The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (song)

For other uses, see The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.

"The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" is a song written by Benjamin Weisman, Dorothy Wayne, and Marilyn Garrett. It became a popular hit in 1962 for Bobby Vee and has had several cover versions over the years.

"The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"
Side-A label of the US single
Single by Bobby Vee
from the album The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
B-side	"Anonymous Phone Call"
Released	December 1962
Recorded	October 9, 1962 United Recorders Hollywood, California [1]
Genre	Pop[2]
Length	2:37
Label	Liberty
Songwriter(s)	Benjamin Weisman, Dorothy Wayne, Marilyn Garrett
Bobby Vee singles chronology
"A Forever Kind of Love" (1962) "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (1962) "Charms" (1963)
Official audio
" The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" on YouTube

Bobby Vee version

The song was first recorded in October 1962 by American pop music singer Bobby Vee, at United Recorders, Hollywood, California. The recording was arranged by Ernie Freeman and produced by Snuff Garrett.^[3]

Released as a single in late 1962, it spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number 3,^[4] while ranking number 2 on Billboard's Middle-Road Singles chart,^[5][6] and number 8 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart.^[7][8] It also spent 12 weeks on the UK's Record Retailer chart, achieving number 3 on March 6, 1963.^[9] The song was included on Vee's 1963 Liberty Records album, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.^[10] Vee also recorded a Scopitone promotional video for the song.^[11]

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1962–1963) Peak position Australia - Music Maker[12] 5 Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[13] 2 Ireland (IRMA)[14] 1 New Zealand - Lever Hit Parade[15] 5 US Billboard Hot 100[4] 3 US Billboard Middle-Road Singles[6] 2 US Hot R&B Singles[8] 8 US Cashbox Top 100[16] 4 UK Record Retailer[9] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1963) Rank US Billboard Hot 100[17] 78 US Cash Box[18] 31

Other versions

• In 1965, Gary Lewis & the Playboys included a version of the song on their first album This Diamond Ring;^[19] it can also be heard on their album Complete Hits.
• The Carpenters featured the song on their 1973 album Now & Then.
• Canadian pop singer-songwriter Dan Bryk's cover version appeared on the 1997 compilation Super Secret Songs: A Benefit For Kitchener’s Korova Cafe and as a Japanese bonus track on his Lovers Leap album in 2000.^[20]
• Alex Proyas' 1998 science fiction film Dark City features a scene with Jennifer Connelly as a nightclub singer, performing a jazzy, sultry minor key version of the song. The "thousand eyes" motif also relates to the theme of surveillance that permeates the film. For the theatrical release, Anita Kelsey's voice was dubbed for Connelly's; while the actor's own voice is heard in Proyas' Director's Cut.

References

1. "Phonograph Recording Contract" (PDF). The Wrecking Crew. American Federation of Musicians. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
2. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes - AllMusic Review by Bruce Eder, AllMusic. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
3. Bobby Vee – The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
4. Bobby Vee - Chart History - The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
5. Bobby Vee - Chart History - Adult Contemporary, Billboard.com. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
6. "Middle-Road Singles", Billboard, January 12, 1963. p. 35. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
7. Bobby Vee - Chart History - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Billboard.com. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
8. "Hot R&B Singles", Billboard, January 19, 1963. p. 16. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
9. Bobby Vee - Full Official Chart History, The Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
10. "Cover Versions of The Night Has a Thousand Eyes". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
11. Scopitones by artist: V to Z. "Bobby Vee "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" (S-1021)"; U.S. Scopitones: Guys and Gals, 'S-1021 Bobby Vee "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes"'
12. "Billboard Hits of the World", Billboard, February 23, 1963. p. 22. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
13. CHUM Hit Parade, January 07, 1963
14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Night Has a Thousand Eyes". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
15. "Lever Hit Parade" 07-Mar-1963, Flavour of New Zealand. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
16. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles". Tropical Glen. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
17. "Top 100 Songs of 1963". Music Outfitters. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
18. "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1963". Tropical Glen. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
19. This Diamond Ring at Discogs
20. "Dan Bryk: Discography". Retrieved November 21, 2023.

External links

• Bobby Vee - The Night Has a Thousand Eyes on YouTube