| Artist | the Four Seasons |
|---|---|
| Album | Working My Way Back to You and More Great New Hits |
| B-side | Too Many Memories |
| Released | January 1966[1] |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:02 |
| Label | Philips |
| Writer | Denny Randell, Sandy Linzer |
| Producer | Bob Crewe |
| Prev year | 1965 |
| Next year | 1966 |
"Working My Way Back to You" is a song made popular by the Four Seasons in 1966 and the Spinners in 1979.
Written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, the song was originally recorded by The Four Seasons in 1966, reaching No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. On the UK top 50 chart it spent three weeks – all at No. 50. It is the only hit to feature the group's arranger Charles Calello in the temporary role of bassist/bass vocalist, having replaced original member Nick Massi.
The lyrics tell about a man who cheated on his girlfriend. When she leaves, he realizes that he did love her and is very remorseful about his past actions. He vows to win her love back. It is in some ways a re-casting of the melody from their previous hit, "Let's Hang On!".
Cash Box described it as a "raunchy, blues-drenched ode about a love-sick fella who hopes to be re-united with his ex-gal," and said that it has "money-in-the-bank-sound."[4]
Charts
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles[5] | 26 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100[6] | 10 |
| UK | 50[citation needed] |
The Spinners version
| Artist | the Spinners |
|---|---|
| Album | Dancin' and Lovin' |
| B-side | Disco Ride |
| Released | December 1979 (U.S.) |
| Recorded | 1979 |
| Studio | Blue Rock, New York City |
| Genre | R&B, soul, disco |
| Length | 4:02 (single) 6:03 (album version) |
| Label | Atlantic |
| Writer | Denny Randell, Sandy Linzer, Michael Zager |
| Producer | Michael Zager |
| Prev year | 1979 |
| Next year | 1980 |
In 1979, American soul and R&B group the Spinners recorded "Working My Way Back to You" and added a new bridge composed by Michael Zager. Billed as a medley as "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl", this version was No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in April 1980.[7] On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the medley (released in December 1979 in the U.S.) peaked at the No. 2 position in March and April 1980 for two weeks, behind "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd. The Spinners' version also made it to No. 6 on the Soul Singles chart[8] and No. 8 on the disco/dance chart.[9] The version of the Spinners was taken up in French by the Canadian singer Jean Nichol under the title "Je voudrais te retrouver" (I want to find you).[10]
Chart performance
Weekly charts
| Chart (1979–1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report[11] | 12 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[12] | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart[7] | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| German Singles Chart [13] | 12 |
| Netherlands | 2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart [14] | 8 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 [15] | style="text-align:center;|3 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1980) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report[11][16] | 50 |
| Canada [17] | 44 |
| New Zealand [18] | 37 |
| UK [19] | 8 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 [20] | 20 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [21] | 14 |
Boyzone version
| Cover | WorkingMyWayBack.jpg |
|---|---|
| Artist | Boyzone |
| Released | May 1994 |
| Recorded | 1994 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 3:41 |
| Label | PolyGram |
| Writer | Sandy Linzer, Denny Randell |
| Producer | Ian Levine |
| Next year | 1994 |
Irish boy band Boyzone released a cover version of "Working My Way Back to You" as their debut single in May 1994. The song reached No. 3 on the Irish Singles Chart. It is the only single of the group to feature Mikey Graham on lead vocals.
The band later recorded a French version in collaboration with Alliage. This French version of the track is credited as being a major turning point in the career of producer-songwriter Steve Mac.[22] A lack of interest from the "usual producers" led to Polydor phoning up Mac and asking him to take on the role, and by doing so he effectively made a decisive progression from his early dance-pop singles to the mature balladry with which he has since made a very successful career.[22]
Track listings
- "Working My Way Back to You"[23]
- "Working My Way Back to You" – 4:12
- "Working My Way Back to You" (POD 12" mix) – 8:13
- "Father and Son" – 2:49
- "Te Garder Pres De Moi"
- "Te Garder Près De Moi" (with Alliage) – 4:41
- "Te Garder Près De Moi" (instrumental) – 4:41
Charts
- "Working My Way Back to You"
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|
- "Te Garder Près De Moi" (with Alliage)
| Chart (1997–1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[24] | 15 |
| France Airplay (SNEP)[25] | 13 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[26] | 90 |
Personnel
The Four Seasons' version
- Lead vocals by Frankie Valli
- Background vocals by Tommy DeVito, Charles Calello and Bob Gaudio
- Instrumentation by Charles Calello (bass), Bob Gaudio (keyboards), Tommy DeVito (guitar)
The (Detroit) Spinners' version
- Lead vocals by John Edwards and Pervis Jackson
- Background vocals by Bobby Smith, Pervis Jackson, Henry Fambrough and Billy Henderson
- Instrumentation by various Philadelphia area musicians
Boyzone version
- Lead vocals by Stephen Gately and Mikey Graham
- Background vocals by Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Ronan Keating
References
- ^ The Four Seasons & Frankie Valli (1991), "Greatest Hits, Volume 2", Warner Special Products, retrieved 2023-01-30
- ^ A. Guarisco, Donald. ""Working My Way Back to You" song review". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "1966: The London Look". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews". Cash Box. January 22, 1966. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1966-03-14. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
- ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 26, 1966
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th ed. London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 379. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 545.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 243.
- ^ "Jean Nichol – Je Voudrais Te Retrouver (1979, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1979.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1980". No. 341. Kent Music Report. January 5, 1981. Retrieved January 17, 2022. – via Imgur
- ^ RPM Adult Contemporary, April 26, 1980
- ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet". musicline.de. Archived from the original on February 13, 2016. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Spinners – Working My Way Back To You". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952-1996. Sheridan Books,Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.
- ^ "Australian-charts.com - Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
- ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART
- ^ "UK Singles of the Year". Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications. December 27, 1980. p. 30. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles". Cash Box. Vol. XLII, no. 33. 27 December 1980. p. P-21.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1980/Top 100 Songs of 1980". www.musicoutfitters.com
- ^ "Interview With Steve Mac". HitQuarters. April 12, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "Boyzone Working My Way Back To You Ireland (republic of) 5" CD SINGLE (309437)". Eil.com. 2004-11-11. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 51. December 20, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ "Top 100 French Radio Airplay". SNEP. November 30, 1997. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
- ^ "te garder pres de moi | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
