Singing the Blues

Last updated

"Singing the Blues"
US 78 singing the blues guy mitchell.jpg
Single by Guy Mitchell
B-side "Crazy With Love"
ReleasedOctober 1956
Studio Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City
Genre Rock and roll
Length2:31
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Melvin Endsley
Producer(s) Mitch Miller
Guy Mitchell singles chronology
"Ninety Nine Years"
(1956)
"Singing the Blues"
(1956)
"Crazy with Love"
(1956)

"Singing the Blues" is a popular song composed by Melvin Endsley and published in 1956. The highest-charting version was by Guy Mitchell and the first recording of the song was by Marty Robbins. It is not related to the 1920 jazz song "Singin' the Blues" recorded by Frank Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke in 1927.

Contents

Guy Mitchell

The best-known recording was released in October 1956 by Guy Mitchell and spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart from 8 December 1956, to 2 February 1957. It was Mitchell's second and last hit in Italy, on national Musica e Dischi Hit Parade, after "My Heart Cries For You" in 1951. An example of the U.S. recording is on Columbia #40769, dated 1956, with the Ray Conniff Orchestra. Mitchell's version was also No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart for three (non-consecutive) weeks in early 1957, [1] [2] one of only four singles to rise to No. 1 on the chart on three separate occasions, with the other three being "I Believe" by Frankie Laine, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and "What Do You Mean?" by Justin Bieber. [3] Mitchell's version prominently features whistling in the intro and solo sections.

Marty Robbins and Tommy Steele versions

Two other charting versions of the song were released almost simultaneously with Mitchell's, one by the English singer Tommy Steele (with the Steelmen) and the other (recorded before Mitchell covered it) [4] by US country singer Marty Robbins. [5]

Tommy Steele's version of "Singing the Blues" made number 1 in the UK Singles Chart for one week on 11 January 1957, sandwiched by two of the weeks that Guy Mitchell's version of the same song topped the charts. [6] Steele's recording of the song was not a chart success in the US.

The Marty Robbins version, recorded at the Bradley Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, [7] made it to number one on the Billboard C&W Best Sellers chart for 13 weeks in late 1956 and early 1957 [8] and peaked at number seventeen on the US pop chart. [9] In 1983, Gail Davies recorded a cover version, taking her version into the top 20 of the Hot Country Singles chart in the spring of 1983.

Other cover versions

The song is often revived, and on four occasions new recordings of "Singing the Blues" have become UK Top 40 hits. These latter-day hit versions were by Dave Edmunds (1980), Gail Davies (1983), Daniel O'Donnell (1994), and Cliff Richard & the Shadows (2009).

Charting versions

Release datePerformerChart PositionsNotes
UK
[10]
U.S. U.S.
C&W
CAN
Country
1956 Marty Robbins 171
1956 Guy Mitchell 11Reached number 1 in the UK in early 1957
1956 Tommy Steele & the Steelmen1Reached number 1 in the UK in early 1957
1964Connie Francis & Hank Williams Jr.
1980 Dave Edmunds 28
1983 Gail Davies 1719
1994 Daniel O'Donnell 23
1997 The Kentucky Headhunters 70
2009 Cliff Richard & the Shadows 40

More cover versions

Trumpeter Bob Scobey and banjoist/vocalist Clancy Hayes recorded a trad jazz version in 1958 for the LP "Scobey and Clancy raid the Jukebox" on the Good Time Jazz label. Other notable cover versions include a 1960 recording by Bill Haley & His Comets, a 1963 version by Dean Martin, and a 1971 version by Black Oak Arkansas. It was recorded by Marie Osmond for her 1975 album In My Little Corner of the World , by Gene Summers on his 1981 French album Gene Summers in Nashville , by Randy Travis on his 1989 album No Holdin' Back , and by The Kentucky Headhunters for their album Stompin' Grounds (1997). A version by Bert Jansch appears on his 2000 release Crimson Moon . Frank Ifield, Max Bygraves and Slim Whitman also recorded the song.

"Singing the Blues" was performed live by Paul McCartney on the MTV show Unplugged in 1991 and included on the subsequent soundtrack, Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) .

Hank Snow did it on his 1969 album on RCA "I Went To Your Wedding".

The song was also performed by Albert Lee. [11]

The tune was also sung by Vivian Vance and William Frawley (Ethel and Fred of I Love Lucy fame) for a Ford Motor Company television commercial promoting the Edsel.

The Californian pop punk band Groovie Ghoulies covered the song on their third album World Contact Day in 1996.

The first line of this song is famously the last line of "London Calling" by the Clash, cut short and echoed in the final mix of the song ("I never felt so much a-like, a-like, a-like...").

Hugues Aufray and his Skiffle Group recorded a French version of the song, "Tout le long du chemin", in 1964. [12]

Use in English football

Birmingham City-supporting radio presenters Tom Ross and Ian Danter released a version to celebrate the club's promotion to the Premier League. It has been sung since at least the 1969 season by fans of the Midlands club. Blackburn Rovers fans have been known to sing a version of the song: "Never felt more like singing the blues, the Rovers win and Burnley lose, oh Rovers, you've got me singing the blues." Everton fans sing a version of this song; "I've never felt more like singing the blues, when Everton win and Liverpool lose, oh Everton you've got me singing the blues." Also this song is commonly used at Manchester City football matches, where the fans sing: "Never felt more like singing the blues, City win, United lose." This song has been used by Sheffield Wednesday fans since the 1960s. Their lyrics are: "Never felt more like singing the blues, When Wednesday win, United lose." Former Wednesday player Terry Curran recorded a version of the song in 1980 that sold tens of thousands, that is still used at Hillsborough to this day. Ipswich Town fans also use the song and the club recorded their own version of it, with the chorus being "I've never felt more like singing the Blues, When Ipswich win and Norwich lose, Oh Ipswich you've got me singing the blues".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockabilly</span> Early style of rock and roll music

Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues, leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also described it as a blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term "rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" and "hillbilly", the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and electric blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marty Robbins</span> American singer, songwriter and racing driver (1925–1982)

Martin David Robinson, known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and successful country and western singers for most of his nearly four-decade career, which spanned from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. He was also an early outlaw country pioneer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Mitchell</span> American pop singer and actor (1927–1999)

Guy Mitchell was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK, and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. His best-known songs include "My Heart Cries for You", "Heartaches by the Number" and "Singing the Blues".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Peebles</span> American singer and songwriter

Ann Lee Peebles is an American retired singer and songwriter who gained popularity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s while signed to Hi Records. Her most successful singles include "I Can't Stand the Rain", which she wrote with her husband Don Bryant and radio broadcaster Bernie Miller, and "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". In 2014, she was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

"Heartaches by the Number" is a popular country song written by Harlan Howard, and published in 1959. The sheet music was a best seller in both the US and Britain in January 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Put a Spell on You</span> 1956 single by Screamin Jay Hawkins

"I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written and recorded by "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins. The selection became a classic cult song, covered by a variety of artists. It was Hawkins' greatest commercial success, reportedly surpassing a million copies in sales, even though it failed to make the Billboard pop or R&B charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanne Pruett</span> American singer-songwriter

Jeanne Pruett is an American country music singer and songwriter. She also has credits as a published author. Pruett had several major hits as a music artist, but became best-known for 1973's "Satin Sheets". The song topped the country music charts and helped her secure a membership in the Grand Ole Opry cast.

"Young Love" is a popular song, written by Ric Cartey and Carole Joyner, and published in 1956. The original version was recorded by Ric Cartey with the Jiva-Tones on November 24, 1956. Joyner was a high school student when she co-wrote the song with Cartey, her boyfriend at the time. It was released in 1956 by Stars Records as catalog number 539 and one month later by RCA Records as catalog number 47-6751. Cartey's version never charted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go Now</span> 1964 single by Bessie Banks

"Go Now" is a song composed by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett and first recorded by Bessie Banks, released as a single in January 1964. The best-known version was recorded by the Moody Blues and released the same year.

"The Story of My Life" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It was published in 1957. It was recorded by Marty Robbins and reached number one on Billboard's country chart in 1958, and it became a number one hit song for Michael Holliday in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A White Sport Coat</span> 1957 single by Marty Robbins

"A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)" is a 1957 country and western song with words and music both written by Marty Robbins. It was recorded at the Bradley Studios in Nashville, Tennessee on January 25, 1957, and released on the Columbia Records label on March 4. The arranger and recording session conductor was Ray Conniff, an in-house conductor/arranger at Columbia. Robbins had demanded to have Conniff oversee the recording after his earlier hit, "Singing the Blues", had been quickly eclipsed on the charts by Guy Mitchell's cover version, which was scored and conducted by Conniff in October 1956.

"I'll Be Home" is a 1955 song that was written by Ferdinand Washington and songwriter, Stan Lewis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marty Robbins discography</span>

The discography of American country music singer Marty Robbins consists of 52 studio albums, 13 compilation albums, and 100 singles. In his career, Robbins has charted 17 Number One singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, as well as 82 Top 40 singles.

"You Gave Me a Mountain" is a song written by country singer-songwriter Marty Robbins during the 1960s. It has been recorded by many artists, including Robbins himself, but the highest-charting version of the song was by Frankie Laine in 1969. This version was included on Laine's album of the same name.

"Ribbon of Darkness" is a song written by Gordon Lightfoot that was released in 1965 as a single by Marty Robbins. The song was Robbins' eleventh number one on the U.S. country singles chart, where it spent one week at the top and a total of nineteen weeks on the chart.

Mitty Lene Collier is an American church pastor, gospel singer and former rhythm and blues singer. She had a number of successful records in the 1960s, of which probably the best known is "I Had A Talk With My Man".

Melvin Endsley was a musician, singer, and songwriter best known for writing the song "Singing the Blues", along with over 400 songs recorded by hundreds of artists since 1956. Some of the artists that have recorded his songs include Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Andy Williams, Paul McCartney, Stonewall Jackson, and Ricky Skaggs. At the beginning of his career, Endsley recorded including RCA and MGM, however, his vocal recordings were commercially unsuccessful. In 1998, he was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame.

"Knee Deep in the Blues" is a song written by Melvin Endsley, and recorded by American country music artist Marty Robbins. It was released on December 17, 1956 as the lead single from his compilation album Marty's Greatest Hits. The song reached #3 on the Country Singles charts.

<i>Tommy Steele Stage Show</i> 1957 live album by Tommy Steele and the Steelmen

Tommy Steele Stage Show is a live album by English entertainer Tommy Steele, released as a 10-inch LP by Decca in March 1957. A concert recording of Steele backed by the Steelmen at London's Conway Hall, it was his first album release and features a version of the hit single "Rock with the Caveman" alongside several covers of American songs including three previously recorded by Hank Williams. The album's release followed Steele's swift rise to fame as a teen idol widely considered Britain's first rock and roll star, and the success of his UK Singles Chart number one "Singing the Blues". It received a muted critical reception but was commercially successful, peaking at number five on the UK Albums Chart.

References

  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 67–8. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  2. Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 28. ISBN   0-85112-250-7.
  3. Myers, Justin (2 March 2014). "Unstoppable Pharrell scores chart record hat-trick as Happy smashes a". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  4. Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits – Fred Bronson – Google Books. Billboard Books. ISBN   9780823076772 . Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  5. Marty Robbins interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
  6. Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 28–9. ISBN   0-85112-250-7.
  7. "Owen Bradley". Country Music Hall of Fame. 1974. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 293.
  9. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 532.
  10. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 179. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  11. Video on YouTube
  12. "Tout le long du chemin", Discogs.com