Top forty radio in the 1960s was a wonderful thing, with all types of music and musicians represented. You might get a song by the Beatles, then one by Dusty Springfield, then a Dylan tune, then a Motown tune, then a country tune, then maybe even something by an old-school crooner. That last category is represented by today’s classic song of the day, “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” performed by old-school crooner Andy Williams.
Mr. Williams released “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” as a single in March of 1963, about a year before four lads from Liverpool kicked off the British Invasion. The song was popular enough to go all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart (then called the Middle-Road Singles chart).
“Can’t Get Used to Losing You” was written by the legendary team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Doc and Mort were famous for songs such as “A Teenager in Love” for Dion and the Belmonts; “This Magic Moment,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “I Count the Tears” for the Drifters; and “Little Sister,” “Suspicion,” and “Viva Las Vegas” for Elvis Presley.
On “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” Mr. Williams double-tracked his vocals and even sang his own harmonies on the choruses. It’s an extremely well-done production, a great example of the so-called 360 Sound popularized by Columbia Records at the time. The sound originated with Columbia’s Studio A on 52nd Street and Studio C (AKA the Church) on 30th Street, and involved the use of carefully placed omnidirectional microphones to record the entire ensemble live, as well as copious amounts of reverb, to create a sense of spaciousness and immersion.
For today’s daily bonus video of the day, here’s Andy Williams singing “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” live in concert back in 1969. He had a very smooth style, didn’t he?
