"I'm Looking out the Window" is a ballad written by Don Raye and John Jacob Niles.[1] Peggy Lee first recorded the song as a B-side for her 1959 single "Hallelujah, I Love Him So".[2] The song is best known as a hit record for Cliff Richard in 1962 in numerous countries, although not in the United States.

The authorship of the song has not always been clear. Peggy Lee's original release on Capitol Records was credited to Don Raye.[2] Cliff Richard's release on Columbia was credited to John Jacob Niles.[3] The Songwriter's Hall of Fame now credits it to both.[1]

Cliff Richard version

"I'm Lookin' out the Window"
Single by Cliff Richard with the Norrie Paramor Orchestra
B-side"Do You Want to Dance"
Released4 May 1962[4]
Recorded11 December 1961
StudioEMI Recording Studios
Length2:46
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)John Jacob Niles
Producer(s)Norrie Paramor
Cliff Richard with the Norrie Paramor Orchestra singles chronology
"The Young Ones"
(1962)		 "I'm Lookin' out the Window"
(1962)		 "Lessons in Love"
(1962)

Cliff Richard with the Norrie Paramor Orchestra recorded it for release as a single in 1962 as I'm Lookin' out the Window.[5] It reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and was successful in numerous other countries.[6] It was only Richard's second song released as a single without the backing of his band the Shadows (known as the Drifters on his first five singles).

The song was somewhat overshadowed by its upbeat B-side, "Do You Want to Dance",[5] which gained its own UK chart position of number 10 in the New Musical Express singles chart[7] as it allowed separate listing of B-sides. Notably, it also became the sole or primary listed song of the single in some countries' charts (refer to the Chart performance section below). As was more usual on singles in the early part of Richard's career, "Do You Want to Dance" also featured the Shadows backing Richard.[5]

Chart performance

Chart entries as "I'm Lookin' out the Window" / "Do You Want to Dance":

Chart (1962) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[6] 2
Denmark (Tracklisten)[8] 6
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] 18
India[10] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[11] 2
New Zealand[12][13] 2
Norway (VG-lista)[14] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 3

Chart entries as "Do You Want to Dance" or "Do You Want to Dance" / "I'm Lookin' out the Window":

Chart (1962) Peak
position
UK (New Musical Express Chart)[7] 10
Australia (Kent Music Report)[16] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 1
South Africa[19] 2
Spain (Promusicae)[20] 15
Sweden (Tio i Topp)[21] 1

Other versions

  • French singer Francois Feguelt recorded a French version titled "Deja le jour se leve" (1963).[22]
  • Nancy Holloway also recorded a version of "Deja le jour se leve" as the B-side of her single "Prends garde a toi".[23]

References

  1. 1 2 "Songwriter's Hall of Fame - Don Raye". The Songwriters Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2015-01-21. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  2. 1 2 "Peggy Lee - I'm Looking Out The Window". discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  3. ↑ "Cliff Richard - I'm Looking Out The Window". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  4. ↑ "Cliff Richard Song Database - 1960s Songs". Cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  5. 1 2 3 "Cliff Richard - I'm Lookin' Out The Window". 45cat.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Cliff Richard: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  7. 1 2 Read, Mike; Goodall, Nigel; Lewry, Peter (1993). The Complete Chronicle Cliff Richard. Hamlyn, London. ISBN 0-600-57897-6.
  8. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (18 August 1962). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 22. ISSN 0006-2510. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  9. ↑ Lassila, Juha (1990). Mitä Suomi soittaa?: Hittilistat 1954-87 (in Finnish). Jyväskylän yliopisto. ISBN 95-168-0321-0.
  10. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (11 August 1962). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  11. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 20, 1962". Irish Singles Chart.
  12. ↑ "New Zealand Lever Hit Parade - September 6, 1962". Steve Kohler, Lintas NZ Ltd. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  13. ↑ Billboard did not publish the NZ chart every week. This NZ chart (source unknown) has the song at number 3. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (29 September 1962). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 19–. ISSN 0006-2510. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  14. ↑ "Cliff Richard – I'm Lookin' out the Window". VG-lista.
  15. ↑ Johansson, Carl-Owe (1980). Rock Around the Clock - Saturday Night Fever 1955-1978. Vara, Sweden: Dominique muzic-club.
  16. ↑ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  17. ↑ "Cliff Richard – Do You Wanna Dance" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  18. ↑ "Cliff Richard – Do You Wanna Dance" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  19. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (8 September 1962). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 40–. ISSN 0006-2510. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  20. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 1979). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  21. ↑ Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Premium Publishing. p. 313. ISBN 919727125X.
  22. ↑ International News Reports, Belgium, second paragraph Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (9 March 1963). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 24. ISSN 0006-2510. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  23. ↑ "Nancy Holloway - Deja le jour se leve". groovecollector.com. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
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