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Puppet on a String (Sandie Shaw song)

1967 song by Sandie Shaw

Summary

1967 song by Sandie Shaw

FieldValue
namePuppet on a String
coverPuppet on a string sandie shaw UK single solid centre.png
altside-A label; solid centre variant
captionOne of solid centre variants of the UK single
typesingle
artistSandie Shaw
albumPuppet on a String
B-sideTell the Boys
released7 March 1967
recorded1967
* Europop<ref name"Stanley 2013"
* easy listening<ref name"Doggett 2015"{{cite booktitle= Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the iPhone - 125 Years of Pop Musicfirst=Peterlast=Doggettdate= 1 January 2015chapter= Flying Through the Airpage= 390publisher=The Bodley Headlocation= Londonisbn=978-1-847-92218-2
urlhttps://books.google.com/books?id=guSsCAAAQBAJaccess-date= 21 February 2025}}
length
labelPye
writer
producerKen Woodman
prev_titleI Don't Need Anything
prev_year1967
next_titleTonight in Tokyo
next_year1967
misc
{{Infobox song contest entryembedyes
songUnited Kingdom Puppet on a String
year1967
countryUnited Kingdom
artistSandie Shaw
languageEnglish
composer
lyricist
conductorKenny Woodman
place1st
points47
prevA Man Without Love
prev_linkA Man Without Love
nextCongratulations
next_linkCongratulations (Cliff Richard song)

| B-side = Tell the Boys

  • Europop
  • easy listening{{cite book|title= Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the iPhone - 125 Years of Pop Music|first=Peter|last=Doggett|date= 1 January 2015|chapter= Flying Through the Air|page= 390|publisher=The Bodley Head|location= London|isbn=978-1-847-92218-2

"Puppet on a String" is a song recorded by the English singer Sandie Shaw, written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. It in the Eurovision Song Contest 1967, held in Vienna, winning the contest, becoming the first of the United Kingdom's five Eurovision wins.

As her thirteenth UK single release, "Puppet on a String" became a UK Singles Chart number one hit on 27 April 1967, staying at the top for a total of three weeks. In the United States, a 1967 version by Al Hirt went to number 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart and appeared in the "Bubbling Under" feature below the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 129.

Background

Conception

"Puppet on a String" was written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, and recorded by Sandie Shaw.

Selection

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) internally selected Shaw as for the of the Eurovision Song Contest. She had never been taken with the idea of taking part in the contest but her discoverer, Adam Faith, had talked her into it, saying it would keep her manager Eve Taylor happy. Taylor wanted to give Shaw a more cabaret appeal and felt that this was the right move – and also felt that it would get Shaw back in the public's good books as she had recently been involved in a divorce scandal.

Shaw performed the song as one of five prospective numbers for the contest on The Rolf Harris Show. Of the five songs, "Puppet on a String" was Shaw's least favourite. In her own words, "I hated it from the very first 'oompah' to the final 'bang' on the big bass drum. I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune". On 25 February 1967, Shaw performed the five songs on **, the national final organized by the BBC to select the song she would perform in the contest. The winner was chosen by postcard voting and on 4 March the BBC announced that "Puppet on a String" had won the competition becoming the British entry for Eurovision.

Shaw also recorded "Puppet on a String" in French –as "Un tout petit pantin"–, Italian –"La danza delle note"–, Spanish –"Marionetas en la cuerda"–, and German –"Wiedehopf im Mai"–.

Eurovision

On 8 April 1967, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Großer Festsaal der Wiener Hofburg in Vienna hosted by Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Shaw performed "Puppet on a String" eleventh on the night, following 's "Ik heb zorgen" by Louis Neefs and preceding 's "Hablemos del amor" by Raphael. Kenny Woodman conducted the live orchestra in the performance of the British entry.

At the close of voting, the song had received 47 points, placing it first in a field of sixteen, and winning the contest

Aftermath

As a result of it winning the Eurovision Song Contest, "Puppet on a String" became Shaw's third number one hit in the UK –a record for a woman at the time– and was a big worldwide smash. Globally, the single achieved sales in excess of four million, making it the biggest-selling winning Eurovision track to date. Some estimates suggest this makes the track the biggest selling single by a British female artist of all time.

Shaw performed her song in the Eurovision twenty-fifth anniversary show Songs of Europe held on 22 August 1981 in Mysen.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1967)Peak
positionArgentina (ACPVP)Australia (Go-Set National Top 40)Canada (Canadian Singles Chart)Denmark (Danish Singles Chart)Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)France (Institut français d'opinion publique)Ireland (IRMA)Italy (Musica e dischi)Malaysia (Radio Malaysia)Netherlands (Veronica Top 40)Netherlands (Mega Top 30)New Zealand (PPNZ)Singapore (Radio Singapore)South Africa (Entertainment Monitoring Africa)Spain (Cadena SER)Sweden (Kvällstoppen)Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)UK Singles (OCC)VenezuelaWest Germany (Schallplatte)
1
2
13
2
5
2
1
8
2
1
1
2
3
3
1
1
1
1
6
1

Sales

RegionCopiesBelgiumGermanyWorldwide
45,000
750,000
4,000,000

Legacy

Cover versions

The song was covered in over 200 versions in over 30 languages.

Covers include:

  • Argentine: "Títere" (1967), by Violeta Rivas.
  • Basque: "Txoriburuak Sokan" (1967), by Irune & Andoni Argoitia.
  • Chilean: "Las Marionetas en la Cuerda" (1967), by Gloria Benavides.
  • Chinese:
    • Betty Chung.
    • Singaporean singer Lara Tan.
  • Czech: "Louka" (1967), by Yvonne Přenosilová.
  • Danish - "Lille Marionet" (1967), by Grethe Sønck.
  • Dutch: "Speelbal in de Wind" (1967), by Reggy van der Burgt and Anneke Grönloh.
  • Estonian: "Hüpiknukk" (1967), by Heli Lääts.
  • Finnish: "Sätkynukke" (1967), by Maarja-Leena.
  • French: "Un tout petit pantin" (1967), by Les Parisiennes, and Tonia.
  • Hungarian: "Paprikajancsi" (1967), by Zsuzsa Koncz.
  • Icelandic: "Þú kyssir mig" (1967), by Helena Eyjólfsdóttir.
  • Lithuanian: "Lélé" (2006), by Violeta Riaubiškytė.
  • Mexican: "Muñeco de Cuerda" (1967), by Los Rocking Devils.
  • Norwegian: "Sprellemann" (1967), by Bente Aaseth.
  • Polish: "Marionetka" (1967), by Halina Kunicka.
  • Portuguese: "Marionette" (1967), by Simone de Oliveira; "Feira Popular" (1990), by Ana Faria and children/teenpop group Onda Choc, on their eighth album with the same title.
  • Brazilian Portuguese: "Estou Feliz" (1967), by Ed Carlos and Katia Cilene.
  • Russian: "Ya ne kukla" (Я не кукла, "I am Not a Puppet"; 1968), by Emil Gorovets.
  • Serbian: "Marioneta" ("Marionette", 1967), by Sanjalice.
  • Slovak: "Ako malý psík" ("Like a puppy", 1967), by Tatjana Hubinská (0130166 Supraphon, mono); released on the day after the Eurovision Song Contest. Ako malý psík was also covered by Jana Procházková.
  • Slovenian: "Marioneta" (1967), by Majda Sepe.
  • Spanish: "Las Marionetas en la Cuerda" (1967), by Gloria Lasso.
  • Swedish: "Sprattelgumma" (1967), by Siw Malmkvist.
  • Tamil: by Nantha Balan Selvanayagam (1969).

The song was featured in the 1975 Bulgarian cartoon Buffo-Synchronists by Proiko Proikov and the soundtrack of the 2021 film Last Night in Soho. In July 2024, the song was sampled by English singer Jade, for her debut single titled "Angel of My Dreams".

References

References

  1. Stanley, Bob. (13 September 2013). "Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop". Faber & Faber.
  2. (26 February 1947). "Sandie Shaw". 45-rpm.org.uk.
  3. (21 May 2006). "Eurovision 1967: United Kingdom Sandie Shaw - Puppet on a string". Eurovision-contest.com.
  4. Roberts, David. (2006). "[[British Hit Singles & Albums]]". Guinness World Records Limited.
  5. "Puppet on a String full official chart history". Theofficialcharts.com.
  6. "Puppet on a String (song by Al Hirt) • Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com.
  7. Rice, Jo. (1982). "The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits". Guinness Superlatives Ltd.
  8. (25 December 2010). "Sandie Shaw's Love scandal that almost cost Britain its first Eurovision victory".
  9. Shaw, Sandie: The World at my Feet. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; 1991. {{ISBN. 978-0002159210
  10. "UK National Final 1967".
  11. "Sandie Shaw, official site, discography". Sandieshaw.com.
  12. (8 April 1967). "Eurovision Song Contest 1967".
  13. "Official Eurovision Song Contest 1967 scoreboard".
  14. O'Connor, John Kennedy. ''The Eurovision Song Contest: The Official Celebration''. Carlton Books Ltd, 2015. {{ISBN. 978-1780976389
  15. Kelly, Mike. ''Wot Pop: 50 Years of Hits 1952-2002 - A-Z of Hitmakers Plus the UK's Top 5000 Singles''. Southgate Publishers, 30 September 2002. {{ISBN. 978-1857411409
  16. (22 August 1981). "Songs of Europe".
  17. (12 August 1967). "Billboard Magazine, August 1967".
  18. Steffen Hung. "Chart Performance @". Australian-charts.com.
  19. (17 June 1967). "Billboard Magazine, June 17, 1967".
  20. Pennanen, Timo. (2021). "Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021". Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
  21. (3 June 1967). "Hits of the World".
  22. (27 May 1967). "Billboard Magazine, May 27, 1967".
  23. (17 June 1967). "Hits of the World".
  24. (July 1967). "Billboard Magazine, July 1, 1967".
  25. "Dutch Singles Top 100". Dutchcharts.com.
  26. (12 August 1967). "Hits of the World".
  27. (24 June 1967). "Billboard Magazine, June 3 1967".
  28. (July 15, 1967). "Billboard Magazine, July 15, 1967".
  29. Hallberg, Eric. (1993). "Kvällstoppen i P3". Kvällstoppen.
  30. (12 August 1967). "Billboard Magazine, August 1967".
  31. (8 July 1967). "Billboard Magazine, June 1967".
  32. (29 April 1967). "Cash Box - Belgium".
  33. (25 November 1967). "Cash Box - Germany".
  34. (6 July 1968). "Pye Records".
  35. (9 January 2007). "Eurocovers: VII - The Year of the Puppet". Eurocovers.blogspot.com.
  36. (7 November 2014). "Violeta Rivas - Títere".
  37. (12 November 2016). "Irune & Andoni Argoitia - Txoriburuak Sokan".
  38. (20 July 2010). "Gloria Benavides - Las Marionetas en la Cuerda".
  39. (30 May 2020). "Yvonne Přenosilová - Louka".
  40. (20 February 2017). "Grethe Sønck - Lille Marionet".
  41. (5 October 2010). "Reggy van der Burgt - Speelbal in de Wind".
  42. (6 September 2018). "Anneke Grönloh - Speelbal in de Wind".
  43. (12 July 2016). "Heli Lääts - Hüpiknukk".
  44. (7 April 2011). "Maarja-Leena - Sätkynukke".
  45. (23 December 2013). "Les Parisiennes - Un tout petit pantin".
  46. "Tonia - Un tout petit pantin".
  47. (12 July 2016). "Zsuzsa Koncz - Paprikajancsi".
  48. (6 May 2022). "Helena Eyjólfsdóttir - Þú kyssir mig".
  49. (26 February 2016). "Violeta Riaubiškytė -Lélé".
  50. (3 February 2016). "Los Rocking Devils - Muñeco de Cuerda".
  51. (31 May 2017). "Bente Aaseth - Sprellemann".
  52. (17 February 2020). "Halina Kunicka - Marionetka".
  53. (May 2016). "Ed Carlos - Estou Feliz".
  54. (3 June 2017). "Katia Cilene - Estou Feliz".
  55. "Discography of Emil Gorovets". Popsa.info.
  56. Janjatović, Petar. (2007). "EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006". self-released.
  57. "Singles of Tatjana Hubinská". Tatianahubinska.estranky.cz.
  58. (October 2010). "Jana Procházková - Ako malý psík".
  59. (18 March 2018). "Majda Sepe - Marioneta".
  60. (5 April 2023). "Gloria Lasso - Las Marionetas en la Cuerda".
  61. "Svensk mediedatabas".
  62. Sanchez, Gabrielle. (21 October 2021). "Anya Taylor-Joy sings a chilling, downtempo cover of "Downtown" for ''Last Night In Soho'' soundtrack".
  63. (2024-07-19). "Jade Thirlwall: Phil Coulter 'thrilled' by debut solo single sample".
Wikipedia Source

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1967-songs 1967-singles sandie-shaw-songs pinky-and-perky-songs songs-written-by-bill-martin-(songwriter) eurovision-songs-of-the-united-kingdom songs-written-by-phil-coulter eurovision-songs-of-1967 eurovision-song-contest-winning-songs uk-singles-chart-number-one-singles number-one-singles-in-germany number-one-singles-in-norway irish-singles-chart-number-one-singles number-one-singles-in-austria number-one-singles-in-new-zealand dutch-top-40-number-one-singles pye-records-singles number-one-singles-in-spain
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