"Somethin' Stupid", or "Something Stupid", is a song written by C. Carson Parks. It was originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as Carson and Gaile. A 1967 version by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

and his daughter

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatra ...

became a major international hit, reaching number one on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top ...

. In 2001, a cover version by British vocalist

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

and Australian actress

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

reached number one in the UK Singles Chart.

Carson and Gaile version

In the early 1960s, Carson Parks was a folk singer in Los Angeles. He was an occasional member of The Easy Riders, and also performed with The Steeltown Three, which included his younger brother

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle'' and for his collaborations with ...

. In 1963, he formed the Greenwood County Singers, later known as The Greenwoods, who had two minor hits and included singer Gaile Foote. Before the Greenwoods disbanded, Parks and Foote married and, as Carson and Gaile, recorded an album in 1966 for

Kapp Records Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp (who set up American Decca Records in 1934). David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca and RCA Victor. Kapp licensed its records to L ...

, ''San Antonio Rose'', which included the song "Something Stupid". The recording was then brought to the attention of Frank Sinatra.Rob Finnis and Tony Rounce, ''Booklet with CD "You Heard It Here First"'', Ace Records CDCHD1204, 2008

Frank and Nancy Sinatra version

The most successful and best-known version of "Somethin' Stupid" was issued in 1967 as a single by

and

and subsequently appeared on Frank's album '' The World We Knew''. Frank had played Parks' recording to his daughter's producer,

Lee Hazlewood Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960 ...

, who recalled, "He asked me, 'Do you like it?' and I said, 'I love it, and if you don't sing it with Nancy, I will.' He said, 'We're gonna do it, book a studio. Their rendition was recorded on February 1, 1967, after Frank had finished his

collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Most ...

with Antonio Carlos Jobim earlier in the day. Al Casey played guitar on the recording and

Hal Blaine Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. ...

was the drummer. Hazlewood and

Jimmy Bowen James Albert Bowen (born November 30, 1937) is an American record producer and former rockabilly singer. Bowen brought Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood together, and introduced Sinatra to Mel Tillis for their album, ''Mel & Nancy.'' Early life ...

were listed as the producers of the single, with arrangement by

Billy Strange William Everett Strange (September 29, 1930 – February 22, 2012) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and an actor. He was a session musician with the famed Wrecking Crew, and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Mus ...

. The single spent four weeks at number 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and nine weeks atop the

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, no ...

(now adult contemporary) chart, becoming Frank's second

gold single Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

as certified by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

and Nancy's third. In Norway the single qualified for silver disc. It was the first and only instance of a father-daughter number-one song in America. Nancy Sinatra was quoted as sarcastically saying, "Some people call (Something Stupid) the Incest Song, which I think is, well, very sweet!" . The single also reached number 1 on the

the same year. It was also nominated for the

Record Of The Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

at the 10th Grammy Awards, losing to

the 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire includes pop, R&B, soul, jazz, light opera, and Broadway. Formed as the Versatiles in late 1965, the group changed its name to "the 5th Dimension" by 1966. Betwe ...

's upbeat hit song " Up, Up And Away".

Usage in popular culture

In episode 21 of the third season of ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'',

Sideshow Bob Robert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr., PhD, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared in the episode " The Telltale Head". Bob is a se ...

and

Selma Bouvier Patricia Maleficent "Patty" Bouvier and Selma Bouvier-Terwilliger-Hutz-McClure-Discotheque-Simpson-D'Amico () are fictional characters in the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. They are identical Twin, twins and are voiced by Julie Kavne ...

(voiced by

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), f ...

and

Julie Kavner Julie Deborah Kavner (born September 7, 1950) is an American actress. Best known for her voice role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', Kavner first attracted notice for her role as Brenda Morgenstern, the younger ...

, respectively) perform the Frank and Nancy Sinatra version as a karaoke. In the ''

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited hi ...

'' spin-off series ''

Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, '' Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...

'', episode seven of season four is titled after the song, with the opening montage containing an original rendition performed by Lola Marsh. The song is again used in a montage in episode nine of season five. In the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in ...

series ''

Peep Show A peep show or peepshow is a presentation of a live sex show or pornographic film which is viewed through a viewing slot. Several historical media provided voyeuristic entertainment through hidden erotic imagery. Before the development of the c ...

series 1 The IBM Series/1 is a 16-bit minicomputer, introduced in 1976, that in many respects competed with other minicomputers of the time, such as the PDP-11 from Digital Equipment Corporation and similar offerings from Data General and HP. The Seri ...

, episode 2, the

Peters and Lee Peters and Lee were a successful British folk and pop duo of the 1970s and 1980s, comprising Lennie Peters (22 November 1931 – 10 October 1992, Enfield, Middlesex) and Dianne Lee (born February 1949). Background Lennie Peters (AKA Gary Hall; ...

version of the song is quoted in dialogue and plays during the closing credits. In the movie

Joy (2015 film) ''Joy'' is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film, written and directed by David O. Russell and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire. ''Joy'' received a theatrical re ...

, in a flashback scene,

Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide to date. She appeared in ''Time (magazine), Time''s Time 100, 10 ...

's title character sings the duet with her soon-to-be husband played by

Édgar Ramírez Édgar Filiberto Ramírez Arellano (, born 25 March 1977) is a Venezuelan actor. Ramírez studied communications at the Andrés Bello Catholic University. He then worked in media and considered becoming a diplomat. When Guillermo Arriaga pra ...

Personnel

Vocalists

- vocals *

- vocalsSinatra, Frank. "Somethin' Stupid". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/Somethin'%20Stupid

Leaders

* Claus Ogerman - conductor *

- arranger,Sinatra, Frank. "This Town". Frank Sinatra Sessionography. https://sinatrafamily.com/session/-/-/-/-/0/This%20Town conductor

Instrumentalists

- drums *

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

- guitar * Alvin Casey - guitar *

Roy Caton Roy Vernon Caton (January 28, 1927 – July 29, 2010) was an American trumpet player and session musician. Biography Caton was born to Vernon and Eleanor Reed Caton in Frackville, Pennsylvania. At the age of seven, he received a cornet from a fa ...

- trumpet *

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

- percussion * Carol Kaye - electric bass * Bill Miller - piano * Oliver Mitchell - trumpet * Donald Owens - piano * Ralph Peña - string bass

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Ali Campbell and Kibibi Campbell version

In 1995, Ali Campbell and his daughter Kibibi Campbell covered the hit as a duet. As a suggestion to the version of

and

was used, based on this part of the Musikrichting was adapted in the cover. After its release on the studio album ''

Big Love ''Big Love'' is an American drama television series that aired on HBO from March 12, 2006 to March 20, 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a fundamentalist Mormon family in contemporary Utah that practices polygamy, with Jeanne Trippl ...

'', it can also be found on the compilation ''Silhouette''.

Music video

The music video was shot in New York City. Ali Campbell and his daughter spend an afternoon in the city. They relax on the bench in the park, also walk through the city center, look through a sightseeing telescope, watch jugglers and fire breathers in a circus, figure skaters and stroll.

Charts

Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman version

British singer

recorded a cover version of "Somethin' Stupid" as a duet with Australian actress

. The song appeared on Williams' 2001 album, ''

Swing When You're Winning ''Swing When You're Winning'' is a swing cover album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, and his fourth studio album overall. It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2001 and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart. ...

'', and was released as the album's

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release str ...

on December 10, 2001, topping the UK Singles Chart at the end of the year. The song was Christmas number one in the United Kingdom, and Williams' fifth number one overall. The single sold 400,000 copies to earn a gold certification from the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...

. The accompanying music video was directed by Vaughan Arnell. The song was the 30th-best-selling single of 2001 in the UK. It also gave Williams another number-one hit in New Zealand, earning a gold certification, and charted inside the top 10 in several European countries. In Australia, it became Williams' fourth top-10 single, earning a gold certification for over 35,000 copies sold.

Track listings

UK and Australian CD single # "Somethin' Stupid" – 2:51 # "

Eternity Eternity, in common parlance, means infinite time that never ends or the quality, condition, or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside time, whereas sempitern ...

" (orchestral version) – 5:32 # "My Way" (live at the

Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...

) – 7:00 # "Somethin' Stupid" (video) UK cassette single # "Somethin' Stupid" – 2:51 # "Eternity" (orchestral version) – 5:32 # "My Way" (live at the Albert Hall) – 7:00 UK DVD single # "Somethin' Stupid" (video) – 3:08 # "Let's Face the Music and Dance" (audio) – 2:36 # "That's Life" (audio) – 3:07 European CD single # "Somethin' Stupid" – 2:51 # "My Way" (live at the Albert Hall) – 7:00

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the ''

'' album booklet. Studios * Recorded at various studios * Mixed at Capitol Recording Studios (Los Angeles) and

Air Lyndhurst Studios Associated Independent Recording (AIR) is an independent recording company founded in London in 1965 by record producer Sir George Martin and his business partner John Burgess, after their departure from Parlophone. The studio complex was founded ...

(London, England) * Mastered at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles) and Metropolis Mastering (London, England) Personnel * C. Carson Parks – writing *

– vocals *

– vocals * Mitch Dalton – guitars * Dave Catlin-Birch – bass * Ralph Salmins – drums *

Frank Ricotti Frank Ricotti (born 31 January 1949) is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist. Early life and education Ricotti was born in London, England. His father was a drummer. Bill Ashton, founder of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (N ...

– percussion * Steve Sidwell – trumpet, arrangement, conducting * Simon Gardner – trumpet * Paul Spong – trumpet * London Session Orchestra – orchestra *

Gavyn Wright Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He is best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions (including Elton John, Simply Red, Bush, Mecano, Oasi ...

– concertmaster *

Guy Chambers Guy Antony Chambers (born 12 January 1963) is an English songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for his work with Robbie Williams. Education Chambers attended Quarry Bank Comprehensive School sixth form in Liverpool. From 18, h ...

– production * Steve Power – production *

Al Schmitt Albert Harry Schmitt (April 17, 1930 – April 26, 2021) was an American recording engineer and record producer. He won twenty Grammy Awards for his work with Henry Mancini, Steely Dan, George Benson, Toto, Natalie Cole, Quincy Jones, and othe ...

– vocal recording *

Charlie Paakkari Christina Paakkari, also known as Charlie Paakkari, is an American audio engineer for Capitol Records and the recipient of a 2005 Grammy Award for her work on the Dianne Reeves album ''Good Night, and Good Luck ''Good Night, and Good Luck'' (st ...

– assistant engineering * Steve Genewick – assistant engineering * Steve Price – assistant engineering * Rupert Coulson – assistant mix engineering * Ricky Graham – assistant mix engineering * Mike Ross-Trevor – orchestral engineering * Richard Flack –

Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture (sound design, audio post-producti ...

Doug Sax Doug Lionel Sax (April 26, 1936 – April 2, 2015) was an American mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three of The Doors' albums, including their 1967 debut; six of Pink Floyd's albums, including ''The Wall''; Ray Charles ...

– mastering (The Mastering Lab) * Tony Cousins – mastering (Metropolis)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Other Covers

In 2018,

Calum Scott Calum Scott (born 12 October 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. In April 2015, he rose to prominence after competing on the ITV talent contest ''Britain's Got Talent'', where he performed his version of Robyn's hit " Dancing on My Own" ...

and

Barbara Pravi Barbara Piévic (born 10 April 1993), known professionally as Barbara Pravi, is a French singer, songwriter and actress. After signing with Capitol Music France in 2015, she released five extended plays with the label: ''Barbara Pravi'' (2018), ...

did a rendition of this song on the french television show Taratata.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1967 singles 1995 singles 2001 singles Frank Sinatra songs Nancy Sinatra songs Andy Williams songs Robbie Williams songs Nicole Kidman songs European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in Poland Number-one singles in Portugal RPM Top Singles number-one singles Number-one singles in South Africa UK Singles Chart number-one singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Male–female vocal duets Pop ballads 1966 songs Reprise Records singles Chrysalis Records singles Music videos directed by Vaughan Arnell Number-one singles in Scotland Christmas number-one singles in the United Kingdom Songs written by Carson Parks 1960s ballads Jazz ballads