Bright Eyes (song)

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Bright Eyes is a song by Mike Batt released by Art Garfunkel on his album Fate for Breakfast in 1979 . It is the theme song of the film Watership Down , was among other things a number 1 hit in the British singles charts and in 1979 the best-selling single of the year.

background

In 1976, the songwriter Mike Batt was commissioned to compose a song about death for the British cartoon Watership Down , which should not be too morbid. When he wrote the piece, he said he immediately thought of Garfunkel as the interpreter, but did not expect that he would appeal. Garfunkel, however, immediately agreed to sing the song for the film.

reception

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
Bright eyes
  UK 1Template: Infobox chart placements / maintenance / NR1 link 03/03/1979 (19 weeks)
  CH 2 07/01/1979 (18 weeks)
  AT 3 08/15/1979 (16 weeks)
  DE 3 06/04/1979 (35 weeks)

In May 1979, the animated film Down by the River was released along with the single Bright Eyes . The song reached number 1 in the UK singles charts and stayed in the charts for 19 weeks, including six weeks at the top. By 2010, 1.7 million records had been sold in the UK. Overall, the soundtrack was at the top of the charts in six different countries. For Batt and Garfunkel this was an unforeseen success.

For Garfunkel, who had been a member of the successful duo Simon & Garfunkel until 1970 , Bright Eyes became the second number 1 hit in Great Britain after I Only Have Eyes For You (1975).

Well-known cover versions

The soundtrack for Down by the River has been covered several times; For example, in 1980 by Matthew Butler, then six, in the TV show Tiswas , the English version of the Mini Playback Show . This version, produced by Neil Innes , reached number 121 in the UK charts. British composer Justin Hayward covered the song in 1984 for his album Classic Blue .

In 2000, Bottom on the River was produced as a television series. The song was retained but re-sung by former Boyzone member Stephen Gately .

More cover versions

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bright Eyes in the UK Charts
  2. ↑ Art Garfunkel, Chronology: 1975–1979 (English)
  3. ↑ Charts DE Charts AT Charts CH Charts UK
  4. ↑ History of the song around 1979
  5. ↑ Story of Bright Eyes
  6. ↑ Bright Eyes by Matthew Butler
  7. ↑ Musik-Sammler.de: Paola - How you
  8. ↑ Eliane Paige - Bright Eyes (1984)
  9. ↑ Hayley Westenra - Bright Eyes (2001)