Whodunit (song)

"Whodunit"
File:Whodunit - Tavares.jpg
Single by Tavares
from the album Love Storm
B-side	"Fool of the Year"
Released	March, 1977
Format	45 RPM
Recorded	1977
Genre	Pop
Label	Capitol
Tavares singles chronology
"Don't Take Away the Music" (1976) "Whodunit" (1977) "More Than a Woman" (1978)

"Whodunit", written by Keni St. Lewis and Freddie Perren, was a hit song for R&B/disco group Tavares in 1977. Released from their album, Love Storm it spent one week at number one on the R&B singles chart in May 1977, and peaked at number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and in the UK peaked at number 5 the week ending 7 May 1977 where it stayed for 2 weeks [UK release Capitol CL 15914 Whodunit (St. Lewis / Perren) / Fool Of The Year (F Tavares / St. Lewis).] Whodunit was re-released in February 1986.

The lyrical hook to the song was the repeated query "Whodunit? / Who stole my baby?" The singer then appealed to a series of famous fictional detectives to help "solve" the case, including Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Ellery Queen, McCloud, Kojak, Baretta and Dirty Harry. The gimmick was reminiscent of "Searchin'", a 1957 single by The Coasters which also invoked a series of lawmen to track down a missing love interest.

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1977)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	22
U.S. R&B	1
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	16
Canadian RPM	15
UK	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Position
Canada	136
UK	64
U.S. Billboard	141

References

Preceded by "Got to Give It Up (Part 1)" by Marvin Gaye

Billboard's Hot Soul Singles number one single May 21, 1977

Succeeded by "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder