"Whodunit"
One of side-A labels of the US single
Single by Tavares
from the album Love Storm
B-side"Fool of the Year"
ReleasedMarch 1977
Recorded1977
GenrePop, Soul
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Freddie Perren
Keni St. Lewis
Producer(s)Freddie Perren
Tavares singles chronology
"Don't Take Away the Music"
(1976)		 "Whodunit"
(1977)		 "More Than a Woman"
(1978)

"Whodunit", written by Keni St. Lewis and Freddie Perren, was a hit song for American R&B/disco group Tavares in 1977. Released from their album Love Storm.

Background

The lyrical hook to the song was the repeated query "Whodunit? / Who stole my baby?" The singer then appealed to a series of famous fictional detectives to help "solve" the case, including Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Ellery Queen, McCloud, Kojak, Baretta and Dirty Harry. The gimmick was reminiscent of "Searchin'", a 1957 single by The Coasters which also invoked a series of lawmen to track down a missing love interest.

Chart performance

The song spent one week at number one on the R&B singles chart in May 1977 and peaked at number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart[1] and in the UK peaked at number 5 the week ending 7 May 1977, where it stayed for 2 weeks.[2] "Whodunit" was re-released in February 1986.

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 567.
  2. ↑ UK release Capitol CL 15914 Whodunit (St. Lewis / Perren) / Fool Of The Year (F Tavares / St. Lewis)
  3. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 305. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. 1 2 "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  5. 1 2 "Dutch Charts". Dutchcharts.nl.
  6. ↑ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 236.
  8. ↑ "Top 100 1977 - UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  9. ↑ "1977 Year End". Bullfrogspond.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.


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