I'll Cry If I Want To

Last updated
I'll Cry If I Want To
I'll Cry If I Want To.jpeg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 1963
RecordedMarch 30, 1963; May 15, 1963
Genre Pop [1]
Length26:04
Label Mercury
Producer Quincy Jones
Lesley Gore chronology
I'll Cry If I Want To
(1963)
Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts
(1963)

I'll Cry If I Want To is the debut album of Lesley Gore. The album included her hit singles "It's My Party" and its follow-up, "Judy's Turn to Cry". The album was rushed out after "It's My Party" became a big hit, and the songs are mostly about crying, linking to the hit single's first line "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to", incorporating songs with titles such as "Cry", "Just Let Me Cry" and "Cry and You Cry Alone". [2] [3] Besides the hit singles, the album included pop standards such as "Misty", "Cry Me a River" and "What Kind of Fool Am I?". [2] The album reached number 24 on the US Billboard 200. [4] [5] Edsel Records released the album on Compact Disc in 2000 in combination with Gore's second album, Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts . [6] The album was named the 181st best album of the 1960s by Pitchfork. [7]

Contents

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."It's My Party" Walter Gold, John Gluck Jr., Herb Weiner2:20
2."Cry Me a River" Arthur Hamilton 2:14
3."Cry"Churchill Kohlman2:05
4."Just Let Me Cry"Ben Raleigh2:18
5."Cry and You Cry Alone"Hilda H. Earnhart2:02
6."No More Tears (Left to Cry)" Mark Barkan 2:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Judy's Turn to Cry" Beverly Ross, Edna Lewis2:23
8."I Understand"Kim Gannon, Mabel Wayne1:53
9."I Would"Kurt Feltz, Edna Lewis, Werner Scharfenberger2:24
10."Misty" Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke 2:19
11."What Kind of Fool Am I?" Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley 1:43
12."The Party's Over" Jule Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green 2:00

Charts

Weekly chart performance for I'll Cry If I Want To
Chart (1963)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [8] 24
Singles
YearSingleChartPosition
1963"It's My Party"US Billboard Hot 100 1
US R&B Singles1
"Judy's Turn to Cry"US Billboard Hot 1005
US R&B Singles10

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesley Gore</span> American singer (1946–2015)

Lesley Sue Goldstein, better known with her family’s adopted surname as Lesley Gore, was an American singer and songwriter. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song "It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She followed it up with ten further US Billboard top 40 hits including "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me". Gore said she considered "You Don't Own Me" her signature song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Gayle</span> American country music singer (born 1951)

Crystal Gayle/Brenda Gail Webb January 9, 1951 is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Initially, Gayle's management and record label were the same as that of her oldest sister, Loretta Lynn. Not finding success with the arrangement after several years, and with Lynn's encouragement, Gayle decided to try a different approach. She signed a new record contract and began recording with Nashville producer Allen Reynolds. Gayle's new sound was sometimes referred to as middle-of-the-road (MOR) or country pop, and was part of a bigger musical trend by many country artists of the 1970s to appeal to a wider audience. Subsequently, Gayle became one of the most successful crossover artists of the 1970s and 80s. She is known for her floor-length hair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misty (song)</span> Instrumental composed by Erroll Garner

"Misty" is a jazz standard written in 1954 by pianist Erroll Garner. He composed it as an instrumental in the traditional 32-bar format, and recorded it for the album Contrasts. Lyrics were added later by Johnny Burke. It appeared on Johnny Mathis' 1959 album Heavenly, and this recording reached number 12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart later that year. It has since become Mathis’ signature song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connie Smith</span> American country music artist (born 1941)

Connie Smith is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity has been noted between her vocal style and the stylings of country vocalist Patsy Cline. Other performers have cited Smith as influence on their own singing styles, which has been reflected in quotes and interviews over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reach Out I'll Be There</span> 1966 song by the Four Tops

"Reach Out I'll Be There" (also formatted as "Reach Out (I'll Be There)") is a song recorded by American vocal quartet Four Tops from their fourth studio album, Reach Out (1967). Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most widely-known Motown hits of the 1960s and is today considered the Four Tops' signature song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cry (Churchill Kohlman song)</span> 1951 popular song written by Churchill Kohlman

"Cry" is a 1951 popular song written by Churchill Kohlman. The song was first recorded by Ruth Casey on the Cadillac label. The biggest hit version was recorded in New York City by Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads on October 16, 1951. Singer Ronnie Dove also had a big hit with the song in 1966.

<i>At Last!</i> 1960 studio album by Etta James

At Last! is the debut studio album by American blues and soul artist Etta James. Released on Argo Records in November 1960 the album was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess. At Last! also rose to no. 12 upon the Billboard Top Catalog Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's My Party</span> 1963 single by Lesley Gore

"It's My Party" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lesley Gore from her debut studio album I'll Cry If I Want To (1963). It was released as the lead single from the album on April 5, 1963, by Mercury Records. The song was collectively written by Herb Wiener, John Gluck Jr., and Wally Gold, while production was helmed by Quincy Jones.

"What Kind of Fool Am I?" is a popular song written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and published in 1962. It was introduced by Anthony Newley in the musical Stop the World – I Want to Get Off. It comes at the end of Act Two to close the show. Bricusse and Newley received the 1961 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. At the 1963 Grammy Awards, it won the award for Song of the Year and was the first by Britons to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Walk Alone</span> 1944 song by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne

"I'll Walk Alone" is a 1944 popular song with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The song was written for the 1944 musical film Follow the Boys, in which it was sung by Dinah Shore, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song but lost to “Swinging on a Star”. Shore recorded the song in March as a single, which became her first #1 hit on the Billboard charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Stewart (singer)</span> American country music singer (born 1959)

Larry Stewart is an American country music singer, best known for his role as lead singer of the country pop band Restless Heart. In 1993, Stewart left the band in pursuit of a solo career, recording four solo albums and charting eight singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts before reuniting with Restless Heart in 2002. His highest-charting solo single was "Alright Already", which peaked at No. 5 in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy's Turn to Cry</span> 1963 single by Lesley Gore

"Judy's Turn to Cry" is a song written by Beverly Ross and Edna Lewis that was originally released by Lesley Gore in 1963. The song is the sequel to Gore's prior hit "It's My Party", and both songs were produced by Quincy Jones. It was released on Gore's first album I'll Cry If I Want To and also as a single which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 10 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. The single earned a gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Don't Own Me</span> 1963 single by Lesley Gore

"You Don't Own Me" is a pop song written by Philadelphia songwriters John Madara and David White, and was recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, when she was 17 years old. The song was Gore's second most successful recording and her last top-ten single. Gore herself considered it to be her signature song claiming “I just can’t find anything stronger to be honest with you, it’s a song that just grows every time you do it.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Osmond discography</span> List of works by the American singer

The discography of American country pop singer Marie Osmond contains 12 studio albums, three compilation albums, one soundtrack album, 33 singles and 2 album appearances. She first gained exposure on television with her siblings' group, The Osmonds. She then signed her own recording contract with MGM Records. Osmond specifically chose to be marketed towards the country field. In 1973, she released her debut single, "Paper Roses." The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and crossed into the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album of the same name also topped Billboard's country albums chart and spent 20 weeks on the survey. It was also her highest charting album on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart, climbing to number 59. She followed this with 1974's "In My Little Corner of the World" and 1975's "Who's Sorry Now." Both singles reached the top 40 of the Billboard country songs chart. In addition, she released two more studio albums with MGM during this period. She then began a duet career with her brother during the latter half of the 1970s. However, in 1977 she recorded a solo album of pop music entitled This Is the Way That I Feel.

<i>Mama Tried</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Merle Haggard and The Strangers

Mama Tried is the seventh studio album by American country music singer and songwriter Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released on Capitol Records in 1968. It reached number 4 on Billboard's country albums chart. The title song was one of Haggard's biggest hit singles and won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Boone discography</span>

During his career as a singer and composer, Pat Boone released 63 singles in the United States, mostly during the 1950s and early 1960s when Boone was a successful pop singer and, for a time, the second-biggest charting artist behind Elvis Presley according to Billboard. Boone has had over 25 singles reach the top 20 on the U.S. singles charts, including the number-one hits "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), "I Almost Lost My Mind" (1956), "Don't Forbid Me" (1957), "Love Letters in the Sand" (1957), "April Love" (1957), and "Moody River" (1961). "I'll Be Home" (1956) reached No. 1 in the UK. He set a Billboard record, which he still holds, for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with one or more songs each week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's a Fool</span> 1963 single by Lesley Gore

"She's a Fool" is a song written by Mark Barkan and Ben Raleigh that was originally recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963; it appeared as a single and on the album Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts. Quincy Jones was the producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's the Way Boys Are</span> 1964 single by Lesley Gore

"That's the Way Boys Are" is a song written by Mark Barkan and Ben Raleigh, first recorded by Lesley Gore and released in March 1964 – her fifth hit single, following four consecutive top five hits on Billboard's Hot 100. In late April 1964, with the British Invasion in full swing, "That's the Way Boys Are" peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100; hits by UK acts The Beatles and The Dave Clark Five accounted for five of the singles in the Top Ten. The track was produced by Quincy Jones and arranged by Claus Ogerman and features on Gore's third album, Boys, Boys, Boys.

<i>Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts</i> 1963 studio album by Lesley Gore

Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts, also known as Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts, is the second studio album by Lesley Gore. It was released in 1963 as the follow-up to her debut album I'll Cry If I Want To.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanda Jackson albums discography</span>

The albums discography of Wanda Jackson, an American recording artist, consists of 44 studio albums, 37 compilation albums, four live albums, one video album, two box sets and has appeared on 26 albums. In 1954 at age sixteen, Jackson signed with Decca Records as a country music artist. The label did not issue a record until the 1962 compilation Lovin' Country Style, six years after Jackson left Decca. She signed with Capitol Records in 1956, and her self-titled debut studio album was released three years later. Although Jackson had recently been identifying herself as a rock-and-roll performer, the album consisted of country music recordings. However, it did contain Jackson's future rock-and-roll hit "Let's Have a Party", which was a hit in 1960, reaching the Top 40 on the Billboard Pop chart. The success of her rock-and-roll recordings led to the release of two more rock-and-roll studio LPs: Rockin' with Wanda (1960) and There's a Party Goin' On (1961). Additionally, Capitol issued two "split" studio albums which contained rock and roll on one side and country music on the other.

References

  1. Pitchfork Staff (August 22, 2017). "The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s". Pitchfork . Retrieved April 15, 2023. ...the album epitomizes the sound of early-1960s girl-group pop...
  2. 1 2 Unterberger, R. "I'll Cry If I Want To". allmusic . Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  3. "Album Reviews". Billboard: 10. June 22, 1963.
  4. "Charts and Awards". allmusic . Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  5. Whitburn, J. (2007). The Billboard Albums. Record Research Inc. p. 418. ISBN   978-0-89820-166-6.
  6. Westergaard, S. "I'll Cry If I Want To/Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts". allmusic . Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  7. "The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  8. "Lesley Gore Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2022.