Puppet Man

Album: Portrait (1970)
Charted: 24
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Songfacts®:

  • Unknown to each other, both the 5th Dimension and Tom Jones recorded versions of this song around the same time. Before this, it was a little-known song written by Neil Sedaka and Howie Greenfield. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Ken - Louisville, KY
  • Tom Jones' version only reached #49 in the UK. However it appears the Welsh singer was determined to have a hit record with a puppet theme because within a year he achieved an UK #6 chart placing with "The Young New Mexican Puppeteer."

Comments: 4

  • Randy from Houghton Lake, MiMarilyn McCoo and the Fifth Dimension guest stared on "It Takes a Thief" in 1970 and sang this song. I don't remember the plot or details about the episode but I knew I liked this song.
  • Erin T. Aardvark from Washington, DcThe Muppets performed "Puppet Man" when Senor Wences was a guest star on "The Muppet Show." A Muppet version of the character Pinocchio sang this to Pops the Doorman, who was acting as Gepetto for the number. Several other Muppet "toys" were providing the background vocals of the song.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 21st 1971, Connie Stevens performed "Puppet Man" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    Ten months earlier on April 12th, 1970 the 5th Dimension's version of the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; eventually it peaked at #24 and spent 8 weeks on the Top 100...
    And the 5th Dimension were also appearing that night on the same 'Sullivan' show.
  • Staley from Dallas, TxThe 5th had an earlier hit called "Carpet Man," but the 2 songs are otherwise unrelated. Just a coincidence to have 2 hit songs called "___pet Man" by the same group. This was the second Sedaka song charted by the group (after "Workin' on a Groovy Thing").
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