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Silence Is Golden

by

The Tremeloes


Album "Suddenly You Love Me" by The Tremeloes
Album: Suddenly You Love Me
Released: 1967
Charted:
11
1
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Songfacts®:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This was originally recorded in 1964 by the Four Seasons as the B-side of their #1 hit "Rag Doll."
The group evolved from Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, and were signed by Decca Records when the label rejected The Beatles. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL)
Chesney Hawkes is the son of Chip Hawkes, who was a member of The Tremeloes. When Chesney hit #1 UK with "The One And Only," it marked the first time both father and son had got to #1.
The phrase "Silence Is Golden" is an encouragement to silence, which comes from a Swiss inscription written in German and best known in the English translation by Thomas Carlyle: "Sprechen ist silbern, Schweigen ist golden" (speech is silver, silence is golden).The Tremeloes included this song in their stage act to feature guitarist Rick West's falsetto. Chip Hawkes recalled in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, "We were on tour with The Hollies and we were getting standing ovations for Silence Is Golden. We recorded it immediately and by the end of the tour, it was in the charts. Tony Hicks of The Hollies said to me, 'It's a good thing you did that as were going to record it.'" (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)
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Comments (7):

I remember hearing the four seasons version once when I was a kid.I think it played for a few times on the radio.
- Martin, Fresno, CA
The lyrics are hauntingly truthful to many people who have experienced a situation like the one described in this song...the rhymes are amazing and the words easy to sing along to, and to recall because of its pace...the high pitch tones of the voices are fantastic and the unison of the singers is wonderful....no doubt that this song rates as a true timeless classic
- Peter Steele, Medicine Hat AB, AB
This is my number 2 favorite song of all time behind I'll Never Find Another You by the Seekers...the melody is an incredible invention of sound and the high notes are virtually unrivalled or at least hard to find a song whose notes succeed it on the pitch levels..a sad song but a great one nonetheless!
- Peter Steele, Medicine Hat AB, AB
Brandon in Seattle, You have it reversed Silence is Golden was the B-side of Rag Doll, not the other way around.
- Marty, Mount Vernon, IA
In Silence is Golden, the singer knows that a girl he is infaturated with is being cheated on by some other guy. The singer wants to let her know this fact but he is worried that by telling her, it will break her heart.
- Mike, Stony Brook, NY
And there's another original version of this song (in a faster beat) recorded by a south african band called "The Square Set" in 1967. Check up www.discosantigos.com
- RATO, lisbon, Saudi Arabia
A covered version of a Four Seasons song. The Tremeloes, however, also recorded another Four Seasons some time later called "Rag Doll", which was the b-side of the Four Seasons' original "Silence is Golden."
- Brandon, Seattle, WA
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