You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
"You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" is a song by American rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. It was issued on a non-album single in November 1965 and reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1966.[3] The song was later included the band's March 1966 album Daydream. According to its writer, band bassist and songwriter Steven Boone, it was inspired by 1960s celebrity photographer Nurit Wilde.[5]
| "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by the Lovin' Spoonful | ||||
| B-side | "My Gal" | |||
| Released | November 13, 1965[1] | |||
| Recorded | November 1965[2] | |||
| Studio | Bell Sound, New York City[2] | |||
| Genre | Pop[3][4] | |||
| Length | 2:29 | |||
| Label | Kama Sutra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | John Sebastian, Steve Boone | |||
| Producer(s) | Erik Jacobsen | |||
| The Lovin' Spoonful singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Billboard described the song as having a "good lyric and strong dance beat."[6] Cash Box described it as a "catchy cut" with "a sweet romantic touch."[7]
The song has been cited as an inspiration for the composition of the 1966 song "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys.[8][9]
Charts
| Chart (1965–66) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian R.P.M. Play Sheet[10] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 10 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[12] | 11 |
| US Record World 100 Top Pops[13] | 9 |
Covers
- 1966 – The Grass Roots on their first album, Where Were You When I Needed You.
- 1967 – Astrud Gilberto on her fifth album, Beach Samba.
- 1997 – Amy Grant & Kevin Costner in Costner's film The Postman
- 2014 – Nick Vernier Band
References
- Jackson, Andrew Grant (2015). 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music. New York City: Macmillan Publishers. p. xx. ISBN 978-1-4668-6497-9 – via the Internet Archive.
- Diken, Denis (2002). Daydream (Liner notes). The Lovin' Spoonful. Buddha, BMG Heritage. 74465 99731 2.
- Richie Unterberger. "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice - The Lovin' Spoonful | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
- Perone, James E. (2018). Listen to Pop! Exploring a Musical Genre. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-4408-6377-6 – via Google Books.
- "Gary James' Interview with Steve Boone of the Lovin' Spoonful".
- "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. November 13, 1965. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
- "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 13, 1965. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8.
- "Beach Boys: Our top 50 hits". Newsday. 2012-06-22. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
- "RPM 100 (January 31, 1966)". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- "The Lovin' Spoonful Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- "Cash Box Top 100 – Week of January 22, 1966" (PDF). Cash Box. January 22, 1966. p. 4.
- "Record World 100 Top Pops – Week of January 22, 1966" (PDF). Record World. January 22, 1966. p. 17.
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