“Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window” was recorded by Dutch singer Patricia Paay in 1975, with Steve Harley as the producer. It was released by EMI Records as the lead single from Paay’s second studio album, Beam of Light, on 10 October 1975. The song is a cover of the 1965 hit written and originally recorded by Bob Dylan.
Background
In 1975, Paay returned to working as a solo artist after spending two years as the lead singer of the Dutch music band Heart, who were signed to the EMI-Bovema label. When they disbanded in 1975, Paay remained signed to EMI to relaunch her solo career. She soon went to England to record Beam of Light at Abbey Road Studios, with Steve Harley as the producer, who at the time was in a relationship with Paay’s sister, Yvonne Keeley. The album featured major contributions from members of Cockney Rebel and one of the songs Paay recorded was Bob Dylan’s “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window”.
Release
“Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window” was released by EMI Records on 10 October 1975 as the lead single from Beam of Light in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium. The B-side, “Stairway to Heaven”, is a cover of the 1971 song by Led Zeppelin and was also included on Beam of Light. Like its parent album, the single was not a commercial success and failed to chart in the UK.
Promotion
In 1976, Paay performed the song on the Dutch TV programme TROS Disco Circus.
Critical reception
Upon its release, Mike Pryce of the Worcester Evening News remarked that the song “has been well recorded by new voice Patricia Paay on EMI” and added, “If she keeps up this standard she will be worth looking out for in 1976.” A reviewer for the Thanet Times commented that the cover is a “nice version of the Dylan number”.
Track listing
7-inch single (UK)
- “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window” – 3:58
- “Stairway to Heaven” – 6:50
Personnel
“Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window”
- Patricia Paay – vocals
- Jim Cregan – guitars
- Duncan Mackay – keyboards
- Herbie Flowers – bass
- Tony Newman – drums
“Stairway to Heaven”
- Patricia Paay – vocals
- Jim Cregan – guitars, backing vocals
- Duncan Mackay – keyboards
- George Ford – bass, backing vocals
- Stuart Elliott – drums
- Yvonne Keeley – backing vocals
- Barry St. John – backing vocals
Production
- Steve Harley – producer
- Tony Clark – engineer
