Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Heartaches (song)

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Published
  
1931

Lyricist(s)
  
John Klenner

Composer(s)
  
Al Hoffman

"Heartaches" is a popular song with music by Al Hoffman and lyrics by John Klenner. The song was published in 1931, was placed on all of the record labels of the time (Victor, Columbia, Brunswick and the many dime store labels), but it was not a particularly big hit at the time.

Contents

Ted Weems version

The biggest recorded version of the song was by the Ted Weems Orchestra, with Elmo Tanner whistling. The recording was made in 1933 on Bluebird B-5131 (in a novelty fast rhumba tempo) to low record sales. Weems dissolved his band in early 1942 after leaving to fight in World War II.

In early 1947, Kurt Webster, a disc jockey on WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina, a 50,000-watt station that reached across the East Coast, played Weems' version of "Heartaches". Webster enjoyed the tune and it entered his regular rotation, leading to listeners frequently requesting it and "Heartaches" gaining national attention and Weems reviving his band briefly to capitalize on the record's success.

The 1947 recording was jointly released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-2175 and Weems' 1938 re-recording on Decca Records as catalog number 25017. The Victor version first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on February 21, 1947 and lasted 16 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 1.

Harry James version

The recording by Harry James was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 37305. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on April 18, 1947 and lasted 3 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 8. This was his last charting hit.

The Marcels version

A radically altered arrangement of "Heartaches" also became popular in 1961 as a version by The Marcels was released as a followup to their U.S. hit "Blue Moon". Although the Marcels' "Heartaches" single failed to match the number 1 position on the U.S. singles charts achieved by "Blue Moon", "Heartaches" reached the Top 10 (peaking at number 7) and eventually sold over one million copies worldwide. In addition to a vocal hook similar to that of "Blue Moon", the Marcels added to the introduction of the recording of "Heartaches" the group saying, then singing, "Watch out! Here we go again..." The Marcels version is sampled in the 2016 Lonely Island song I'm So Humble featuring Adam Levine featured in the movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

Allan Sherman parody

In 1963, Allan Sherman produced a parody version titled "Headaches," a commentary on television aspirin commercials. In the middle of the whistled part, a kid named Tom Greenleigh shrieks, "Mommy, can't you keep Daddy's car out of the driveway?!" At the end of the song, Sherman solved his headache problems by eating his television set.

Other versions

  • Air Lane Trio
  • Laurindo Almeida
  • Ames Brothers
  • Chet Atkins
  • Kenny Ball
  • Pat Boone
  • Ruby Braff
  • Vikki Carr
  • Patsy Cline
  • The Country Gentlemen
  • Billy Daniels
  • Dukes of Dixieland
  • Jimmy Dorsey
  • Barbara Eden
  • Exotic Guitars
  • Connie Francis
  • Enoch Light
  • Dexter Gordon
  • Marty Grosz
  • Tiny Hill & His Hilltoppers (Okeh #5530)
  • Vince Hill
  • Eddy Howard
  • Jack Hylton and his orchestra (vocal: Pat O'Malley)
  • Sonny James
  • Barney Kessel
  • Frankie Laine
  • Bert Lown
  • The Maxes
  • Magic Organ
  • Clyde McPhatter
  • The Migil 5
  • Sid Phillips and His Melodians voc: Al Bowlly
  • Jimmy Roselli
  • Ruby & the Romantics
  • Jimmy Rushing
  • Rocky Sharpe
  • Somethin' Smith
  • The String-A-Longs
  • Billy Vaughn
  • Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
  • The Rock-afire Explosion
  • Mrs Mills
  • Al Bowlly
  • References

    Heartaches (song) Wikipedia