"Music to Watch Girls By" was the first Top 40 hit by Bob Crewe using his own name, recorded by his group The Bob Crewe Generation. The music was composed by Sidney "Sid" Ramin.
Background Crewe first heard the song performed in a jingle demo for a Diet Pepsi commercial, and according to Greg Adams, writing for All Music Guide, the song "exemplified the groovy state of instrumental music at that time." In Bob Crewe's version, a trumpet plays the whole verse, the first time around, sounding like Herb Alpert's Tijuana brass style. The second time the verse is played, a half step up in tone from G minor to A-flat minor, a tenor saxophone plays a jazzier version, accompanied by strings, surf-style guitar (reminiscent of 1960s spy films) and a harpsichord, that play a counter-melody. The trumpets finish up the refrain, and all of the parts are played, repeating the first part in the coda, before the fade.
Chart performance The "big-band, horn driven" recording peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of February 11, 1967 and #2 on the Easy Listening chart.Bob Crewe, Billboard Hot 100 – Billboard.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.Billboard Hot 100, Week of February 11, 1967 – Billboard.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
Chart (1967)PeakpositionUS Billboard Easy Listening2US Billboard Hot 10015
Andy Williams version
A vocal recording from 1967 by Andy Williams, featuring lyrics written by Tony Velona, peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 the weeks of April 29 and May 6, 1967.Andy Williams, Billboard Hot 100 – Billboard.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.Billboard Hot 100, Week of May 6, 1967 – Billboard.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024. This version was later used in a Fiat advertisement in the UK in 1999, with the re-released single reaching the top ten in that country. This same version was also used in Samsung's commercial for the D820 cell phone in 2005.
Chart performance Chart (1967)PeakpositionUK Singles (The Official Charts Company)33US Billboard Easy Listening2US Billboard Hot 10034
Chart (1999)PeakpositionUK Singles (The Official Charts Company)9
Certifications and sales
Other recordings A version by Al Hirt reached #31 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #119 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.Al Hirt's "Music To Watch Girls By" Chart Positions Retrieved March 24, 2013. A version by French singer Jean-Paul Keller with the title of "Ça S'est Arrange" with French lyrics by André Salvet and Claude Carrère was also released in 1967.Ça s'est arrangé (Music to Watch Girls By) paroles 1967 - YouTube Retrieved March 24, 2024. This version was also included in the soundtrack of A Simple Favor (film) in 2018.A Simple Favor (2018) - Soundtracks - IMDb Retrieved March 24,2024. A version by French singer France Gall with the title of "Die schönste Musik, die es gibt" with words in German.France Gall – Die Schönste Musik, Die Es Gibt / Samstag Und Sonntag - Discogs Retrieved Octoiber 30,2025.
References