Maybe I Know
"Maybe I Know" is an early 1960s pop song written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and performed by Lesley Gore. The song was produced by Quincy Jones and arranged by Claus Ogerman.[3] It was featured on her 1964 album, Girl Talk.[4]
| "Maybe I Know" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lesley Gore | ||||
| from the album Girl Talk | ||||
| B-side | "Wonder Boy" | |||
| Released | July 9, 1964 | |||
| Recorded | early July 1964 [1] | |||
| Genre | Brill Building[2] | |||
| Length | 2:40 | |||
| Label | Mercury Records 72309 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich | |||
| Producer(s) | Quincy Jones | |||
| Lesley Gore singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
The song was one in a long line of successful "Brill Building Sound" hits[2] created by composers and arrangers working in New York City's Brill Building at 1619 Broadway. Pop songwriting stars Barry and Greenwich had previously scored hits with songs such as "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You" performed by The Ronettes, as well as "Then He Kissed Me" and "Da Doo Ron Ron" by The Crystals.
Billboard described the song as a "medium tempo rocker with fine dance beat."[5] Cash Box described it as "a handclappin' thumper geared for easy dancing and listening approval" and a "tuneful teen-angled vocal romp."[6]
Chart performance
"Maybe I Know" reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, #16 in Canada,[7] #20 in the United Kingdom, and #37 in Australia in 1964.[8]
Other versions
- The Seashells released a version of the song as a single in 1972 that reached #32 in the UK.[10]
- Greenwich herself released a version of the song as a single in 1973.[11]
- They Might Be Giants covered the song in many live performances, before a studio-recorded version was featured on their 1999 album, Long Tall Weekend.
- Alessi's Ark released a version of the song on her 2011 album, Time Travel.
In media
The song was featured in the musicals Leader of the Pack and The Marvelous Wonderettes.
References
- Praguefrank
- Fontenot, Robert (November 1, 2015). "What is Brill Building Music?". About.
- Lesley Gore, "Maybe I Know" single release Retrieved January 14, 2015
- Lesley Gore, Girl Talk Retrieved January 14, 2015
- "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. July 18, 1964. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
- "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 18, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- Lesley Gore, "Maybe I Know" Canadian Chart Position Retrieved January 14, 2015
- Lesley Gore, "Maybe I Know" US and UK Chart Positions Retrieved January 14, 2015
- Canada, Library and Archives (2013-07-17). "Item". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- Ellie Greenwich, "Maybe I Know" Chart Position Retrieved January 14, 2015