tú" for her album "Seducción". The song has also been adopted by Manchester United supporters in honour of midfielder Owen Hargreaves and by West Ham for their former player Christian Dailly.

Other musicians who covered the song include:; Brazil: Pitty

; Britain: Bad Manners, a 2 tone version on their album "Can Can": Petula Clark: Kiki Dee: Jimmy Somerville: Shirley Bassey: Manic Street Preachers : Sheena Easton: Muse as part of Radio 1's Live Weekend and as a b-side

; Canada: Percy Faith

; Chile: Ángel Parra Trío

; China: Prudence Liew (Cantonese lyrics) : Leon Lai (Cantonese lyrics)

; Croatia: Electro Team (E.T.)

; France: Eldissa

; Greece: Efi Thodi

; Italy: Mina

; Japan: Fride Pride: Shiina Ringo : Sowelu : Tommy february⁶: Ayumi Hamasaki (live): Hello Kitty (Megumi Hayashibara): Sakurai Sho of Arashi (live) : Nob Summer: UZ (Yuji Oda): Zard: Hate Honey: Triceratops

; Netherlands: The Hermes House Band

; Norway: Anni-Frid Lyngstad (as "Du Är Så Underbart Rar"): Morten Harket of a-ha

; Pakistan: Noori a Pakistani Rock band (for a Honda commercial)

; Spain; Los Manolos ("Nainoná" album, 2004)

; Sweden: Tingsek

; U.S.A.: Frank Sinatra: Vikki Carr : Bobby Darin: Save Ferris: David Osborne : Lauryn Hill : Cardin: Gloria Gaynor: The Temptations: Diana Ross & the Supremes: O.C. Smith: Eddy Arnold: Suburban Legends (live): Cake: Next Phaze : Heath Ledger: Barry Manilow : Engelbert Humperdinck: The Spinto Band (live): The Killers (live) : Daniel Amos, Christian rock group

; unidentified: Kim Ross (though billed under just "Ross")

Cultural influence

Film

The song has been featured in several films, including "The Deer Hunter" and "Conspiracy Theory", where it appears along with Lauryn Hill's cover of the song. At the end of the credits of "Conspiracy Theory", another version is played, sung by a-ha lead vocalist Morten Harket. Julia Roberts sings along to the song while Mel Gibson watches her through binoculars from a taxi cab, he also sings along to it. This song was sung by Heath Ledger in "10 Things I Hate About You" and Michelle Pfeiffer in "The Fabulous Baker Boys". In a deleted scene of the 2002 live-action "Scooby-Doo" film, Velma, played by Linda Cardellini, sings this song with uncharacteristic fervor. The song is used in the Swedish TV-commercial for Tele2, performed by J-Lo. The song is at the end of an episode of the "Hidden Palms". The song is included in the film "Son of the Mask" in a scene where Jamie Kennedy is dancing in a club. In the Filipino films "You Are The One" and "You Got Me", a version of the song is performed by Filipino actor Sam Milby. The song is featured at the very end of the Saturday Night Live spawned film "Coneheads". It was featured in the 1999 film "Drop Dead Gorgeous" when beauty contestant Becky Leeman played by Denise Richards "sang" it during the talent portion of the Mount Rose American Teen Princess beauty pageant, and the TV series "Queer As Folk"

Television

Vincent Chase is asked to sing the song at a Sweet 16 birthday party that he is paid to appear at on the television show Entourage.

Elsewhere

This song is popularly used in advertising, such as for Freedom in Australia in the 1990s, by the Mexican government in the "Programa Cultural de las Fronteras" ads, and Valli's version was used in a TV commercial for Planters nuts that aired during Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. It has also been adapted as a popular football chant for many players and teams, including Carlos Hernandez of Melbourne Victory FC. It was used as the backing music for an introductory montage to the final day of the final Ashes Test 2005 on Channel 4 (their last day of broadcasting cricket). Fans of Fulham F.C. of the English Premier League sing it following a victory.

References