I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten (song)
Encyclopedia
"I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" is a song recorded by British singer Dusty Springfield
written by Clive Westlake. Recorded June 1 1968 at Chappel Studios in London, "I Close My Eyes..." was released that August to reach #4 in the UK where it ranks as one of Springfield's biggest hits: of her solo singles only "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
" (#3) and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
" (#1) outrank "I Close My Eyes..." while "I Only Want to Be with You
" matches its #4 peak ("I Only Want to Be With You" charted substantially longer than I Close My Eyes...", eighteen weeks as opposed to twelve). In the US "I Close My Eyes..." was Springfield's final release on the Phillips label, Springfield having signed in June 1968 to have Atlantic Records
be her US label of release as of that August: consequently the single was virtually ignored in the US reaching #122 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart in Billboard
. (The US release of "I Close My Eyes..." replaced the UK B-side
"No Stranger Am I" with Springfield's rendition of "La Bamba
".)
soundtrack episode dated 20 Septermber 2007 (the departure episode where the character Craig Dean
left the series leaving boyfriend John Paul McQueen
behind).
The song is also used to great effect in the two-part Cracker
story "True Romance", in which a lab technician always plays Dusty Springfield's original while preparing to murder her unsuspecting student victims.
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
written by Clive Westlake. Recorded June 1 1968 at Chappel Studios in London, "I Close My Eyes..." was released that August to reach #4 in the UK where it ranks as one of Springfield's biggest hits: of her solo singles only "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.-Original version:"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" was first recorded by Tommy Hunt in a session produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, with Burt Bacharach arranging and conducting...
" (#3) and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" is the title of a 1966 hit recorded by British singer Dusty Springfield which proved to be her career record reaching #1 UK and #4 US: the song subsequently charted in the UK via remakes by Elvis Presley , Guys 'n' Dolls and Denise Welch with Presley's version...
" (#1) outrank "I Close My Eyes..." while "I Only Want to Be with You
I Only Want to Be with You
"I Only Want to Be with You" is a rock-and-roll song by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. It was the first solo single released by British singer Dusty Springfield under her long-time producer Johnny Franz...
" matches its #4 peak ("I Only Want to Be With You" charted substantially longer than I Close My Eyes...", eighteen weeks as opposed to twelve). In the US "I Close My Eyes..." was Springfield's final release on the Phillips label, Springfield having signed in June 1968 to have Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
be her US label of release as of that August: consequently the single was virtually ignored in the US reaching #122 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. (The US release of "I Close My Eyes..." replaced the UK B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
"No Stranger Am I" with Springfield's rendition of "La Bamba
La Bamba
La Bamba may refer to:*La Bamba , a 1987 film based on the life and death of Ritchie Valens*"La Bamba" , a folk song best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens*"La Bomba" , a 2000 Latin pop song by King Africa...
".)
Cover versions
- Fausto LealiFausto LealiFausto Leali is an Italian singer, famous for his rough and aggressive voice, in sharp contrast with Italian melody conventions. Due to his voice, he is nicknamed "The black white" .-Beginnings:...
as "Chiudo gli occhi e conto a sei"
#20 (1968) - Lola NovakovićLola NovakovicZorana "Lola" Novaković is a Serbian singer, hugely popular during 1960s and to a lesser degree 1970s. Internationally, she is most notable for representing FPR Yugoslavia at Eurovision Song Contest in 1962 where she finished 4th.- References :...
as "Zaklopim Oči I Brojim" (1968) - Radmila Karaklajić as "Zatvaram Oči I Brojim Do Deset") (1968)
- Heidi BruhlHeidi BrühlHeidi Rosemarie Brühl was a German singer and actress who came to prominence as a young teenager and had a prolific career in film and television...
as "Ich schließe meine Augen" (1969) - SéverineSeverineSeverine or Séverine can refer to:* the nom de plume of the French journalist Caroline Rémy de Guebhard* a pseudonym of the Hungarian model Eve Angel...
as "Je ferme les yeux, je compte dix" (1969) - Pasha HristovaPasha HristovaParashkeva Hristova Stefanova , known artistically as Pasha Hristova was a Bulgarian singer, best known for performing one of Bulgaria's most popular songs "Една българска роза"...
as "Neka tozi mig da spre" (1970) - Anni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
as "Du var främling här igår" (1970) - Lena ValaitisLena ValaitisLena Valaitis is a Lithuanian-German Schlager singer. She had her greatest success during the 1970s and 1980s and competed in three Eurovision Song Contests.- Personal life:...
as "Und ich schließe meine Augen" (1975) - Tina York as"Und ich schließe meine Augen" (1977)
- The Simon Park Orchestra (1979)
- Jane Aire and the Belvederes (1982)
- Tracey UllmanTracey UllmanTracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
(1983) - Paul YoungPaul Young (singer and guitarist)Paul Antony Young is an English pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol...
(1983) - Maarit Peltoniemi as "Syliis saat mut puristaa" (2000)
- Horse McDonald (2000)
- Laban (1987)
- Marc AlmondMarc AlmondMarc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
& Sarah CracknellSarah CracknellSarah Cracknell is an English pop singer who fronts the band Saint Etienne and is known for her light, smooth singing voice. She is the daughter of Stanley Kubrick's first assistant director Derek Cracknell.-Career:...
(2007) - The Lover SpeaksThe Lover SpeaksThe Lover Speaks was the new wave duo of David Freeman , and Joseph Hughes . They sang the original version of the song "No More "I Love You's"", covered by Annie Lennox in 1995 on her Medusa album, taking it to #2 on the UK Singles Chart.Freeman and Hughes formed The Lover Speaks The Lover Speaks...
- Karen Noble (2005)
- Matt MonroMatt MonroMatt Monro was an English singer who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s...
- Matt Monro, Jr.Matt Monro, Jr.Matthew Frederick Monro , is the son of the English singer Matt Monro and is a singer in his own right, often performing his father's work....
& Matt MonroMatt MonroMatt Monro was an English singer who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s...
(2005)
In popular culture
Dusty Springfield's version of the song was used in HollyoaksHollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
soundtrack episode dated 20 Septermber 2007 (the departure episode where the character Craig Dean
Craig Dean
Craig Dean is a fictional character from the long-running British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Guy Burnet. Burnet has won many of Britain's most prestigious acting awards for this role...
left the series leaving boyfriend John Paul McQueen
John Paul McQueen
John Paul McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by James Sutton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 September 2006; his storylines have significantly revolved around his sexuality, evolving from the initial denial of his...
behind).
The song is also used to great effect in the two-part Cracker
Cracker (UK TV series)
Cracker is a British crime drama series produced by Granada Television for ITV and created and principally written by Jimmy McGovern. The series is centered on a criminal psychologist , Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Robbie Coltrane. Set in Manchester, it consists of three series which were...
story "True Romance", in which a lab technician always plays Dusty Springfield's original while preparing to murder her unsuspecting student victims.