Butterfly

We move from one faux crooner, to the real deal, and what was surprisingly his only number one hit.

Andy Williams would emerge as one of the most enduring crooners in the post-Sinatra era, and though he is often lumped in the same category as Pat Boone and company, Williams had a different vocal styling that makes you think that he definitely listened to other styles of music, and could have easily gone into that genre if he would have chosen too.

That is shown by that lone number one hit, “Butterfly”, where he adopted a touch of a Rockabilly twang to the song that gave it a bit more of a youthful appeal, but still had the laid back feel that would serve him well in his later years.

The song itself was written by the successful writing duo of Bernie Lowe and Kal Mann, who also wrote Elvis Presley’s major hit, “Teddy Bear”, which will be discussed later. It continues our pattern of songs that were also released earlier by someone else, as this would be early Rock pioneer singer, Charlie Gracie’s biggest hit, which would go number one on the Most Played in Jukebox in 1956 though not on the chart that this anthology discusses.

As for Williams, prior to this hit, he was building up his career and to illustrate the power of the medium of television, it was his appearances on the Steve Allen Show that first put him in the public eye, though he landed those spots prior to signing a major record deal. It was television, specifically his own successful show that would keep him as a bankable star for many years after.

By now, it should have been obvious to every American that television was not going away and every day televisions were entering new households. It wasn’t just making stars it was changing lives, swaying opinions and altering the fabric of far more than American pop culture.

In a few years (September 26, 1960 to be exact), the United States election may have been decided on television when Richard Nixon debated John Kennedy, and much was made about Nixon’s pasty appearance, as opposed to the context of his words. Nixon, and other political historians have alleged that most of the people who listened to the debate felt that Nixon won, but when seventy million Americans were watching it on television, how many were listening on radio?

People remember that debate, Nixon’s sweat, Kennedy’s suaveness and his confident demeanor and the tide officially turned in the campaign and Kennedy defeated Nixon. Television was proving over and over again how important looks and likability were and ushered in a bigger era of superficiality where looks became more important than ever.

Back to Andy Williams, why did television make him? He didn’t have the sex appeal of Elvis or the pretty boy appeal of Pat Boone but he did have was a likability factor that oozed from every pore. When he smiled on camera, it never appeared that he was doing it because a manager told him to; it felt genuine and in a world that year by year would become more fake, his longevity was easier to explain.

By 1959, Andy Williams received opportunities to host his own television special and by 1962 he became a permanent fixture on when the Andy Williams Show debuted and enjoyed a lengthy run until 1971. The early 60’s may have seen a decline in his singles chart success, but the success he had on the small screen made him a bigger star than ever.

This wasn’t that he did not have musical success as in ’62 he would have what technically would become his biggest hit, even though it never made the chart in any capacity. He was asked to perform “Moon River” at the 1962 Academy Awards (he had recorded it a year before), as it was a nominated Original Song from the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Williams didn’t sing the song in the movie (Audrey Hepburn did), nor was he featured in the movie, but after he killed it at the Oscars (the song did win) he would continue singing it on his show and would release it on future albums, though he never issued it as a single; which is why it not only did not go to number one, it didn’t go anywhere on the charts.   “Moon River” became his signature song, the one that fans wanted to hear in concert, and the one that he would name his theatre after in Branson, Missouri.

Basically, with “Moon River” we have a smash hit, that was never a hit at all, again illustrating that enduring songs and chart success are not mutually exclusive at all.[1]

It should also be mentioned that as Williams remained successful in the 1960’s on television, and while he may not have had a lot of hit singles on the pop charts, he did have quite a few that charted in the new Billboard Chart that began in 1961, the Adult Contemporary Chart, which for all intents and purposes was the Easy Listening Chart.

Williams would be a fixture there through the 60’s and early 70’s but he would also sell a lot of full length albums, one of the first artists in the 1960’s to do really well with that format.[2] The albums sold well, and though it was not purchased by kids, it was procured by those young enough to still want to listen to a lot of music, but too old to really identify with Rock and Roll.

This would also be the people, who as they aged, and as Williams aged, would continue to support him, buy his albums, see his concerts and watch his specials on television, and why? Because Williams never stopped being the same likable man he was since he first became famous.  

Andy Williams may not have been or really ever on the cusp of the edge of what most of considered pop culture but the fact remains that what he did and for the generation that followed him he was somebody they wanted to support.

Sometimes, that is all you need.

Other Notable Songs that charted but did not go to number one in this time period: March 30, 1957 – April 19, 1957

4/6/57: Little Darlin’ by the Diamonds peaked at #2 on both the Top 100 and the R&B Chart.
4/6/57: Walkin’ After Midnight by Patsy Cline went to #12 and to #2 on the Country and Western Chart.
4/13/57: I’m Walkin’ by Fats Domino went to #4 and to #1 on the R&B Chart.
4/13/57: Lucille by Little Richard peaked at #21 but went to #1 on the R&B Chart.
4/13/57: Just Because by Lloyd Price went to #29 on the Top 100 and to #3 on the R&B Chart.

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[1] Which is exactly why I am writing this in the first place. That and as Styx famously sang, “I’ve got too much time on my hands.”
[2] Wiliams had four number one hits in the Adult Contemporary Chart.