What Are You Doing Sunday?

Album: Candida (1970)
Charted: 3 39
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was written by Irwin Levine and Toni Wine, who were the team that wrote "Candida," which was the first hit for Tony Orlando & Dawn. Says Wine, "We just wanted a happy, feel-good song. You know, 'Hey, what are you doing Sunday? You wanna marry me? Cool.' You know, and we did it. Really, we just wanted to have these two young people in love. Young love is always great to write about, and just very positive. That was a very positive time. There weren't really many songs of sadness. Sure, love gone wrong, and things that didn't work out, but I guess that whole period had a lot of uplifting songs. So we just joined it." (For more, check out our interview with Toni Wine.)

Comments: 1

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 29th 1972, Dawn featuring Tony Orlando performed "What Are You Doing Sunday" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    Four months earlier on September 26th, 1971 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on November 7th, 1971 it peaked at #39 {for 1 week} and spent 9 weeks on the Top 100...
    Two years later in 1973 the trio changed their name to 'Tony Orlando and Dawn' {they had ten charted releases on the Top 100 using this name}.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"They're Playing My Song

Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

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.