(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls

Album: Dionne Warwick in Valley of the Dolls (1967)
Charted: 28 2
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was actually a cover of the theme song to the motion picture about successful but drug-addled, unfulfilled actresses. One of the stars of the film, Barbara Parkins, suggested that Dionne Warwick would be suited to sing the vocals, but instead Dory Previn sang it in the motion picture itself, partly due to contract complications. Warwick did her own cover, which was a common practice back then, and her version was much more successful. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mike - Santa Barbara, CA

Comments: 6

  • Lc from San Francisco, CaDoes anyone have the full lyrics from the movie? There are more verses sung at different parts of the movie. It's actually different from the version release on record.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1968 {March 3rd} "Theme from 'Valley of The Dolls'" by Dionne Warwick peaked at #2 {for 4 weeks} on Billboard's Easy Listening chart, for the four weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for those four weeks was "Love Is Blue" by Paul Mauriat...
    "Theme from 'Valley of The Dolls" also peaked at #2 for four weeks on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
    Between 1963 and 1989 the Orange, New Jersey native had forty-five records on the Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary chart, twenty-seven made the Top 10 with four reaching #1...
    Nine of her forty-five charted records were duets; two with Jeffery Osborne and one each with The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Luther Vandross, Glenn Jones, Barry Manilow, Kashif, and Howard Hewitt...
    Dionne Warwick, born Marie Dionne Warrick, celebrated her 80th birthday three months ago on December 12th, 2020...
    And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Easy Listening Top 10 on March 3rd, 1968:
    At #3. "Love Is Blue" by Al Martino
    #4. "To Each His Own" by Frankie Laine
    #5. "If You Ever Leave Me" by Jack Jones
    #6. "Don't Tell My Heart To Stop Loving You" by Jerry Vale
    #7. "Winds of Change" by The Ray Conniff Singers
    #8. "Cab Driver" by The Mills Brothers
    #9. "We Can Fly" by The Cowsills
    #10. "Soul Coaxin' (Ame Caline)" by Raymond Lefevre

  • Bryan from New York CityFor starters, the song was not even nominated for an Oscar. Beautiful Song.
  • Babbling Babette from Tulsa OkI bought the 45 rpm single in '67 when I was at University of Kansas. The song was a haunting & catchy one. Valley of the Dolls was first a huge #1 novel about Hollywood's seamier effects on young actresses. Scandalous for The Sixties decade. Then, it became a big flashy movie with Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, Susan Hayward, & others. The song was on the radio in my area for a long time (Kansas City area) and was very popular for Dionne. A huge seller too. When I went home on a "break" to Oklahoma, the song was #1 on the area radio station there. On Billboard, I heard it hit all the way up to #2. Impressive.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 18th 1968, "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" by Dionne Warwick peaked at #2 (for 4 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on January 14th at position #77 and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 7 of those 13 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
    It also reached #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and #4 in Canada...
    Was track four of side one on her tenth studio album, 'Dionne Warwick in Valley of the Dolls', and the album peaked at #6 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart...
    The first three weeks the song was at #2, the #1 record was "Love Is Blue" by Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra and during its last week "(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding was in the top spot...
    Ms. Warwick, born Marie Dionne Warrick, celebrated her 73rd birthday two months ago on December 12th (2013).
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyAccording to Billboard; this record was a two-sided Top Ten hit for Dionne; "Valley of the Dolls" stayed at #2 for four weeks while the flip-side "I Say A Little Prayer" peaked at #4!!!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Yacht Rock!

Yacht Rock!Song Writing

A scholarly analysis of yacht rock favorites ("Steal Away," "Baker Street"...) with a member of the leading YR cover band.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.