Silence Is Golden (song)

"Silence Is Golden" is a song initially recorded by the American rock band the Four Seasons. Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, Philips Records released it in 1964 as the B-side of the U.S. number 1 single "Rag Doll", which was also written by Crewe and Gaudio. The Tremeloes' 1967 cover version reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the US charts.

The Tremeloes version
In 1967 British band The Tremeloes recorded their sound-alike version, using the same arrangement as the original. It reached the top position on the UK chart on 18 May 1967, where it stayed for three weeks. Band member Len "Chip" Hawkes remembered getting up in the middle of the night, going to London with the rest of the band, and walking down The Strand, on the night the song reached number one. Guitarist Rick Westwood sang lead vocal on "Silence Is Golden". In the U.S., Epic Records released the single, which reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was one of the top 100 songs of 1967. The record sold one million copies globally, earning gold disc status.

The song was also covered in 1967 by The Plus Four, and by Swedish singer Jim Jidhed (in English) in 1989. The Tremeloes recorded an Italian version, "E in silenzio".

Personnel

 * Rick Westwood – falsetto vocals, lead guitar
 * Alan Blakley – vocals, rhythm guitar (died 1996)
 * Len Hawkes – vocals, bass guitar
 * Dave Munden – vocals, drums (died 2020)