Games People Play

"Games People Play" is a synth-pop song with elements of progressive rock, which was the main genre of The Alan Parsons Project.

Besides its success in the USA, "Games People Play" also charted in other countries, reaching the top 10 in Canada and the top 20 in the Netherlands.

The song has been used in several TV shows and movies, including the American drama series "Knight Rider" and the 2003 comedy "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star".

The lyrics of "Games People Play" are not about literal games but rather about the mind games and manipulations that people often play with each other in relationships and society as a whole.

The song was written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, the two main members of The Alan Parsons Project, and produced by Parsons.

Several artists have covered "Games People Play", including the pop singer Millie Jackson and the reggae band Inner Circle.

The title "Games People Play" is the same as a well-known psychology book by Eric Berne, published in 1964, which discusses human social interactions. However, the band has not confirmed whether the book influenced the song. --- The Alan Parsons Project consisted of the duo Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, who were based in England. They were active between 1975 to 1990, during which they released a string of hits, including "Games People Play". These are some interesting facts about the band -

Alan Parsons started as a staff engineer at EMI Records and became prominent for his work on The Beatles' "Abbey Road" and Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" albums.

Eric Woolfson was a songwriter and manager by trade when he joined with Alan Parsons. He was the main lyricist and also contributed as a vocalist in many songs.

Each Alan Parsons Project album had a thematic, kind of conceptual nature, covering a variety of topics from history, science, philosophy, to mental states and vices.

The Alan Parsons Project, during their active years, had several top-charting albums and singles in the UK, USA, and many other countries.

After the band disbanded in 1990, Alan Parsons continued to produce music and even started a successful solo career, while Woolfson worked on musical theatre.

Some of the band's most successful albums include "Eye in the Sky" and "The Turn of a Friendly Card", from which "Games People Play" is taken.

Interestingly, despite their success, The Alan Parsons Project never performed live during their original run. Their music was considered to be too complex and elaborate for live performance.

Eric Woolfson, Alan Parson's longtime musical partner, sadly passed away from kidney cancer in 2009.

The Alan Parsons Project is noted for their significant influence on the progressive rock and pop genres and their intricate, cinematic approach to their music production.