Everly Brothers- Cathy’s Clown

When Phil and Don would sing….their two voices would become one.

The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in the UK, and #2 in Canada in 1960. The B side was Always It’s You and it peaked at #56 in the Billboard 100. This was the first single to simultaneously top the UK and US charts. This was the first single ever released on the Warner Bros. label in the UK, where it got the catalog number WB-1.

This song was inspired by one of Don Everly’s ex-girlfriends, this song is about a guy Cathy dumps. The writer credits on this song went to both Don and Phil Everly until 1980, when a deal was made to make Don the solo composer.

This was the first Everly Brothers single for Warner Brothers. Records. They signed with the label in 1960 after a string of hits for Cadence Records, which couldn’t afford to re-sign them. They paid the Everlys a reported $1 million and expected a hit. The Everlys delivered a hit with “Cathy’s Clown… holding the top spot for five weeks.

It had a hint of the future in this song. There was only one drummer on this track, but he was augmented by a tape loop that engineer Bill Porter used to add additional beats. This being 1960, it was done on the fly, with Porter switching to the loop when he wanted it to come in.

Cathy’s Clown

Don’t want your love anymore,
Don’t want your kisses that’s for sure,
I die each time I hear this sound,
Here he comes that’s Cathy’s clown

I gotta stand tall
You know a man can’t crawl,
When he knows your tellin’ lies and
He hears ’em passing by, he’s
Not a man at all

Don’t want your love anymore,
Don’t want your kisses that’s for sure,
I die each time I hear this sound,
Here he comes that’s Cathy’s clown

When you see me shed a tear,
And you know that it’s sincere
Don’t you think it’s kinda sad that
You’re treating me so bad or don’t
You even care?

Don’t want your love anymore,
Don’t want your kisses that’s for sure,
I die each time I hear this sound,
Here he comes that’s Cathy’s clown

That’s Cathy’s clown
That’s Cathy’s clown

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

27 thoughts on “Everly Brothers- Cathy’s Clown”

    1. Thank you….My dad loved them and passed them, Elvis, and Little Richard down to me when I was a kid….I can hear the link between The Everlys to Buddy Holly and then a few years later the Beatles.

      Like

      Reply

  3. As you know, I hugely dig harmony singing, which is one of the reasons I got into The Beatles. When it comes to blending voices, The Everly Brothers reach a degree of perfection few other acts can match. I also love this particular tune. Also thanks for sharing all the background (first simultaneous no. 1 in US and UK, writer credits, etc.), which I didn’t know.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I think more than Elvis and others…they influence the Beatles in a big way with their harmony vocals.
      I so wished I could have seen them live when they toured with Simon and Garfunkel.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Wow, with Simon & Garfunkel you had another outstanding harmony singing duo – what a great show this must have been!

        I knew John and Paul were fans of the Everly Brothers and just did a quick and dirty Google search and found the below. Did you know that “Let ‘Em In” called out Don and Phil? And that Paul wrote and produced a song for them in 1984, called “On the Wings of a Nightingale”? Frankly, all new to me!

        https://www.showbiz411.com/2021/08/22/rip-don-everly-paul-mccartney-loved-the-everly-brothers-so-much-he-gave-them-a-shout-out-in-a-hit-single

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh I remember that song On The Wings Of A Nightingale…it’s probably been since the 80s since I’ve heard it….a long long time.

        It helped them when they regrouped at that time. I like Let Em In….all the references…some say Brother John is John Lennon or Linda’s brother John.

        Like

  4. great voices to be sure! Interesting it was the first simultaneous #1 hit in US and UK, would have guessed Elvis, or some easy listening act long before it.
    One of two duo coincidences in my life…my dad was Ernie and for years his best friend at work was named Bert. And, in the 90s, for a few years I was cleared to be a sort of semi-official photographer for a railroad in my city, so I had property waivers etc allowing me to tresspass on their trackage and in the yards. They had two police for their district… they were Phil, and Don! I don’t think they sang though.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. That was hard to believe also about being number one in both places. I do think at one time the UK released them later than America. I read where the Beatles would latch on to an American record they got that wasn’t heard in the UK.

      I remember the Bert and Ernie….that is cool. I do think that was lifted from It’s A Wonderful Life. They had to kidded about that.

      Like

      Reply
  10. Pingback: Everly Brothers- Cathy’s Clown – MobsterTiger
  11. Pingback: When Two Make One – Christian's Music Musings

Leave a reply to badfinger20 (Max) Cancel reply