The 1974 Terry Venables 7‚’ Single -‘What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?

Whilst still a Rangers player, Terry Venables recorded his version of; ‘What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? Backed by the Billy Amstell Jazz Band, the single was released by Decca in 1974 (catalogue no. F 13500).

The song was written by; Joseph McCarthy, Howard Johnson and James V. Monaco in 1916. Then the following year the first known recording of the song, featuring Ada Jones and Billy Murray, was released by Victor Records.

Probably the most popular version of this song, and also the most successful, was the Christmas and 1959/60 New Year period chart topper by Emile Ford & the Checkmates.

I have to admit that I’ve never played the flip side, ‘Lucy’, which was written by Peter Walsh and also featured the Billy Amstell Jazz Band.

Terry performed the song on LWT’s ‘Russell Harty Show’ and looking rather bemused were various members of the Rangers squad including; Terry Mancini, Frank McLintock, Phil Parkes and Gerry Francis etc.

After making over 200 1^st team appearances for the R’s, Venables moved on to Crystal Palace in September 1974.

Terry was a regular karaoke crooner for a while at his Kensington night club and he later recorded another standard; ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ with the backing of a full orchestra. It was included on the ‘Bend It! 92’ football album, which was released on Exotica Records.

Following a mention in a Rangers programme around 1999/2000 regarding a proposed QPR CD compilation album, I contacted Tim Madgwick at Cherry Red. He was in the process of compiling tracks for this forthcoming CD – ‘QPR the Greatest’ (The Songs of Queen’s Park Rangers) and I made some suggestions to him. He later told me that this El Tel single had almost made it onto the album.

In 2002, Venables recorded a World Cup single, ‘England Crazy’ with the band ‘Rider’ which reached number 46 in the UK charts.

And eight years later he covered the Elvis Presley song; ‘If I Can Dream’, featuring a 60-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (and Harry Redknapp), and this one reached number 23 in the UK charts.

Steve Russell