"Silver Lady" is a popular single by David Soul. It was written by Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stephens and produced by Macaulay. It was released in 1977 and reached number one in the UK Singles Chart.[1]

"Silver Lady"
Single by David Soul
from the album Playing to an Audience of One
B-side"Rider"
ReleasedAugust 1977
GenrePop
LabelPrivate Stock
Songwriter(s)Tony Macaulay, Geoff Stephens
Producer(s)Tony Macaulay
David Soul singles chronology
"Going In with My Eyes Open"
(1977)
"Silver Lady"
(1977)
"Let's Have a Quiet Night In"
(1977)

Background

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"Silver Lady" was the second and final number one hit on the UK Singles Chart for David Soul, spending three weeks at the top in October 1977.[2] It had spent five weeks in the top ten before eventually toppling Elvis Presley. The single also spent four weeks at number one in Ireland, and peaked at number five in Australia, but fared less well in his homeland peaking at No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number No.23 on the Easy Listening chart.[3] It can be found on his second album Playing to an Audience of One.

In the UK, the song was used in the 2013 film Filth, with Soul miming the song while he kerb crawls in his car at night, eventually picking up a prostitute, with group of female singers in the back seat singing the chorus, and a 2014 television advert for bus operator National Express in which Soul is featured as a coach driver.[4] As a result, the song re-entered the UK Charts at No. 145 in June 2014.[5][citation needed]

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1977) Peak
position
Argentina[6] 2
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 8
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[9] 39
Canada (RPM)[10] 70
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[11] 36
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 16
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[16] 23
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 52

Year-end charts

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Chart (1977) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[18] 56
Chart (1978) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[19] 94

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 344–5. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^ Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (2010). 1,000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857123602.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 227.
  4. ^ Stone, Jason (19 June 2014). "Ad break: David Soul's Silver Lady, Coca-Cola World Cup". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  5. ^ Zobbel - UK top 200 entries, 28 June 2014
  6. ^ "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. 26 August 1978. p. 45.
  7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 280. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^ "David Soul – Silver Lady" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  9. ^ "David Soul – Silver Lady" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  10. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 19, 1977" (PDF).
  11. ^ "RPM AC Playlist - November 26, 1977" (PDF).
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – David Soul". Irish Singles Chart.
  13. ^ "David Soul – Silver Lady" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  14. ^ "David Soul – Silver Lady". Top 40 Singles.
  15. ^ "David Soul: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  16. ^ "David Soul Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  17. ^ "David Soul Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  18. ^ "Kent Music Report No 183 – 26 December 1977 > National Top 100 Singles for 1977". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  19. ^ "Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 8 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
  20. ^ "British single certifications – David Soul – Silver Lady". British Phonographic Industry.