Secret Love (Doris Day song)

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"Secret Love"
Secret Love - Doris Day.jpg
Single by Doris Day
B-side
ReleasedOctober 9, 1953 [1]
RecordedAugust 5, 1953
Studio Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank
Genre Traditional pop
Length3:41
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster
Doris Day singles chronology
"Choo Choo Train (Ch-Ch-Foo)"
(1953)
"Secret Love"
(1953)
"I Speak to the Stars"
(1954)

"Secret Love" is a song composed by Sammy Fain (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) [2] for Calamity Jane , a 1953 musical film in which it was introduced by Doris Day in the title role. [2] Ranked as a number 1 hit for Day on both the Billboard and Cash Box , the song also afforded Day a number 1 hit in the UK. "Secret Love" has subsequently been recorded by a wide range of artists, becoming a C&W hit firstly for Slim Whitman and later for Freddy Fender, with the song also becoming an R&B hit for Billy Stewart, whose version also reached the top 40 as did Freddy Fender's. [3] In the UK, "Secret Love" would become the career record of Kathy Kirby via her 1963 remake of the song. [2] The melody bears a slight resemblance to the opening theme of Schubert's A-major piano sonata, D.664.

Contents

Doris Day version

Doris Day first heard "Secret Love" when its co-writer Sammy Fain visited the singer's home and played it for her, Day being so moved by the song that she'd recall her reaction as being: "I just about fell apart". [4]

Day recorded the song on 5 August 1953 in a session at the Warner Bros. Recording Studio (Burbank), overseen by Warner Bros. musical director Ray Heindorf. On the day of the recording session for "Secret Love", Day had done vocal exercises at her home. Then about noon—the session being scheduled for 1 p.m.—she had set out on her bicycle to the studio. Heindorf had rehearsed the studio orchestra prior to Day's reaching the studio; upon her arrival, Heindorf suggested that Day do a practice run-through with the orchestra prior to recording any takes, but acquiesced to Day's request that her first performance with the orchestra be recorded. Day recalls, "When I got there I sang the song with the orchestra for the first time ... That was the first and only take we did." ... "When I finished Ray called me into the sound booth grinning from ear to ear and said, 'That's it. You're never going to do it better.'" [4]

The single of "Secret Love" was released on 9 October 1953—three weeks prior to the premiere of the Calamity Jane film—by her longtime record label, Columbia Records in both 45 and 78 rpm format (cat. no.40108). [5] The single entered the Top 20 bestselling singles survey at number 17 on Billboard magazine dated 9 January 1954 with the single reaching number 1 on the Top 20 survey for the week ending 17 February 1954, the week in which the song's Academy Award nomination for Best Song had been announced, the nominations for the 26th Academy Awards for the film year 1953 having been announced two days earlier. Day's "Secret Love", having spent three weeks ranked as the number 1 bestselling single by Billboard, was still ranked as the number 4 bestseller the week of the 26th Academy Awards broadcast which occurred 25 March 1954. However, Day declined to perform the nominated (and ultimately victorious) "Secret Love" at the Academy Awards ceremony, later stating: "When they asked me to sing 'Secret Love' on Academy Awards night I told them I couldn't—not in front of those people". [4] Instead, Ann Blyth performed the song at the ceremony. Day's refusal to perform "Secret Love" on the Academy Awards broadcast resulted in the Hollywood Women's Press Club "honoring" Day with the Sour Apple Award as the most uncooperative celebrity of 1953: this put-down occasioned a bout of depression which kept Day virtually housebound for several weeks, and which Day eventually had to qualify her Christian Science outlook to deal with, consulting with a medical practitioner. [4]

In 1999, the 1953 recording of "Secret Love" by Doris Day on Columbia Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [6]

1953/54 cover versions

"Secret Love"
Single by Slim Whitman
from the album Favorites
B-side "Why"
ReleasedDecember 1953
Recorded4 December 1953
Genre C&W
Length2:25
Label Imperial
Songwriter(s) Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster
Slim Whitman singles chronology
"Lord Help Me Be as Thou"
(1953)
"Secret Love"
(1953)
"Rose Marie"
(1954)

At the time of the release of the Doris Day version of "Secret Love" two vocal cover versions were issued, one of which - by Gogi Grant with the Harry Geller orchestra - is said to have been recorded at RCA Victor's LA recording studio in July 1953 which would make its recording earlier than Day's: the other vocal cover was recorded for MGM by Tommy Edwards with the LeRoy Holmes orchestra. Bing Crosby also had a single release of "Secret Love", recorded for Decca in Los Angeles in a 31 December 1953 session with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra [7] and it was included in his album Bing Sings the Hits (1954).

On 4 December 1953 Slim Whitman made a recording of "Secret Love" in Baltimore MD: Whitman's version reached number 2 on the C&W chart in Billboard magazine in the spring of 1954 concurrent with the Doris Day version being number 1 on the magazine's Pop chart.

Both the Moonglows and the Orioles covered "Secret Love" for the r&b market, the Moonglows' track being recorded in Chicago 10 January 1954 while the Orioles' track was recorded in New York City 29 January 1954.

Kathy Kirby version

"Secret Love"
Single by Kathy Kirby
B-side "You Have to Want to Touch Him"
ReleasedOctober 1963
Genre Beat
Length2:25
Label Decca
Songwriter(s) Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster
Producer(s) Peter Sullivan
Kathy Kirby singles chronology
"Dance On"
(1963)
"Secret Love"
(1963)
"Let Me Go, Lover"
(1964)

In 1963, Kathy Kirby remade "Secret Love", released as a single in October 1963. The track, with musical direction by Charles Blackwell, Jimmy Page on guitar, and production by Kirby's regular collaborator Peter Sullivan, afforded Kirby her UK career record with a number 4 UK chart peak that December. "Secret Love" was also a hit in Australia reaching number 2. [2]

Kirby recalled: "[when] 'Secret Love'...was suggested by my recording manager Peter Sullivan[,] I said 'But that's already been done beautifully by Doris Day!' Peter came up with a completely different version, up-tempo and starting with the middle eight. We took a chance on it and decided that if it didn't chart it would at least be a prestige number, so we were thrilled when it sold over half a million copies in three weeks". [8]

"Secret Love" provided the title for a jukebox musical depicting Kirby's life story, which following its debut run at the Leeds City Varieties commencing 9 May 2008 played venues throughout the UK into 2009.[ citation needed ]

Chart (1963)Peak
position
Chart (1963)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart [9] 4 New Zealand Singles Chart [10] 4
Danish Singles Chart [11] 4 Australian Singles Chart [12] 3
Hong Kong Singles Chart [11] 3 Irish Singles Chart [13] 7

Freddy Fender version

"Secret Love"
Secret Love - Freddy Fender.jpeg
Single by Freddy Fender
from the album Are You Ready For Freddy?
B-side "Loving Cajun Style"
ReleasedOctober 1975
Genre Tejano music
Length3:35
Label Dot
Songwriter(s) Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster
Producer(s) Huey P. Meaux
Freddy Fender singles chronology
"Since I Met You Baby"
(1975)
"Secret Love"
(1975)
"The Wild Side of Life"
(1976)

Freddy Fender remade "Secret Love" for his 1975 album release Are You Ready For Freddy? recorded in the summer of 1975 at the SugarHill Recording Studios (Houston): issued as a single in October 1975 "Secret Love" afforded Fender the third of his four number 1 hits on the Billboard C&W, also crossing-over to the U.S. Top 40 of Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 20. (Fender would score one subsequent Top 40 hit, his fourth C&W number 1 hit "You'll Lose a Good Thing" crossing-over to the number 32 on the Hot 100.) Fender remade "Secret Love" for his 2002 album ''La Musica de Baldemar Huerta.

Chart (1976)Peak
position
New Zealand (RIANZ) [14] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles [15] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [16] 20
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary [17] 10

Other versions

"Secret Love"
Single by Billy Stewart
from the album Billy Stewart Teaches Old Standards New Tricks
B-side "Look Back & Smile"
ReleasedSeptember 1966
Genre R&B
Length2:55
Label Chess
Songwriter(s) Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster
Producer(s) Billy Davis, Leonard Caston
Billy Stewart singles chronology
"Summertime"
(1966)
"Secret Love"
(1966)
"Every Day I Have the Blues"
(1967)
External audio
Nuvola apps arts.svg You may hear an arrangement of "Secret Love" by John Serry performed in 1956 Here on Archive.org

"Secret Love" has been performed in various stage productions of the stage musical version of Calamity Jane in the US by Edie Adams, Martha Raye, Carol Burnett (who also sang the song in a 12 November 1963 televised broadcast of the Calamity Jane stage musical), Ginger Rogers, and Louise Mandrell; in the UK by Barbara Windsor, Louise Gold, Gemma Craven, Toyah Willcox, and Jodie Prenger; and in Australia by Rowena Wallace. Craven, who played the title role in an extensive touring production of Calamity Jane in 1995 and 1996, can be heard singing "Secret Love" on a 1995 cast album of Calamity Jane (Craven is the sole vocalist on the album). Willcox, who played the title role of Calamity Jane in the West End production of the stage musical in the summer of 2003, said of "Secret Love": "It's a great song to sing; it's very powerful, and emotionally—and musically—it's the pinnacle of the whole show." [23]

In the Billy Paul version of "Me and Mrs. Jones" (1972), a saxophone is heard playing the first seven notes of "Secret Love", in the intro and outro of the song. That led to a lawsuit by Fain and Webster, claiming the melody was used without approval. It was settled out of court, with Fain and Webster each receiving half of the proceeds for the Billy Paul version of the song.

Loretta Lynn covered a version of the song on both the 1967 release Singin' With Feelin' and again on her 2016 album Full Circle.

Related Research Articles

<i>Calamity Jane</i> (film) 1953 film

Calamity Jane is a 1953 American Technicolor Western musical film starring Doris Day and Howard Keel, and directed by David Butler. The musical numbers were staged and directed by Jack Donohue, who a year later would direct the Day musical, Lucky Me (1954). The film is loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane and explores an alleged romance between her and Wild Bill Hickok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song)</span> 1955 Academy Award winning song

"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song appeared first in the movie Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), and it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1956. From 1967 to 1973, it was also used as the theme song to Love is a Many Splendored Thing, the soap opera based on the movie.

"Would I Love You " is a pop song composed by Harold Spina with lyrics by Bob Russell. It was published in 1950 and covered by many different musicians.

"It's Magic" is a popular song written by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn, published in 1947. They wrote the song for Doris Day in her Warner Brothers film debut, Romance on the High Seas. In the autumn of 1948 Vic Damone, Tony Martin, Dick Haymes, Gordon MacRae and Sarah Vaughan all charted on Billboard magazine charts with versions of the song, but none as successfully as Day's recording. "It's Magic" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, but in March 1949 lost to "Buttons and Bows" by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Are You Lonesome Tonight?</span> Song written and composed by Lou Handman and Roy Turk; first recorded by Charles Hart

"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is a song written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926. It was recorded several times in 1927—first by Charles Hart, with successful versions by Vaughn De Leath, Henry Burr, and the duet of Jerry Macy and John Ryan. In 1950, the Blue Barron Orchestra version reached the top twenty on the Billboard's Pop Singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You Were the Only Girl (In the World)</span>

"If You Were the Only Girl (In the World)" is a popular song, written by Nat D. Ayer with lyrics by Clifford Grey. It was written for the musical revue The Bing Boys Are Here, which premièred on 19 April 1916 at the Alhambra Theatre in Leicester Square, London. The song was originally performed as a duet between Lucius Bing, played by George Robey, and his love interest Emma, originated by Violet Loraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovesick Blues</span> 1949 single by Hank Williams

"Lovesick Blues" is a Tin Pan Alley song, composed by Cliff Friend, with lyrics by Irving Mills. It first appeared in the 1922 musical "Oh, Ernest", and was recorded that year by Elsie Clark and Jack Shea. Emmett Miller recorded it in 1925 and 1928, followed by country music singer Rex Griffin in 1939. The recordings by Griffin and Miller inspired Hank Williams to perform the song during his first appearances on the Louisiana Hayride radio show in 1948. Receiving an enthusiastic reception from the audience, Williams decided to record his own version despite initial push back from his producer Fred Rose and his band.

<i>Calamity Jane</i> (album) 1953 soundtrack album by Doris Day, Howard Keel

Calamity Jane was the name of a 10" LP album, released by Columbia Records on November 9, 1953, of songs sung by Doris Day and Howard Keel from the movie of the same name. In the UK, the album was also released as a 10" minigroove album by Philips Records, catalogue number BBR8104.

"The Black Hills of Dakota" is a song, written for the musical film, Calamity Jane, about the singer's love for, and desire to return to, the Black Hills of South Dakota.

"I Had the Craziest Dream" is a popular song which was published in 1942. The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mack Gordon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touch Me When We're Dancing</span> 1981 single by Opus

"Touch Me When We're Dancing" is a song written by Terry Skinner, J. L. Wallace and Ken Bell. Skinner and Wallace headed the Muscle Shoals, Alabama session group Bama, who first recorded this song and released it as a single in 1979 reaching number 42 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was later recorded by The Carpenters in 1981 for their Made in America album. In 1984, it was recorded by country music artists Mickey Gilley and Charly McClain for their 1984 duet album It Takes Believers and in 1986 by the country music group Alabama.

The following is a complete discography for American singer and actress Doris Day, whose entertainment career spanned nearly 50 years. She started her career as a big band singer in 1939 and gained popularity with her first hit recording, "Sentimental Journey", with Les Brown and His Band of Renown in 1945. In her solo career, she recorded more than 650 recordings on the Columbia Records label from 1947 to 1967. She was one of the most popular and acclaimed singers of the 20th century.

"I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. It was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production and sung by Mitzi Gaynor in the 1958 film adaptation.

"Mean to Me" is a popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Roy Turk, published in 1929. Hit versions that year were by Ruth Etting and by Helen Morgan. Ben Bernie and the Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra also recorded what might be the first male version in February 1929 with vocals by Scrappy Albert.

"Some Sunday Morning" is the title of two well-known American songs. The first has music written by Richard A. Whiting with lyrics by Gus Kahn and Raymond B. Egan, and was recorded by Ada Jones and Billy Murray in 1917. The second has music by M.K. Jerome and Ray Heindorf, with lyrics by Ted Koehler, and was introduced in the 1945 film San Antonio by Alexis Smith.

Quicksilver is a song, which became a hit for Bing Crosby in 1950. It was written by Eddie Pola, George Wyle and Irving Taylor.

<i>Faithfully</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1959 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Faithfully is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on December 21, 1959, by Columbia Records and continues his trend toward covering ballads alongside an orchestra. While his previous LPs usually offered one or two songs that had not been previously recorded, that number on this project leaped to five, and although the other seven selections were established by other artists, even some of those were lesser-known, such as Jeri Southern's number 30 pop hit "You Better Go Now" and the title song from the 1953 film The Blue Gardenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here We Go Again (Ray Charles song)</span> 1967 song by Ray Charles

"Here We Go Again" is a country music standard written by Don Lanier and Red Steagall that first became notable as a rhythm and blues single by Ray Charles from his 1967 album Ray Charles Invites You to Listen. It was produced by Joe Adams for ABC Records/Tangerine Records. To date, this version of the song has been the biggest commercial success, spending twelve consecutive weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 15.

<i>Unforgettable – A Musical Tribute to Nat King Cole</i> 1983 live album by Johnny Mathis

Unforgettable – A Musical Tribute to Nat King Cole is a soundtrack album released in the UK in 1983 by the CBS Records division of Columbia in conjunction with the broadcast of American pop singer Johnny Mathis's BBC television concert special of the same name that featured Cole's daughter Natalie. The front of the original album jacket credits the concert performers as "Johnny Mathis and Natalie Cole", whereas the CD booklet reads, "Johnny Mathis with special guest Natalie Cole".

<i>I Dont Know How to Love Him</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Helen Reddy

I Don't Know How to Love Him is the debut studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy, released on May 10, 1971, by Capitol Records. I Don't Know How to Love Him included her first recording of "I Am Woman". The album made its first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top LP's chart in the issue dated June 5, 1971, and remained there for 37 weeks, peaking at number 100, and got as high as number 40 on the album chart in Canada's RPM magazine. On November 27, 1974, the album received Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, and on March 29, 2005, it was released for the first time on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD, the other album being Reddy's eponymous follow-up that originally came out in the fall of 1971.

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  11. 1 2 Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (March 14, 1964). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 31. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved July 22, 2013.{{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
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