When You Walk in the Room

"When You Walk in the Room" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon. It was initially released as a single on November 23, 1963,^[1] as the B-side to "Till You Say You'll Be Mine". It was re-released as an A-side in September 1964, and later included on the album Breakin' It Up on the Beatles Tour!. The single charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 99.^[2]

The song has been covered by many other artists including Country Music Star Pam Tillis, whose version hit #2 on the country charts in 1994, and The Searchers, whose version reached number 3 in the UK in 1964. Other versions, all of which made the British charts though less successfully, were recorded by Paul Carrack in 1987, Status Quo in 1995, and Agnetha Fältskog in 2004.

The song's lyrics attempt to detail the singer's emotions when in the presence of the person he or she loves. There is also an expression of frustration by the singer that he or she cannot manage to tell that person of his or her love.

The song was produced using the "Wall of Sound" method of Phil Spector.^[3]

British rock band The Searchers had a hit song in early 1964 with "Needles and Pins," previously recorded by Jackie DeShannon, and they then recorded this, another song previously recorded by DeShannon.^[5] Their version reached No. 35 in the US and No. 3 in the UK. The group also recorded a German version titled "Wenn ich dich seh".^[6]

Australian rock band The Sports released a version of the song as the second single from their debut studio album, Reckless. It reached No. 42 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart.^[12]

• Side A "When You Walk in the Room" - 2:32
• Side B1 "True Stories" - 2:34
• Side B2 "Taxi Rank" - 2:25

The American country music artist Stephanie Winslow recorded a version of the song, reaching No. 29 on the US country singles chart.

British singer Paul Carrack's version, from his 1987 album One Good Reason, reached No. 90 in the US and No. 48 in the UK.

It was also a Top Ten hit in Australia, peaking at No. 7.^[13]

In 1994, American country music artist Pam Tillis recorded a version for her album Sweetheart's Dance. It was released as a single, peaking at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was accompanied by a music video, which was directed by Steven Goldmann in his second video with Tillis,^[20] it features Dick Clark and depicts Tillis in a mid-1960s appearance on American Bandstand.

Compiled from liner notes.^[24]

• Mike Brignardello — bass guitar
• Mary Chapin Carpenter — background vocals
• Rob Hajacos — fiddle
• Bob DiPiero — 12-string guitar
• Paul Franklin — steel guitar
• George Marinelli — electric guitar
• Steve Nathan — piano
• Brent Mason — electric guitar
• Kim Richey — background vocals
• Pam Tillis — lead vocals
• Biff Watson — acoustic guitar
• Lonnie Wilson — drums

The song was covered by the British rock band Status Quo for their 1996 studio album of cover versions and twenty-second studio album overall, Don't Stop, released as the album's lead single in October 1995.^[25] The song was a minor hit, reaching Number 34 in their native UK the following month.^[26] This version also appears on the band's 1997 two-disc greatest hits compilation album Whatever You Want – The Very Best of Status Quo.^[27]

Swedish singer Agnetha Fältskog, formerly of ABBA, released her version of "When You Walk in the Room" as the second single from her 2004 album, My Colouring Book. The track peaked at number 11 in Sweden and number 34 in the UK, where it remained in the chart for only two weeks. It was remixed by Almighty and SoundFactory.