"Rag Doll" is a popular song written by Bob Crewe and Bob
Gaudio. It was recorded by The Four Seasons and released as a
single in 1964. The single reached number one on the U.S. pop
chart in July of that year and remained in the top position for
two weeks.
The song was quite an accomplishment for Crewe and Guadio
and the Four Seasons, ascending to the top of the charts during
1964, "the year of The Beatles," a tough time for U.S.-based
pop acts to have chart success.
According to songwriter Bob Gaudio, the recording was
inspired by the activities of a young girl as he was stopped in
traffic in Manhattan. As he waited for the traffic signal to
change, a dirty-faced girl proceeded to clean the windshield of
his automobile for some spare change. When Gaudio reached into
his wallet, he was surprised to find that all he had were notes
, and none of the bills was smaller than $20. He gave the girl
in tattered clothes a $20 bill. (The amount of the bill is
unsure as Gaudio has also said it was a $5 and a $10 on
different occasions). Her look of utter astonishment stayed in
Gaudio's mind as he approached the recording studio. "Rag
Doll", with a few tweaks by Bob Crewe, was the result.
The B-side was the original version of "Silence Is Golden."
In 1967 the song was a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart
for the English band The Tremeloes.