| "No, Honestly" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Lynsey de Paul | ||||
| B-side | "Central Park Arrest" | |||
| Released | October 18, 1974 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:31 | |||
| Label | Jet Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Lynsey de Paul | |||
| Producer(s) | Lynsey de Paul | |||
| Lynsey de Paul singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"No, Honestly" is a song written, performed and produced by Lynsey de Paul, that was the theme for London Weekend Television's comedy series of the same name, although the single release was a slightly different version from that used for the TV theme.
The song was the first released on 18 October 1974 on the Jet Records label established by Don Arden.[1] It peaked at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart,[2][3] and No. 4 on the Northern Ireland chart at the beginning of December that year.[4] It also climbed to the No. 3 spot on Capitol Radio's Capital Countdown on 23 November 1974, as compiled by the Media Research Information Bureau (MRIB).[5]
The B-side of the single was de Paul's version of "Central Park Arrest";[6] a hit earlier in the year that she had originally written for the female group, Thunderthighs.[7] In 1975, de Paul received an Ivor Novello Award for Best Theme from a Radio or TV Production.[8] An instrumental version of the song was used as the theme for the second series, Yes, Honestly.[9]
The song still gets airplay on various radio stations around the world,[10][11] and it was played on Weatherfield Hospital Radio by DJ Geoff on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street on 20 July 2020.[12]
It was covered by the Brazilian singer Jeannie, on the various artists album, Discoteca Hippopotamus, in 1975.[13][14] A Danish version of "No Honestly" was released as a single by Vivian in 1976.[15][16] The Bruce Baxter Orchestra, The Ray Hartley Orchestra and The Starshine Orchestra have performed versions for albums of famous TV theme songs.[17][18][19]