Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#2), R&B (#1 for 5 weeks) and Dance (#3); 1984
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Sometimes family connections work for you; sometimes against. Kennedy Gordy’s dad, Berry, owned Motown Records, but wasn’t interested in his son’s song, Somebody’s Watching Me.
Fortunately, staff producer Curtis Anthony Nolan was. Kennedy and Nolan put together a demo in Nolan’s home studio and used it to squeeze some money out of Motown for a real recording. Next they wanted a famous voice for the chorus.
Enter Kennedy’s sister, Hazel, who was married to Michael Jackson’s brother, Jermaine. When Kennedy and Curtis played the demo for Michael, and indicated where they wanted him to sing, the gloved one flipped over it. Back in the studio, Michael laid down his part in just over an hour.
Kennedy and Curtis delivered the finished tape to Berry Gordy, who felt it would do well at pop radio but not R&B. Released under the name “Rockwell” – after painter Norman Rockwell – Somebody’s Watching Me defied Berry’s instincts by topping the R&B chart.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Curtis Anthony Nolen
- Rockwell
Lyrics Written by:
- Kennedy “Rockwell” Gordy
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).