"Jean" is a popular song from the 1969 movie The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. It was written by the American poet and composer Rod McKuen, who also recorded a version of the song.
Background The song was the theme to the 1969 film adaptation of Dame Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which starred noted British actress Maggie Smith. Smith won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the titular (and lead) character in the film, Jean Brodie. The song was performed by songwriter McKuen, who was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Original Song. Although released as a single in the summer of 1969, McKuen's version of the song failed to reach the American music charts.
Oliver recording "Jean" was also recorded by the American singer Oliver. Earlier in 1969, Oliver had reached #3 on the Billboard pop and easy listening charts with his version of "Good Morning Starshine," a song from the musical Hair. While working on an album with producer Bob Crewe (which would also be called Good Morning Starshine), "Jean" was selected as a song for the record and subsequently chosen as the follow-up single. It became another hit for the singer, reaching #2 on the US pop charts, where "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies kept it from #1. In Canada, the song reached #1, both Pop and AC. "Jean" spent four weeks at #1 on the US adult contemporary chart. Oliver later said of his cover version of the song: "We had no idea it would be a single. It was a 3/4 ballad in the psychedelic era ... it was a beautiful arrangement."
Chart history
Weekly charts Chart (1969)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)5Canada RPM Adult Contemporary1Canada RPM Top Singles1New Zealand (Listener)Flavour of New Zealand, 23 January 19702US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - 2US Billboard Adult Contemporary1US Cash Box Top 100Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 11, 19692
Year-end charts Chart (1969)RankCanada 24US Billboard Hot 100Musicoutfitters.com23US Cash Box Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 196920
Other recordings Sergio Franchi performed the song on the January 3, 1971, broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show, subsequently released on a rare Franchi DVD.
See also List of RPM number-one singles of 1969 List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1969 (U.S.)
References Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications) The Official Ed Sullivan Site
External links