What Will Mary Say Explained

What Will Mary Say
Type:single
Artist:Johnny Mathis
B-Side:Quiet Girl
Genre:Easy Listening[1]
Label:Columbia
Producer:Ernie Altschuler
Prev Title:Gina
Prev Year:1962
Next Title:Every Step of the Way
Next Year:1963

"What Will Mary Say" is a song written by Eddie Snyder and Paul Vance. It was originally performed and issued as a single by Mark Dinning in 1961,[2] but did not chart. Two years later, the song was recorded and released by Johnny Mathis,[3] who made the song a popular hit. Mathis' version of "What Will Mary Say" (arranged by Don Costa and produced by Ernie Altschuler[4]) reached #3 on the adult contemporary chart, #9 on the U.S. pop chart, #21 on the U.S. R&B chart, and #49 on the UK Singles Chart in 1963.[5]

The song is about an affair, in which the singer wants to end it, fearing that his original lover would be angry and walk out on him. This song features the sounds of a spoken woman, repeatedly pleading: "Don't Go".

The song ranked #65 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 singles of 1963.[6] [7]

Other versions

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tom . Breihan . The Number Ones: Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams' "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". . December 4, 2019 . After his vaguely countryish 1963 lament “What Will Mary Say” peaked at #9, Mathis didn’t score a top-10 hit for another 15 years.. July 5, 2023.
  2. Web site: Mark Dinning, "In a Matter of Moments" Single Release. March 13, 2019.
  3. Web site: Johnny Mathis, "What Will Mary Say" Single Release. March 13, 2019.
  4. Web site: Johnny Mathis, "What Will Mary Say" Single Release. March 13, 2019.
  5. Web site: Johnny Mathis, "What Will Mary Say" Chart Positions. March 13, 2019.
  6. "Top Records of 1963", Billboard, Section II, December 28, 1963. p. 30. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  7. Kowal, Barry. Billboard Magazine's (USA) Top 100 Single Recordings of 1963, Hits of All Decades. August 27, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  8. Web site: Lawrence Welk, 1963's Early Hits. . 1963 . March 13, 2019.
  9. Web site: Joey Powers, Special Delivery from Bobby Bare...Joey Powers...Roy Orbison. . 1964 . March 13, 2019.
  10. Web site: Jay Black, "What Will My Mary Say" Single Release. March 13, 2019.
  11. Web site: Gene Thomas, "What Will Mary Say" Single Release. . 1967 . March 13, 2019.
  12. Web site: David Geddes, Run Joey Run. . March 13, 2019.
  13. Web site: Barry Biggs, Mr. Biggs. . 1976 . March 13, 2019.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "What Will Mary Say".

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