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Please Mr. Please

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"Please Mr. Please"
side-A label
Side A of the Australian single
Single by Olivia Newton-John
from the album Have You Never Been Mellow
B-side
  • "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (UK)
  • "And in the Morning" (US and rest of world)
ReleasedJune 1975
Recorded1974
GenreCountry pop
Length3:31
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Bruce Welch, John Rostill
Producer(s)John Farrar
Olivia Newton-John singles chronology
"Have You Never Been Mellow"
(1975) 		"Please Mr. Please"
(1975) 		"Something Better to Do"
(1975)

"Please Mr. Please" is a song written by Bruce Welch and John Rostill, both members of British pop singer Cliff Richard's backing band, The Shadows.[1] Welch had originally recorded the song himself in 1974[2] with no commercial success.

In 1975, British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John recorded and released a version of the song as the second and final single from her fifth studio album, Have You Never Been Mellow.

Song story

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The song begins as an apparent tribute to the jukebox and how one can listen to a lot of great music for a small price. But instead of continuing along those lines, the song picks up on how some songs on the jukebox can trigger bad memories. This happens when the protagonist—at a tavern with friends, trying to get over a just-broken relationship—sees another customer at the jukebox, trying to play "B-17," which is coded to a song the woman does not want to hear.

The song, she cries, was special to the now-broken relationship. It now triggers sorrowful memories to the point that she never wants to hear the song again. The refrain sees the woman begging the "button-pushin' cowboy" (the ‘Mister’ of the song’s title) not to play the evocative song.

Reception

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Record World said that the song is "Olivia's most country-oriented outing yet will also speak as sweetly to her total audience for '. . Please' pleases pop just as perfectly!"[3]

Chart performance

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Released as a single in 1975, "Please Mr. Please" reached the Top 10 on three major Billboard charts in the US that year. On the pop chart, the song peaked at #3 August 9, 1975, remaining in the Top 40 for 12 weeks: Newton-John's fifth consecutive Top Ten hit, "Please Mr. Please" would also mark Newton-John's last appearance in the top ten for a three-year period.[4] On the country chart, the song reached #5 August 23rd, while on the adult contemporary chart, the song spent three weeks at #1 beginning July 12, 1975.[1] The single was a certified Gold record by the RIAA.[5]

Cover versions

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  • Juliana Hatfield covered the song on her album Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John.[17]
  • Claude François covered the song in a French language version titled "Pourquoi Pleurer (Sur Un Succès D'Été)," which was released as a single in France in 1975, and became the opener and title track of that year's album release by the singer.
  • Venezuelan singer Nancy Ramos covered the song on her 1976 LP "Poderosa" in a Spanish language version titled "Dime Que Si".
  • Salvadoran singer Evangelina Sol covered the song in a Spanish language version titled "Por favor Señor, por favor" on her 1975 album "Evangelina."
  • Dickie Goodman used a sound-alike version of the chorus for his 1975 parody hit single, "Mr. Jaws."
  • Bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent covered the song in 2024.


References

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  1. ^ a b c Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  2. ^ "Bruce Welch Discography - UK". 45cat.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 7 June 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  5. ^ "American single certifications – Olivia Newton-John – Please Mister Please". Recording Industry Association of America.
  6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 217. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ "RPM Top Singles for August 9, 1975". RPM. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  8. ^ "RPM Country Tracks for September 6, 1975". RPM. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  9. ^ "RPM Adult Contemporary for August 9, 1975". RPM. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  10. ^ Charts.nz
  11. ^ "Olivia Newton-John Billboard Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  12. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 8/02/75".
  13. ^ "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (PDF) (in French). BAnQ. 15 August 1975. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  14. ^ "CU.S Digital Song Sales: Week of August 20, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1975".
  16. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  17. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
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