"Hush ... Not a Word to Mary" was the second UK hit for New Zealand singer

John Rowles Sir John Edward Rowles (born 26 March 1947) is a New Zealand singer. He was most popular in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, and he is best known in New Zealand for his song from 1970, "Cheryl Moana Marie", which he wrote about his younge ...

. It was the follow-up release to his major hit "

If I Only Had Time "If I Only Had Time" is a song recorded by the New Zealand singer John Rowles in 1968 that became a worldwide hit single. It is based on a French song "Je n'aurai pas le temps" by Michel Fugain. Rowles' song was his first release in the UK whe ...

Background

The song was written by

Mitch Murray Mitch Murray (born Lionel Michael Stitcher; 30 January 1940) is an English songwriter, record producer and author. He has won two Ivor Novello Awards, including the Jimmy Kennedy Award. Murray has written, or co-written, songs that have produ ...

and

Peter Callander Peter Robin Callander (10 October 1939 – 25 February 2014) was an English songwriter and record producer. Active from the 1960s onwards, Callander wrote or co-wrote songs that have been performed by recording artists such as Cilla Black, Tom ...

Mike Leander Michael George Farr (30 June 1941 – 18 April 1996), known professionally as Mike Leander, was a British arranger, songwriter and record producer. He worked variously with The Beatles, David McWilliams ("Days of Pearly Spencer"), Gary Gli ...

was the producer and arranger. The B-side "The Night We Called It a Day" was written by Rowles and

Steve Kipner Stephen Alan Kipner (born 1950) is an American-born Australian songwriter and record producer, with hits spanning a 40-year period, including chart-topping songs such as Olivia Newton-John's "Physical", Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words", an ...

. It was published by Intune, which was the new publishing company for Murray and Callender. By July 6, the single shot up 18 places from #36 to #18. By July 13, 1968, the single had moved from its previous position of #18 to #12. This single also marked the last of Rowles' chart success in the UK.''An Avid's Guide to Sixties Songwriters'', By Peter Dunbavan
52. Murray/Callander
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References

{{authority control 1968 songs 1968 singles John Rowles songs MCA Records singles Songs written by Mitch Murray Songs written by Peter Callander Song recordings produced by Mike Leander