What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? explained

What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?
Cover:	Eyes 1916.jpg
Caption:	Sheet music cover, 1916
Written:	1916
Composer:	James V. Monaco
Lyricist:	Joseph McCarthy Howard Johnson

"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" is a song written by Joseph McCarthy, Howard Johnson and James V. Monaco in 1916 for the Broadway production Follow Me, in which it was performed by Henry Lewis.^{[1] [2]}

Early recordings

Lewis' version was released as a single on Emerson Records in early 1917.^{[3] [4] [5]} Around the same time, a version by Sam Ash was released in February on Columbia Records, having been recorded on 11 December 1916.^{[6] [7]} It was first a hit when released in March that year by Ada Jones and Billy Murray on Victor Records, peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard chart.^{[8] [9]}

Emile Ford and the Checkmates version

What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?
Type:	single
Artist:	Emile Ford and the Checkmates
A-Side:	Don't Tell Me Your Troubles
Recorded:	October 1959
Studio:	Lansdowne Studios, London
Genre:	Doo-wop
Label:	Pye
Producer:	Emile Ford Joe Meek
Next Title:	On a Slow Boat to China
Next Year:	1960

The song became a UK hit in 1959 when a doo-wop version was recorded by Emile Ford and the Checkmates as the B-side of their single "Don't Tell Me Your Trouble". This B-side became more popular and it topped the charts for six weeks over the Christmas and New Year of 1959/60. It retained the number one position for the first three weeks of 1960.^[10] This earned Ford his first gold disc for sales of over a million, which was "an incredible feat for an unknown singer with his debut recording".^[11] The song was co-produced by Ford and Joe Meek.^[12]

Personnel

• Emile Ford – lead vocals, guitar
• George Sweetman – saxophone
• Dave Sweetman – bass
• Ken Street – guitar
• Pete Carter – guitar
• Les Hart – tenor saxophone
• Alan Hawkshaw – piano
• John Cuffley – drums

Charts

Shakin' Stevens version

What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For
Cover:	File:Shakin' Stevens What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Shakin' Stevens
Album:	Let's Boogie
B-Side:	(Yeah) You're Evil
Recorded:	1987
Genre:	Pop rock
Label:	Epic
Producer:	Carey Taylor Shakin' Stevens
Prev Title:	Come See About Me
Prev Year:	1987
Next Title:	Feel the Need in Me
Next Year:	1988

In 1987, Welsh singer Shakin' Stevens covered the song for his album Let's Boogie. It became his first UK Top 10 hit in two years, peaking at number 5 on the Singles Chart and became his last until the re-entry of "Merry Christmas Everyone" in 2018.

Track listings

7": Epic / SHAKY 5 (UK)

1. "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For" – 2:49
2. "(Yeah) You're Evil" – 2:11

7": Epic / 651255 7 (Australia)

1. "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For" – 2:49
2. "If You're Gonna Cry" – 3:43

EP: Epic / SHAKY G5 (UK, Limited Edition)

1. "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For" – 2:49
2. "(Yeah) You're Evil" – 2:11
3. "Merry Christmas Everyone" – 3:39
4. "With My Heart" – 2:45

Charts

Other versions

• In 1960, Danish rock singer Otto Brandenburg recorded a cover of the song that gave him his breakthrough on the Danish music scene.
• Swedish rock band Hep Stars incorporated the song into their repertoire, and a live version of it was recorded on their 1965 live album Hep Stars on Stage.^[14]
• Swedish singer Christer Sjögren released recorded the song on his 2008 album Mitt sköna sextiotal.^[15]

See also

• List of number-one singles from the 1950s (UK)
• List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1960s
• List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1960s
• List of number-one hits in Norway

References

Specific

General

• Nostalgia Book of Hit *Singles by Jimmy Savile and Tony Jasper (page 60, 1st pub. in G.B. in 1982 by Frederick Muller Ltd.)
• Rock File 4 edited by Charlie Gillett & Simon Firth (page 167, 1st pub. 1976 by Panther Books Ltd., Frogmore, St Albans, Herts. U.K.)

Notes and References

1. Copyright 1916 Leo Feist Inc., USA. Sub-published Francis Day & Hunter Ltd., U.K.
2. Web site: What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? · Sheet Music. 2020-11-08. library.uta.edu.
3. Web site: Henry Lewis (3) - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For? / Love Is A Wonderful Thing. 2020-11-08. Discogs. en.
4. Web site: EMERSON 500/5000 numerical listing discography. 2020-11-08. www.78discography.com.
5. 15 March 1917. Emerson Phonograph Co.. Talking Machine World. 13. 3. 126. 8 November 2020.
6. Web site: Cover versions of What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? by Samuel Ash SecondHandSongs. 2020-11-08. secondhandsongs.com.
7. 15 February 1917. Columbia Graphophone Co.. Talking Machine World. 13. 2. 117. 8 November 2020.
8. Web site: Victor 18224 . . . 30 November 2011.
9. Web site: What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? (song by Ada Jones & Billy Murray) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts. 2020-11-06. www.musicvf.com.
10. Book: Rice, Jo. 1982. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits. 1st. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. Enfield, Middlesex. 47. 0-85112-250-7.
11. Book: Davis, Sharon. Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Sixties. 2012-01-06. Random House. 978-1-78057-416-5. en.
12. Book: Thompson, Gordon. Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out. 2008-09-10. Oxford University Press, USA. 978-0-19-533318-3. en.
13. Web site: Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1960. www.top100singles.net.
14. Web site: The Hep Stars on Stage. 2020-06-28. www.thehepstars.se.
15. Web site: Mitt sköna sextiotal / Christer Sjögren. Svensk mediedatabas. sv. 2008. 2 January 2016.