"Sylvia's Mother" is a 1972 single by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and was the group's first hit song. It was written by Shel Silverstein and produced by Ron Haffkine, and was highly successful in the United States, reaching number five on the Billboard singles chart (tied with "Sexy Eyes" from the album Sometimes You Win for the band's best performing song),Fread Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits (New York, Billboard, 2003), p. 312 as well as number two in the United Kingdom. It spent three weeks at number one on the Australian music charts, making it the 15th-ranked single in Australia for 1972; and also reached number one in South Africa, where it was the third-ranked song for the year, and in New Zealand. The song spent seven consecutive weeks at number one in Ireland on the Irish Singles Chart. It appeared on the group's first album, Doctor Hook.
Background "Sylvia's Mother" is autobiographical, with songwriter Shel Silverstein drawing upon his unsuccessful attempt to revive a failed relationship. Silverstein had been in love with a woman named Sylvia Maria Pandolfi. She later became engaged to another man and ended up as a museum curator at the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil in Mexico City.New Tendencies in Mexican Art: The 1990s, page 11, by Ruben GalloAge of discrepancies, page 31, by Olivier Debroise Desperate to continue the relationship, Silverstein called Sylvia's mother, Emma Louisa Pandolfi ("Mrs. Avery" in the song), but she told him the love had ended.
The lead singer, Dennis Locorriere, ended up meeting the real Sylvia many years later. He described the song: "I like the songs which tell stories, like 'The Ballad of Lucy Jordan'. It means I can be more than just a singer, it almost steps into acting. When you're singing 'Sylvia's Mother', you have to be that guy in the phone booth."https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/68031935/dennis-locorriere--the-voice-of-dr-hook
Cash Box said It ain't easy to render unto Silverstein what is Shel's, but this group knows the secret to Top 40 success on this happy/sad tune, bound to be a huge request and sales item."
Chart performance
Weekly charts Chart (1972) PeakpositionAustralian Kent Music Report1Denmark Top 103Italian Singles Chart3New Zealand (Listener) https://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qsongid=3708#n_view_location search Listener1South African Singles Chart1Swedish Singles Chart9U.S. Billboard Hot 1005U.S. Cash Box Top 1001
Year-end charts Chart (1972)RankAustralian Kent Music Report15Belgian VRT Top 3090Canada RPM23Italian Singles Chart22Netherlands33South African Singles Chart3UK 20U.S. Billboard Hot 10064U.S. Cash Box 65West German Media Control Charts48
Certifications and sales
Bobby Bare cover
In 1972, about the same time the Dr. Hook version was on the chart, country singer Bobby Bare recorded a cover version. Bare's version became a hit, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart that October.
References
External links The real story of Sylvia's Mother