"To Sir with Love" is the theme from

James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was an Australian-born British (later naturalized American) writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best ...

's 1967 film ''

To Sir, with Love ''To Sir, with Love'' is a 1967 British drama film that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. It stars Sidney Poitier and features Christian Roberts, Judy Geeson, Suzy Kendall and singer Lulu making her film debut. Jam ...

''. The song was performed by British singer and actress

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...

(who also starred in the film), and written by Don Black and

Mark London Mark London (born 30 January 1940) is a Canadian-born British soundtrack composer, songwriter and music producer. He is perhaps best known as composer of the song "To Sir with Love". History Mark London was born in Montreal, Quebec, and initial ...

(husband of Lulu's longtime manager

Marion Massey Marion Massey (born Marian Gordon, c.1930 – 1 March 2014)

Mickie Most Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind scores of hit singles for acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate ...

produced the record, with

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 ...

arranging and conducting. The song peaked at the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and became the best-selling single of 1967 in the United States.

Background

At the time, it made Lulu only the second British female artist to top the US charts during the listing's Rock era after

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

's "

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

" in 1965—and third in the overall history of the US charts after "Downtown" and

Vera Lynn Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 191718 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart", having giv ...

's "

Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart "Auf Wiedersehen", or "Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart", is a song written by German composer Eberhard Storch around 1950. Storch wrote the song in the hospital for his wife Maria as he was ill for a long time. It was originally sung in German by Rudi ...

" in 1952—and so far the first of two Scottish female solo artists to achieve the feat.

Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...

became the second when she topped the US charts with "

Morning Train (9 to 5) "9 to 5" (or "Morning Train") is a popular song written by British songwriter Florrie Palmer and recorded by Scottish singer Sheena Easton in 1980, becoming her biggest hit. It peaked at number three in the United Kingdom in August 1980 and was ...

" in May 1981. For 44 years, Lulu and Easton were the only Scottish solo artists to have topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100—a record that ended when

Calvin Harris Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...

topped the chart alongside

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

on their collaboration "

We Found Love "We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011). Scottish DJ Calvin Harris wrote, produced, and features on the song, which also appears on his third album '' 18 Months'' (2012). "We F ...

" in November 2011.

Oscar Nomination

The film's director, James Clavell and Lulu's manager

Marion Massey Marion Massey (born Marian Gordon, c.1930 – 1 March 2014)

were angered and disappointed when the title song was not included in the nominations for the ''

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...

'' at the

40th Academy Awards The 40th Academy Awards honored film achievements of 1967. Originally scheduled for April 8, 1968, the awards were postponed to two days later, April 10, 1968, because of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Bob Hope ...

in 1968. Clavell and Massey raised a formal objection to the exclusion, but to no avail.

Chart performance

"To Sir With Love" was initially recorded by

(with

The Mindbenders The Mindbenders were an English beat group from Manchester, England. Originally the backing group for Wayne Fontana, they were one of several acts that were successful in the mid-1960s British Invasion of the US charts, achieving major chart ...

, who also acted in the film). It was released as a single in the United States in 1967 and in October reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, where it remained for five weeks. The single ranked No. 1 in ''Billboard'''s year-end chart, though

the Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

' "

I'm a Believer "I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for the week en ...

", which debuted in December 1966 and spent most of its chart life in 1967, was the overall bigger hit. ("I'm a Believer" was ranked No. 5 on the same year-end chart of the same year.) It became a gold record. Canada's ''RPM'' magazine put the song at No. 2 for the year 1967. "To Sir with Love" did not chart in the UK, as it appeared only as a B-side to "Let's Pretend" (released in the UK on 23 June 1967), which reached No. 11 on 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-s ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Cover versions

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (incl ...

's instrumental rendition charted concurrently with Lulu's run on the pop chart, reaching No. 93 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart. *

Madeline Bell Madeline Bell (born July 23, 1942) is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s with pop group Blue Mink, having arrived from America in the gospel show ''Black Nativity'' in 1962, with the v ...

covered the song on her 1968 album '' Doin' Things''. *

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

covered it during the ''

Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 ''Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5'' is the debut studio album from Gary, Indiana-based soul family band the Jackson 5, released on the Motown label on December 12, 1969. The Jackson 5's lead singer, a preteenage boy named Michael (who later b ...

'' sessions in 1969. *

The Residents The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, ''Meet the Residents'' (1974), they have released over 60 albums, numerous music vi ...

recorded a cover of the song for the album ''

The Third Reich 'n Roll ''The Third Reich 'n Roll'' is the second studio album by the American art rock group The Residents, released on Ralph Records in 1976. The album consists of two side-long suites of "'semi-phonetic' interpretations of Top 40 rock and roll from ...

'' as a part of "Swastikas on Parade" *

Al Green Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), better known as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Take Me to the River", ...

covered the song on his 1978 album, '' Truth N' Time''. *In 1983, American actress

Vicki Sue Robinson Vicki Sue Robinson (May 31, 1954 – April 27, 2000) was an American theatre and film actress, and singer, closely associated with the disco era of late 1970s pop music; she is most famous for her 1976 hit, "Turn the Beat Around". Early life Bor ...

released a version of the song that peaked at number seven on the Australian

Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July ...

and was the 58th biggest selling single in Australia in 1984. *New Zealand singer

Ngaire Fuata Ngaire Fuata is a New Zealand Television producer for TVNZ and a former Pop singer. She is of Rotuman and Dutch descent. Personal life Born in England, Fuata later migrated to New Zealand with her parents at a young age. She grew up in Whakat ...

covered the song which was released as a single in 1990 where it spent 5 weeks at No. 1 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. It was included in her self-titled debut album ''Ngaire'' released in 1991. *

Soul Asylum Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train (Soul Asylum song), Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The band was originally called Loud Fast Rule ...

sang the song with Lulu on their ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

'' show. *

Natalie Merchant Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American alternative rock singer-songwriter. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She remained with the group for their first se ...

, as part of

10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...

, recorded a cover with

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Poss ...

(of

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

) at the ''MTV Rock n' Roll Inaugural Ball'' in 1993 to be released later as part of their ''Campfire Songs'' compilation album. *

Susanna Hoffs Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is an American singer and guitarist, best known as a co-founder of the pop-rock band The Bangles. Hoffs founded The Bangles (originally called the Bangs) in 1981 with Debbi and Vicki Peterson. They re ...

covered the song on her self-titled solo album. *

The Trash Can Sinatras Trashcan Sinatras are a Scottish band that were formed in Irvine, Scotland in 1986. The band's music makes frequent use of pop harmonies and wordplay. History Formation The band members met through the club/pub music scene in Irvine. The ...

recorded a version for their 1996 album '' A Happy Pocket''. It was released later that year as the fourth and final single from the album reaching number 88 in the UK singles chart. *

Jann Arden Jann Arden (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is famous for her signature ballads, "Could I Be Your Girl" and "Insensitive (song), Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date. Ea ...

released it on ''Happy?'' on 23 September 1997 in Canada and 8 June 1998 in the United States as a bonus track on international release. *

Will Friedle Will Friedle () (born August 11, 1976) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Eric Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000). In animation, he voices Terry McGinnis / Batman on ''Batman Beyond'' (19 ...

, as Eric Matthews, sings a humorous rendition of the song to a retiring Mr. Feeny (

William Daniels William David Daniels (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor, who is best known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig in the drama series '' St. Elsewhere'', for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT in the tel ...

) in "Graduation", the season five finale of ''

Boy Meets World ''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and famil ...

'' which aired May 15, 1998. *Brother-and-sister duo

Melky Sedeck Melky Sedeck is a Haitian-American R&B hip hop sibling duo. The name of the group is drawn from the names of singer Blandinna Melky Jean and her multi-instrumentalist brother Farel Sedeck Guerschom Jean. The name of the group (and of the sibli ...

covered the song on their album '' Sister & Brother'', released in 1999. *

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

recorded a version accompanied by the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

for her 2004 album '' ClassiKhan''. *Scottish singer

Midge Ure James Ure (born 10 October 1953) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his actual name. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s ...

also did a version from his 2008 cover versions CD ''10''. *The cast of ''Glee'' covered the song in the final episode of the first season of the TV show, which aired on 8 June 2010. *

Katey Sagal Catherine Louise "Katey" Sagal (; born January 19, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing Peggy Bundy on '' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997), Leela on ''Futurama'' (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2023), Cate Henne ...

& The Forest Rangers recorded their version of the song in 2012 for 12th episode of the 5th season of the TV show, The Sons of Anarchy. * The ReWlettes recorded a version and released video January 2021. *Susan Cowsill (of The Cowsills) performs an acapella version as well as a version backed by her siblings and husband during live performances. *

Lesley Gore Lesley Sue Goldstein (May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015), known professionally as Lesley Gore, was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. At the age of 16, she recorded the pop music, pop hit "It's My Party (Lesley Gore song), I ...

covered the song on her shelved, but soon re-released album, ''Magic Colors.''

References

External links

Lyrics of this song
* {{Authority control 1967 singles 2007 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Epic Records singles Lulu (singer) songs Tina Arena songs Vicki Sue Robinson songs Number-one singles in New Zealand RPM Top Singles number-one singles Song recordings produced by Mickie Most Songs with lyrics by Don Black (lyricist) Songs about school Songs about educators 1967 songs EMI Records singles