The Weekend (Jack Jones song)

"The Weekend"
Single by Jack Jones
from the album For the "In" Crowd
B-side"Wildflower"
ReleasedJanuary 1966 (1966-01)
RecordedDecember 1965 (1965-12)
GenrePop
Length2:05
LabelKapp
K-736[1]
Songwriters
ProducerMichael Kapp
Jack Jones singles chronology
"Love Bug"
(1965) 		"The Weekend"
(1966) 		"A Very Precious Love"
(1966)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Record World[2]
CashboxPositive (Pick of the Week)[3]
BillboardPositive (Spotlight)[4]

"The Weekend" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo, Lou Stallman, and Bob Weinstein. It was most notably performed by Jack Jones, whose version was released as a single in early 1966 by Kapp Records.

Background and content

The song was written by Teddy Randazzo, Lou Stallman, and Bob Weinstein with performance rights handled by BMI.[5] The promotion of it and the two main recorded versions was under disk promoter Herb Rosen who represented South Mountain Music.[6] It was reportedly his first project for them.[6] The song is short and is relatively fast-moving with a swinging arrangement.[2] The lyrics focus on a hard-working man who really looks forward to the days Saturday and Sunday (the weekend), so he can spend some time with his girlfriend.[5]

Jack Jones version

Release and reception

"The Weekend" was released as a seven-inch single in January 1966 by Kapp Records in the United States and other territories.[7] In Australia the catalogue number was K-4073.[8] It was backed by another pop-romancer,[3] "Wildflower" on the B-side.[7] Both tracks were lifted from his For the "In" Crowd album released concurrently and were arranged and conducted by Don Costa.[7] The single was produced by Michael Kapp himself, and also didn't receive a picture sleeve.[7] Jones' version of "The Weekend" was marketed as the original as well.[6]

The single received a positive critical reception upon its release. Record World gave the single four stars and in its short review of it stated that "Jazzy waltz-foxtrot song gets an extremely pleasant rendition from the Jones boy."[2] Cashbox reviewed the single in late January and said that Jones "should have no difiiculty in repeating his recent 'Love Bug' triumph with either side of this ultra-commercial Kapp release." Continuing, "One side, 'The Weekend,' a cover of the previously released Steve Lawrence Columbia outing, is a rhythmic, chorus-backed handclapper. ...The other side, 'Wildflower,' is a pretty, hauntingly melodic bittersweet romancer."[3] Billboard magazine stated that "Jones has one of his most commercial entries in this off-beat rhythm number loaded with sales appeal." They noted that it "Fits all types of programming."[4]

Chart performance

"The Weekend" debuted at No. 23 on February 5, 1966, on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100, dropping out after a two-week run on the chart.[9] The single reached No. 100 on the Cashbox Top 100 Singles,[10] and peaked at No. 9 on the Record World Looking Ahead singles chart, during its six-week run on the chart.[11] The single also peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart.[12] Outside of America "The Weekend" didn't sell well, unlike "Love Bug" the single didn't chart in Canada.[13]

Chart performance for "The Weekend" by Jack Jones
Chart (1966) Peak
position
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100[9] 123
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles[10] 100
US Record World Up-Coming Singles[11] 109
US Billboard Easy Listening[12] 20

Track listing

7" vinyl single[7][3]

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."The Weekend"Teddy Randazzo, Lou Stallman, and Bob Weinstein2:05
2."Wildflower"Estelle Levitt, Ruth Sexton2:20

Steve Lawrence version

"The Week-End"
Single by Steve Lawrence
B-side"Only the Young"
ReleasedJanuary 3, 1966 (1966-01-03)
RecordedDecember 1965 (1965-12)
GenrePop
Length2:02
LabelColumbia
4-43487[1]
Songwriters
ProducerMike Berniker
Steve Lawrence singles chronology
"Millions of Roses"
(1965) 		"The Week-End"
(1966) 		"The Ballad of the Sad Young Men"
(1966)

Release and reception

The competing version of "The Weekend", titled "The Week-End" by Steve Lawrence was released as a seven-inch single on January 3, 1966, by Columbia Records in the United States and other territories.[14] It was also arranged by Don Costa, but was produced by Mike Berniker.[14] It was backed by "Only the Young" on the B-side.[15] Unlike Jones' version, Lawrence's version wasn't included in any of his albums.

The single received a positive reception as well. Record World rated it four stars and called it a "Syncopated tune that changes pace nicely and provides Steve with one of his best outings."[16] Cashbox magazine stated that "Lawrence can quickly get back in his previous money-making ways with this Top 40-oriented Columbia outing dubbed “The Week-End." The magazine described it as a "rhythmic infectious ditty".[5] The Oregon Daily Journal referred to it as "a real swinger".[17]

Chart performance

Although released before Jones' version, Lawrence's "The Week-End" debuted a few weeks later on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart, at No. 31 on February 19, 1966.[18] It dropped out the following week.[18] His version debuted on the Billboard Easy Listening chart on February 5, 1966, peaking at No. 24 during a seven-week run on it.[19] On the Cashbox Looking Ahead charts both songs charted concurrently, reaching No. 17.[20]

Chart performance for "The Week-End" by Steve Lawrence
Chart (1966) Peak
position
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100[18] 131
US Cashbox Looking Ahead[20] 117
US Billboard Easy Listening[19] 24

Track listing

7" vinyl single[15][5]

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."The Week-End"Teddy Randazzo, Lou Stallman, and Bob Weinstein2:02
2."Only the Young"Ahlert, Fisher3:28


References

  1. ^ a b Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records, Krause Publications
  2. ^ a b c "Record World Singles Reviews, Four Stars" (PDF). Record World. Vol. 20, no. 973. January 29, 1966. p. 6. Retrieved December 31, 2025 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  3. ^ a b c d Ostrow, Marty (January 29, 1966). "Record Reviews: The Cashbox Pick of the Week" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. XXVII, no. 28. p. 17. Retrieved March 21, 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  4. ^ a b January 29, 1966: Billboard magazine, Top 60 Spotlight. Retrieved March 21, 2026 via worldradiohistory.com
  5. ^ a b c d Ostrow, Marty (January 15, 1966). "Record Reviews: Pick of the Week" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. XXVII, no. 26. p. 40. Retrieved March 21, 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  6. ^ a b c Ostrow, Marty (January 22, 1966). "Six Smash Singles on Kapp" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. XXVII, no. 27. p. 45. Retrieved March 21, 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  7. ^ a b c d e "The Weekend"/"Wildflower" (7" vinyl single) (Media notes). Jack Jones. Kapp Records. January 1966. K-736.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ "The Weekend"/"Wildflower" (7" vinyl single) (Media notes). Jack Jones. Kapp Records. 1966. K-4073.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981. Menomonee Falls, Wis: Record Research. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-8982-0047-8.
  10. ^ a b Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. p. 182. ISBN 1-56308-316-7.
  11. ^ a b "Record World: Up-Coming Singles chart" (PDF). Record World. Vol. 20, no. 978. March 5, 1966. p. 18. Retrieved December 31, 2025 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  12. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006. Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research Inc. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
  13. ^ "RPM Weekly - Adult Contemporary Chart Search: Jack Jones". Library and Archives Canada. Government of Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  14. ^ a b The Week-End by Steve Lawrence on 45cat.com Retrieved February 1, 2026
  15. ^ a b "The Weekend"/"Only the Young" (7" vinyl single) (Media notes). Steve Lawrence. Columbia Records. January 3, 1966. 4-43487.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ "Record World Singles Reviews, Four Stars" (PDF). Record World. Vol. 20, no. 970. January 8, 1966. p. 6. Retrieved December 31, 2025 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  17. ^ "New singles reviews". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, Oregon. January 24, 1966. Retrieved March 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981. Menomonee Falls, Wis: Record Research. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-8982-0047-8.
  19. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006. Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research Inc. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
  20. ^ a b Ostrow, Marty (February 19, 1966). "Looking Ahead" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. XXVII, no. 31. p. 10. Retrieved March 21, 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
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