This Guy's In Love With You

Album: The Beat Of The Brass (1968)
Charted: 3 1
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Songfacts®:

  • Alpert was a trumpet player and bandleader who started a record label with Jerry Moss in 1962. They named it A&M Records, after their last names. This was the first #1 hit for both Alpert and the record label.
  • This was written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It was their first #1 Pop hit in the US. Marty Robbins' "The Story of My Life" was #1 on the Country chart, and a cover by UK artist Michael Holliday went to #1 on the UK Pop chart on February 14, 1958, just two weeks before Perry Como took their "Magic Moments" to UK Pop #1 (for eight weeks) on February 28 - a decade before "This Guy's in Love With You." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Darryl - Queensland, Australia
  • Alpert's previous material consisted of instrumental songs recorded with The Tijuana Brass Band. This was his first released on A&M Records that contained vocals. He had released vocal recordings for another label, Dot Records, under the assumed name of Dore Alpert.
  • Alpert sang this to his first wife in a 1968 TV special called The Beat of the Brass; the sequence was taped on the beach in Malibu. The song was not intended to be released, but after it was used in the TV special, thousands of telephone calls to CBS asking about it convinced label owner Alpert to release it as a single two days after the show aired.
  • According to the book Bacharach by Michael Brocken, Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss owned A&M records (A = Alpert, M = Moss). The Tijuana Brass were offered a TV special and the director suggested Alpert sing a song. Alpert contacted friend and label mate Burt Bacharach to ask him for a song. Hal David actually re-wrote some of the lyrics at Alpert's request: "He wanted to do our song on a TV special he was doing. It was a song he was going to sing to his wife, and the lyric was not quite appropriate for what he wanted to say. He asked us whether we could change it so it would fit what he needed. And I did; and he did it on the show and got a terrific reaction and recorded it. And it turned out to be a stunning hit!"
  • In 1969, Dionne Warwick's version ("This Girl's in Love With You") peaked at #7 in the US. She recorded a lot of songs Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote, including "Don't Make Me Over" and "I Say a Little Prayer."
  • Herb Alpert is the only solo act to be credited with a #1 vocal single ("This Guy's in Love With You") and a #1 instrumental single ("Rise"). >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 2
  • After four weeks at #1 in America, this was bumped on July 20, 1968 by Hugh Masekela's "Grazing In The Grass," an instrumental trumpet-based song. Masekela was being marketed as an African Herb Alpert.
  • Burt Bacharach (from Record Collector magazine): "'This Guy's In Love With You' was gonna be a big record. It was a television show. Herb was very hot and his band, The Tijuana Brass was very hot. I was signed to A&M as an artist. There were great guys running the record company, Herb and Jerry (Moss). They asked me to do it, to write a song with Hal David, come in and write the arrangement and conduct the orchestra. I did it as a favor. If you asked me when I got in my car leaving Gold Star Studios that night and thought this was ever gonna be a hit I would have said no way. Then three or four weeks later it was #1. Wow!"
  • Petula Clark, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Johnny Mathis and The Dramatics are among the artists to record this song. In 1997, the band Fastball did a lounge version for the album Lounge-A-Palooza, compilation of classics done in lounge style by artists on the Hollywood Records label. At the time, Fastball's first album had been released, but it sunk. Their next one, released in 1998, was their breakthrough, containing their hit "The Way."
  • In 2005, much of Alpert's material was re-released, including his albums Whipped Cream & Other Delights and The Lonely Bull.
  • Burt Bacharch's prolonged moment of sensual contemplation is matched by Hal David's lyric consisting almost entirely of one-syllable words.

    "Burt's melodies could be frisky and they would sound funny with three-or four-syllable words," Daniel Tashian, who was Bacharach's main collaborator over his last five years, told Mojo magazine's Bill DeMain. "More conversational constructions was the way to go for lyrics. And let's face it, the height of emotion, is often expressed in one-syllable words. Just like in this guy's in love."

Comments: 32

  • Consuelo from El PasoEydie Gorme also recorded this song. Search on amazon by "Eydie Gorme This girl is in love with you
  • Steve Small from Richmond, CaliforniaYears ago I received a Bay Area Theatre Critics Award nomination for my portrayal of Herb Alpert and David Cassidy in Morey Goldstein & Tom Ross' heartwarming show A Karen Carpenter Christmas starring Katie Guthorn. Hes a tough character to portray in a humorous musical theatre kinda way. Wide vocal range or tonal perfection have little to do and audiences connection. The feeling of the note weighs so much more than the perfection of that note. Herb sells the feeling. Same with his version of Mel Torme's the Christmas Song. Though (for me)Herb's recording is the quintessential version, I've gotta say that BJ Thomas' vocal arrangement and soaring climax takes the song to a different level. Instead of the gentle "say you're in love- in love with this guy", sung like the first time around when the melody line comes down at the end, BJ let's loose, keeps rising, and jumps up to the next octave on "in love - with this GUY!" A real WOW moment.
    Herb had been given Close To You and had worked on it a bit but felt it was too girly for him. Golden moon dust in your hair n stuff. He gave the song to Karen. While recording he wanted her to pull back, not sing out so much. After a couple of mis-starts he told her, "Imagine you're sitting in your boyfriend's lap and singing in his ear. That's how soft I want you to take this." ...and that quiet perfection became what they were known for.
  • Pam from In MissouriI just watched the Movie Seeking a friend for the end of the world, heard this song. Loved it. I would love for someone to share this song with. I just turned 56 a couple days ago.
  • Ray Kilroy from U.s.a.I always liked Herb Alpert and was touched when recently viewing and old interview when he was asked about Karen Carpenter and he became quite emotional. I think everyone feels that way about her early death. I also wanted to ask who the girl was in his "This Guy's in Love with you" video from the sixties. Thanks, Herb, for making that era a happier one with your music.
  • Kev from Rogers, ArI remember hearing this song on my little transistor radio in 1968. I remember it as being instrumental back then.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 17th 1968, Herb Alpert performed at the Hollywood Bowl* in Los Angeles, California...
    At the time his "This Guy's in Love with You" was at #4 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; the week before was its last of four weeks at #1 on the chart and stayed on the Top 100 for 14 weeks...
    And on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart it was in its 7th of 10 weeks at #1 on that chart...
    * Also on bill that night was Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, and a per- scandal Bill Crosby.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 23rd 1969, Dionne Warwick performed "This Girl's in Love with You" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    At the time the song was at #13 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; the week before it was in its third of three weeks at #7 and that was also its peak position on the chart...
    It also reached #7 on both Billboard's R&B Singles chart and in Canada, plus it peaked at #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
  • Omtatjuan from Northern CaliforniaThis is my number one favorite song... Perfect for The movie, "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 22nd 1968, Herb Alpert performed "This Guy's In Love With You" on the CBS-TV Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass special 'The Beat of the Brass'...
    One month later on May 12th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #72; and on June 16th it peaked at #1 (for 4 weeks) and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 8 of those 14 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
    And on June 2nd it reached #1 (for 10 weeks) on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
    He had two other vocal records make the Top 100; "To Wait For Love" (#51 in 1968) and "Without Her" (#63 in 1969)...
    And in 1982 the Australian group The Reels released their version of "This Guy's In Love With You", it reached #7 in the 'Land Down Under'...
    Mr. Alpert celebrated his 79th birthday three weeks ago on March 31st.
  • Don from Willoughby, OhThis was my future wife's and my song when we were in high school. We still love to hear it after 46 years.
  • Jerro from Delmont, PaI find it fascinating that Burt Bacharach and Hal David managed to score more than one #1 Pop hit in Britain before scoring a #1 Pop hit in their native America. Before this song came out, they scored at least three #1 British Pop hits: Michael Holliday's cover of "The Story of My Life," Perry Como's hit "Magic Moments," and Sandie Shaw's cover of "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me." Does anyone else find it interesting?
  • Rich from El Segundo, CaHaunting and beautiful, this song was used in the touchingly morbid 2012 movie "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World", and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since I watched the movie 10 days ago.
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxOne of the biggest shockers of all time that this hit #1. Alpert long harbored the illusion that he could sing, but this rendition was only meant to be the guide vocal (He made a similar one for 'Close to You' before giving it to The Carpenters.)
  • Camille from Toronto, OhYes, Herb Albert's limited vocals add to charm of this song. My mom loved Herb. Here's a song that puts it right on the line giving voice to what many of us have felt: "my hands are shaking...don't let my heart keep breaking." We all love that rush of love so powerful it makes you shake.
  • Michael Scott from Punta Gorda, FlI need the background music, but I would be glad to sing it.
  • Puddintwang from Nashville, TnThat sounds like Leon on piano. He was a regular in the Tijuana Brass and orchestrated most of the HA&TB songs. Loved Brasil 66...Fool on the Hill...what a song!
  • Patty from Clifton Park, NyI meant to say seriously involved with Lani by 1968 or 1969, as she left Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 and married Herb Alpert in 1972, and he has said in interviews, that it was instant when he and Lani met in 1966.
  • Patty from Clifton Park, NyA beautiful song,however this is confusing...If Herb Alpert sang this to his first wife on Malibu Beach, and sang it to her on his tv special in 1968, how can that be as he was very much in love with Lani Hall whom he met when he produced Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 -she was one of the vocalists, and seriously involved with her by 1966?
  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaThis is Burt's best song, and a perfect
    love tune....beautifully done!
  • Nunzio from Darwin, AustraliaAustralian 80's novelty band The Reels covered this.
  • Gerry Walsh from Melbourne, AustraliaDa da da da.......

    Classic
  • Chris from Chicago, IlI wish a handsome man would sing this song for me....sigh!:)
  • Guy from Woodinville, WaI agree that Herb's lack of vocal experience and range is part of the charm of this song--it makes it more heart-felt. I remember when super-smooth Dionne Warwick followed up with the same song a year later. It was a cool contrast hearing both sexes do the song.
  • Joe from Boston, MaYou retards have it all wrong. This is a great song and a great vocal performance. The best vocal performances in pop tend not to be from technically advanced singers like Kelly Clarkson.
  • Susan from Syracuse, NyI like this song the more because of his limited vocals. I saw the original video that was taped on a Malibu beach with his first wife. Very cool.
  • Brad from Cleveland, OhDiana Ross & The Supremes and The Temptations did a beautiful duet of this song on their "Together" album in 1968.
  • Richard from Walla Walla, WaI know Herb Alpert, but need to know where to find Dore Alpert songs.
  • Fyodor from Denver, CoBeautiful tune, but personally I think Herb's vocals, while adequate, show why he didn't quit his day job!
  • Scott from Chicago, Ilthere is something so satisfying about hearing this....the combination of bacharach's songwriting and alpert's trumpet playing really
    make magic here.....especially the crescendoing
    keyboards at the end that fade again with the trumpet....sweet
  • Dan from Bayonne, NjFaith No More covered this, and it is on their Who Cares A Lot? Greatest Hits compilation
  • Fiona from Philadelphia, PaNoel Gallagher of Oasis did an amazing acoustic version of this in concert. You can find it on some bootlegs.
  • Pete from Nowra, Australiathis song was covered by an Australian band called The Reels in the 80's
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