Bryan Ferry: The In Crowd

Here’s a song I’ve come to know and like from its recent usage in a Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) commercial. Today’s Media Monday feature is Bryan Ferry’s version of the 60s hit that was made famous by both Dobie Gray and The Ramsey Lewis Trio: “The In Crowd.” Prior to it being featured in the commercial, I doubt if I had ever heard Ferry’s version of the song.

Even though it charted at #13 in the UK, the single failed to chart in the US and suffered the fate of most of Ferry’s and his band Roxy Music’s recordings in the States. Very few of his recordings charted in the Hot 100 and included Roxy Music’s “Love is the Drug” at #30, “Dance Away” at #44, and “Over You” at #80. Ferry’s solo recordings to chart were “Kiss and Tell” at #31 and “Heart on my Sleeve” at #86.

The song starts with a Fender Rhodes that uses a stereo tremolo effect. This effect was produced through the Leslie Model 60 Speaker System and should not be confused with their rotating feature cabinet used often in combination with Hammond organs. 

Ferry’s version of this 60s classic is a bit unusual, but I like it. It was released in 1974 and was from his second solo album, “Another Time, Another Place.” If you listen closely, Ferry’s vocals on this cut sound similar to a style made famous several years later by The B-52s

DSW Commercial