Song · Alan Parsons Project
“I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You” by Alan Parsons Project
From the album I Robot (1977)
“I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You” by Alan Parsons Project appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 2002 and 2020. It was first released in 1977 on the album I Robot. Its best result is #837 on the KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #8,228 indie & aaa song of all time.
The Alan Parsons Project brought in an outside voice for "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" on their 1977 album I Robot: Eric Woolfson asked pop singer Lenny Zakatek to sing lead, and Zakatek cut his part in Studio 2 at Abbey Road. It was the start of a long run, and he'd go on to sing many more of the band's songs.
Parsons and Woolfson wrote it and never settled who's doing the talking, Parsons hearing a man addressing a machine and Woolfson a machine addressing a man; both readings, Woolfson said, were "equally valid, or equally invalid". Ian Bairnson plays guitar, David Paton bass, Stuart Tosh drums and Woolfson keyboards, and Parsons produced and engineered, putting tape echo on the guitar. It reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 837 | 92.3 KGON | KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) | 923 |
| 2020 | 1939 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
Also listed as: Wouldn't Want To Be Like You.
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You" by Alan Parsons Project.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.