The Gypsy (song)

Last updated December 03, 2024

"The Gypsy" is a popular song written by Billy Reid and published in 1945. The ballad tells the story of a person who visits a Gypsy fortune teller and is reassured that their partner is faithful. Though they both know it to be untrue, the narrator resolves to return, "'Cause I want to believe the Gypsy".

History

"The Gypsy" was originally introduced in the United Kingdom by Billy Reid's orchestra and vocalist Dorothy Squires, who was also his partner. In the United States, the song was recorded by Bill Kenny & The Ink Spots, Dinah Shore, and Sammy Kaye's orchestra, and was a hit for all three.

The recording by The Ink Spots featuring Bill Kenny ^[1] was released by Decca Records as catalog number 18817. It first reached the Billboard chart on May 2, 1946 and lasted 18 weeks on the listings, peaking at No. 1,^[2] and was also number one on the R&B charts for three non-consecutive weeks.^[3]

The song was also recorded by Guy Lombardo featuring the female cabaret star Hildegarde singing. It was released by Decca Records as catalog number 23511 in March, 1946. This version was regarded as a musical "flop", however.^[4]
The recording by Dinah Shore was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36964. It first reached the Billboard charts on May 2, 1946 and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 2. This recording was a two-sided hit, with the flip side, "Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)," reaching No. 3 the same year.^[2]
The recording by Sammy Kaye was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-1844. It first reached the Billboard chart on May 9, 1946 and lasted 10 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 4.^[2]

Other recordings

The Gypsy was also recorded by Charlie Parker on July 29, 1946, during the famous "Lover Man" session after which he was committed to the Camarillo State Mental Hospital in California.
Louis Armstrong recorded the song with the Commanders in October, 1953 and it was released on Decca Records as catalog number 28995.
The song appears on Sonny Stitt Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio which was released in 1957.
Sam Cooke recorded the song on his 1958 sophomore album Encore .^[5] Cooke was strongly influenced by The Ink Spots, and this was one of several songs previously performed by the group that he later covered.
Quincy Jones recorded the song on his 1959 album The Birth of a Band! .
Frank Sinatra recorded the song on his 1962 album Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain .
A more recent version, by Memphis record producer and performer Jim Dickinson, was included in his 1997 release A Thousand Footsteps in the Sand, actually recorded in 1992.

The song was also covered by The Sir Douglas Quintet on the album The Return Of Doug Saldaña released in 1971.

Popular culture

The Ink Spots' recording of the song appears on the soundtrack of the 2008 film Revolutionary Road .

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References

↑ Gilliland, John (197X). "Show 15" (audio). Pop Chronicles . University of North Texas Libraries.
1 2 3 Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 275.
↑ "Billy Reid's The Gypsy" . Retrieved 8 November 2012.
↑ "www.discogs.com". www.discogs.com. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

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[1] Gilliland, John (197X). "Show 15" (audio). Pop Chronicles . University of North Texas Libraries.

[Whitburn-2] 1 2 3 Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.

[3] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 275.

[4] "Billy Reid's The Gypsy" . Retrieved 8 November 2012.

[5] "www.discogs.com". www.discogs.com. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

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v t e The Ink Spots
Bill Kenny Charlie Fuqua Deek Watson Hoppy Jones Jerry Daniels Bernie Mackey Cliff Givens Billy Bowen Huey Long Herb Kenny
Singles	"If I Didn't Care" "My Prayer" "Memories of You" "I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You" "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano" "Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)" "Maybe" "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" "Java Jive" "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" "I Can't Stand Losing You" "Cow Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)" "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" "I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)" "I'm Making Believe" "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" "I'm Beginning to See the Light" "The Gypsy" "Prisoner of Love" "To Each His Own" "The Best Things in Life Are Free" "You're Breaking My Heart" "Echoes" "If" "It Is No Secret" (Bill Kenny solo) "Trying" "Address Unknown"
Albums	If I Didn't Care (1979)
Related topics	The Great American Broadcast Pardon My Sarong The Brown Dots The Four Tunes The Bill Kenny Show

v t e Dinah Shore
Albums	Dinah Sings Some Blues with Red Dinah, Yes Indeed! Dinah Sings, Previn Plays Somebody Loves Me
Singles	"The Breeze and I" "Maybe" "Yes, My Darling Daughter" "My Man" "I Hear a Rhapsody" "Jim" "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)" "Blues in the Night" "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" "Skylark" "Sleepy Lagoon" "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" "I'll Walk Alone" "Together" "Candy" "Along the Navajo Trail" "Personality" "Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" "The Gypsy" "Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)" "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song" "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" "The Anniversary Song" "The Best Things in Life Are Free" "Little White Lies" "Buttons and Bows" "Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)" "Far Away Places" "So in Love" "Forever and Ever" "Baby, It's Cold Outside" "A Wonderful Guy" "Dear Hearts and Gentle People" "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" "Can Anyone Explain? (No! No! No!)" "My Heart Cries for You" "You're Just in Love" "Sweet Violets" "Delicado" "Changing Partners" "Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)" "Love and Marriage" "I Could Have Danced All Night" "The Cattle Call" "Fascination"
Related articles	The Dinah Shore Show The Dinah Shore Chevy Show Dinah! George Montgomery (husband) Chevron Championship

v t e Sammy Kaye
Songs	"Daddy" "Remember Pearl Harbor" "Don’t Fence Me In" "I'm a Big Girl Now" "The Gypsy" "The Old Lamp-Lighter" "Red Silk Stockings and Green Perfume" "Down Among the Sheltering Palms" "Serenade of the Bells" "Room Full of Roses" "It Isn't Fair" "Harbor Lights" "Charade"
Related articles	Discography