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"Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)"
Solid center variant of the UK single
Single by John Fred & His Playboy Band
from the album Agnes English
B-side	"Out of Left Field"
Released	October 1967
Genre	R&B novelty pop rock bubblegum pop
Length	2:55
Label	Paula
Songwriter(s)	John Fred Gourrier Andrew Bernard
Producer(s)	John Fred Gourrier Andrew Bernard

"Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" is a song that was a No. 1 hit for the Louisiana-based John Fred & His Playboy Band in late 1967. It was jointly composed by Fred and bandmate Andrew Bernard. Billboard magazine noted that it was recorded not in New York, Los Angeles, or Nashville, but "in a small studio in Tyler, Texas."

Arrangements and content

The song features strings, brass, a sitar, piano, bass, guitar, drums, breathing sounds, and dissonant string sounds. Its title is a play on, and a mondegreen of, the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" which Fred had initially believed was "Lucy in disguise with diamonds" upon first hearing the song.)

The other members of the Playboy Band did not like the unusual slow abrupt ending with Fred intoning the final line, "I guess I'll just take your glasses."

Chart performance

In January 1968, the song reached No. 1 in the US and became a gold record. It also hit No. 1 in Germany, Switzerland, and Australia, and No. 3 in both Canada and the United Kingdom.

Anthony Swete version

Anthony Swete recorded a version that was a hit in Argentina in 1968. It stayed on the charts for more than two months.

Background

Anthony Swete's version of "Judy in Disguise" was released as "Judy Disfrazada". Backed with "Doblame, Modelame" ("Bend Me, Shape Me"), written by Scott English and Larry Weiss, it was released on Groove GS-8005 in 1968.

Chart

As shown by Cash Box in the March 16 issue, Swete's version debuted at No. 10 on the Argentina's Best Sellers chart. It peaked at No. 5 on April 20. It was still in the chart at No. 17 on May 25. If there was any further chart action for the single in the following week, it could not be shown as Cash Box replaced Argentina's Best Sellers chart with the Brazil's Best Sellers (Rio de Janeiro) chart. On June 8, the Argentina's Best Sellers chart was back. There was no further chart action shown for the single in the top 20 range.

With Billboard, the chart progress of "Judy Disfrazada" showed a debut at No. 4 in the Buenos Aires Top Ten on the week of April 6, 1968. There was another version of "Judy Disfrazada" by Bárbara y Dick in the same chart. It was at No. 7. From April 13 to May 4, there was no Buenos Aires Top Ten category in Billboard Hits of the World section so further progress isn't shown. The Argentina section was now included in the May 11 issue. There was no charting of Swete's single in the top ten range.

Appearances

"Judy in Disguise" was included on Anthony Swete's self-titled album, released on Clan Celentano BF ES LP 7021 in 1970.

Other versions

Gary Lewis and the Playboys recorded a version which was released on their Now! album, released on Liberty LST-7568 in 1968. Reviewed in the June 1 issue of Cash Box, "Judy in Disguise" and "Young Girl" were noted as the album's highlights.

Punk band Frank Xerox and the Copy Cats a.k.a. the Speedometors recorded a version of "Judy in Disguise". It was backed with "Rock Show" and released on Arista ARIST 160 in 1980.

See also

• List of number-one hits of 1968 (Germany)
• List of number-one hits of 1968 (Switzerland)
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1968 (U.S.)
• List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States

References

1. ^ Breihan, Tom (October 26, 2018). "The Number Ones: John Fred And His Playboy Band's "Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 14, 2023. With "Judy In Disguise"...Fred came up with a dizzily silly novelty song that made fun of the Beatles' psychedelic surrealism...Instead, it's a big, stiff, bouncy R&B song with strings and horns...
2. Unterberger, Richie. Various Artists - Chartbusters USA, Vol. 2 (2002) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
3. Sendra, Tim. Various Artists - Pour a Little Sugar on It: The Chewy Chewy Sounds of American Bubblegum 1966-1971 (2024) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
4. Gross, Mike. "'Backyard Studios'—New Sound Frontier." Billboard, 27 April 1968, 1.
5. Kasser, Tom (July 2013). Lucy in the Mind of Lennon. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-974760-3.
6. "Seven things you didn't know about "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"". blog.oup.com. Oxford University Press. July 9, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
7. Bronson, Fred (1997). Billboard Book of Number One Songs. Billboard Books. ISBN 9780823076413.
8. ^ "John Fred & His Playboy Band – Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
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10. ^ "GGo-Set National Top 40 - 20 March 1968". www.poparchives.com.au.
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40. Cash Box, March 16, 1968 - Page 80 Cash Box Argentina, Argentina's Best Sellers, This Week 10, Last Week _
41. Cash Box, April 20, 1968 - Page 77 Cash Box Argentina, Argentina's Best Sellers, This Week 5, Last Week 6
42. Cash Box, April 27, 1968 - Page 61 Cash Box Argentina, Argentina's Best Sellers, This Week 6, Last Week 5
43. Cash Box, May 25, 1968 - Page 55 Cash Box Argentina, Argentina's Best Sellers, This Week 17, Last Week 11
44. Cash Box, June 1, 1968 - Page 58
45. Cash Box, June 8, 1968 - Page 69 Cash Box Argentina, Argentina's Best Sellers
46. Billboard, April 6, 1968 - Page 45 Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD, BUENOS AIRES, This Week 4, Last Week _
47. Billboard, April 6, 1968 - Page 45 Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD, BUENOS AIRES, This Week 7, Last Week 8
48. Billboard, April 13, 1968 - Page 55 Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD
49. Billboard, April 20, 1968 - Page 51 Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD
50. Billboard, April 27, 1968 - Page 53 Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD
51. Billboard, May 4, 1968 - Page 53 Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD
52. Billboard, May 11, 1968 - Page 51 Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD, Argentina
53. Popsike - LP 33 Anthony Swete ?– Anthony Swete Italy 1970 Clan Celentano Funk / Soul
54. Cash Box, June 1, 1968 - Page 40 Cash Box Album Reviews, Pop Best Bets
55. My Life's a Jigsaw, Wednesday 27 April 2011 - Frank Xerox And The Copy Cats - Judy In Disguise (1978)
56. Offizielle Deutsche Charts - FRANK XEROX AND THE COPY CATS, JUDY IN DISGUISE SINGLE

• 1967 singles
• Bárbara y Dick songs
• Gary Lewis & the Playboys songs
• Anthony Swete songs
• Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
• Cashbox number-one singles
• Number-one singles in Australia
• Number-one singles in Germany
• Number-one singles in South Africa
• Number-one singles in Switzerland
• 1967 songs
• Mondegreens
• Songs written by John Fred
• Groove Records singles
• Vik Records singles