"When You Walk in the Room" is a song written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon. It was initially released as a single on November 23, 1963,[1] as the B-side to "Till You Say You'll Be Mine". It was re-released as an A-side in September 1964, and later included on the album Breakin' It Up on the Beatles Tour. The single charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 99.[2]
The song has been covered by many other artists including The Searchers, whose version reached number 3 in the UK in 1964. Other versions, all of which made the British charts though less successfully, were recorded by Paul Carrack in 1987, Status Quo in 1996, and Agnetha Fältskog in 2004.
Content
The song's lyrics attempt to detail the singer's emotions when in the presence of the person he or she loves. There is also an expression of frustration by the singer that he or she cannot manage to tell that person of his or her love.
The song was produced using the "Wall of Sound" method of Phil Spector.[3]
The Searchers version
The Searchers had a hit song in early 1964 with "Needles and Pins," previously recorded by Jackie DeShannon, and they then recorded this, another song previously recorded by DeShannon.[5] Their version reached No. 35 in the US and No. 3 in the UK. The group also recorded a German version titled "Wenn ich dich seh".[6]
Charts
| Chart (1964) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia[7] | 1 |
| Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[8] | 21 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[9] | 4 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 35 |
The Sports version
Australian rock band The Sports released a version of the song as the second single from their debut studio album, Reckless. It reached No. 42 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart.[12]
Track listing
- Side A "When You Walk in the Room" - 2:32
- Side B1 "True Stories" - 2:34
- Side B2 "Taxi Rank" - 2:25
Charts
| Chart (1978) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report | 42 |
Stephanie Winslow version
The American country music artist Stephanie Winslow recorded a version of the song, reaching No. 29 on the US country singles chart.
Chart positions
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot Country Songs | 29 |
Paul Carrack version
Paul Carrack's version, from his 1987 album One Good Reason, reached No. 90 in the US and No. 48 in the UK.
It was also a Top Ten hit in Australia, peaking at No. 7.[citation needed]
Charts
| Chart (1987–88) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 7 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] | 39 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 19 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[15] | 48 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[16] | 90 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1987) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] | 33 |
Pam Tillis version
In 1994, country music artist Pam Tillis recorded a version for her album Sweetheart's Dance. It was released as a single, peaking at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was accompanied by a music video (featuring Dick Clark), and depicting Tillis in a mid-1960s appearance on American Bandstand.
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[18] | 13 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[19] | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[20] | 51 |
Personnel
Compiled from liner notes.[21]
- Mike Brignardello — bass guitar
- Mary Chapin Carpenter — background vocals
- Rob Hajacos — fiddle
- Bob DiPiero — 12-string guitar
- Paul Franklin — steel guitar
- George Marinelli — electric guitar
- Steve Nathan — piano
- Brent Mason — electric guitar
- Kim Richey — background vocals
- Pam Tillis — lead vocals
- Biff Watson — acoustic guitar
- Lonnie Wilson — drums
Agnetha Fältskog version
Former ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog released her version of "When You Walk in the Room" as the second single from her 2004 album, My Colouring Book. The track peaked at number 11 in Sweden and number 34 in the UK, where it remained in the chart for only two weeks. It was remixed by Almighty and SoundFactory.
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[23] | 11 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[24] | 34 |
Other recordings
- In 1966, Del Shannon included it on his This Is My Bag LP.[25]
- Architecture in Helsinki included a cover of the song on their 2014 album Now + 4eva.[26]
References
- ^ RCS Chronological Index For November 1963
- ^ "Jackie DeShannon: Charted Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ^ Leggett, Steve. "Jackie DeShannon Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ Doggett, Peter (1 January 2015). "Freak Out People". Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the iPhone - 125 Years of Pop Music. London: The Bodley Head. p. 364. ISBN 978-1-847-92218-2. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (2010). 1,000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857123602.
- ^ "The Searchers - Wenn ich dich seh - Deutsch - YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ "Hits of the World: Australia". Billboard. 14 November 1964. p. 34.
- ^ "CHUM Hit Parade, week of November 16, 1964".
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – When You Walk in the Room". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "The Searchers: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 21 November 1964. p. 22.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 288. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian singles and albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
- ^ "Paul Carrack – When You Walk in the Room" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Paul Carrack – When You Walk in the Room". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Paul Carrack: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ Paul Carrack version USA chart history, Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
- ^ "Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2653." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. November 14, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
- ^ "Pam Tillis Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Best of 1994: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
- ^ Sweetheart's Dance (CD booklet). Pam Tillis. Arista Records. 1994. 18758.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 12, 2004. p. 27.
- ^ a b "Agnetha Fältskog – When You Walk in the Room". Singles Top 100. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ "Agnetha Fältskog: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "This Is My Bag - Del Shannon". AllMusic Review. AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012.
- ^ Cox, Jamieson (April 2, 2014). "Architecture in Helsinki: NOW + 4EVA Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025.
