You Were on My Mind (Crispian St Peters)

14 FEBRUARY 1966

English singer-songwriter Crispian St Peters’ single ‘You Were on my Mind’ was at its peak UK chart position of #2. This was the first top ten hit for Crispian (real name Robin Peter Smith), his only other success to this point being a #44 song in Australia.

The song itself had been written in 1962 and had featured on an album by folk duo 'Ian and Sylvia' in 1964. It was a big hit for 'We Five' in the US in 1965 (the fourth biggest-selling single of the year), but does not appear to have charted in the UK. In the sixties these situations always provided an opportunity for someone else to step in and release their own version. Crispian's version also reached #36 in the US.

As an example of the contemporary 'open season' attitude to recording the same song, 'You Were on My Mind' was actually a hit three times in Italy during 1966, with versions by Barry McGuire, Paul Anka and Equipe 84.