This was written by the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the duo behind Pitney's previous hit, "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance." Bacharach and David penned a few more hits for Pitney, including "Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa" before discovering their longtime muse: Dionne Warwick.
This was Pitney's biggest hit in the US. In an ironic twist, it was kept out of the #1 spot by a song that he had written himself: "He's A Rebel," which was a hit for The Crystals.
The whistling that occurs before the first verse and during the ending was done by Pitney
Margaret Whiting and Bobby Vinton had some success on the Easy Listening chart with their renditions. Whiting hit #4 in 1967, while Vinton peaked at #46 in 1977. That same year, Dionne Warwick recorded a cover on the compilation album Only Love Can Break A Heart. Glen Campbell also recorded it for his 1999 album, My Hits and Love Songs.
Country singers fared better. Sonny James' version peaked at #2 on the Country chart in 1972, and Kenny Dale had his biggest hit on the tally when his cover landed at #7 in 1979.
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