Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow

"Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow"
Single by Merry Clayton
from the album Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow
ReleasedJuly 1975 (U.S.)
LabelOde
Songwriter(s)Morgan Ames, Dave Grusin
Merry Clayton singles chronology
"Oh No Not My Baby"
(1975) 		"Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow"
(1975) 		"Emotion"
(1980)
"Baretta's Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)"
Single by Rhythm Heritage
from the album Disco-Fied
B-side"My Cherie Amour"
ReleasedApril 1976 (U.S.)
GenreDisco
Length3:15
LabelABC
Songwriter(s)Morgan Ames, Dave Grusin
Producer(s)Steve Barri, Michael Omartian
Rhythm Heritage singles chronology
"Theme from S.W.A.T."
(1975) 		"Baretta's Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)"
(1976) 		"Theme from Rocky (Gonna Fly Now)"
(1977)

"Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow", also known as "Baretta's Theme", is a song written by Morgan Ames and Dave Grusin, recorded by multiple artists during the summer of 1975. Merry Clayton's version was the first to chart, reaching #45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

A version by Rhythm Heritage became a Top 20 hit in 1976. The band recorded it as a semi-instrumental number, with subdued vocals by Oren and Luther Waters. It was selected as the theme to the TV show Baretta, starring Robert Blake.[1] "Baretta's Theme" was released as a single in the spring of 1976, reaching #20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #15 in Canada.[2]

Chart history

Merry Clayton
Chart (1975) Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles[3] 71
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] 45
U.S. Billboard R&B 42
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[5] 58
Sammy Davis Jr.
Chart (1976) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100[6] 101
Rhythm Heritage ("Baretta's Theme")
Chart (1976) Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[7] 22
Canada RPM Top Singles[8] 15
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[9] 20
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 14
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[10] 16

• Disco Sparks feat. Christine Wiltshire & The D.S. Orchestra version was released in 2025 on Z Records.

References

  1. ^ "Dave Grusin & Morgan Ames: Baretta ('Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow')". Dave Tomkins: Musica Database. University of British Columbia. Retrieved August 22, 2018 – via cs.ubc.ca.
  2. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 10, 1976. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  3. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. September 13, 1975. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  4. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  5. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, September 20, 1975". Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  6. ^ Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959–2004
  7. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 10, 1976. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  8. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 10, 1976. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  9. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  10. ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, June 19, 1976
  11. ^ "El Chicano – Pyramid of Love and Friends (1975, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1975.
  12. ^ Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959–2004
  13. ^ "Sammy Davis Jr. added lyrics to so many instrumental TV theme songs". MeTV.com. October 29, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
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