I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself

Updated on Feb 05, 2024

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B-side "My Colouring Book" Format 7" Length 3:01		Released 1964 Genre Pop Label Philips

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Original version

"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" was first recorded by Tommy Hunt in a session produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, with Burt Bacharach arranging and conducting. It was released as single Scepter 1236 (B-side "And I Never Knew") in May 1962, but did not chart. The song served as the title track for Hunt's sole album release on Scepter released in April 1963. The success in the UK of the Dusty Springfield version of "I Just Don't Know..." in the summer of 1964 led to Scepter's re-releasing the original, at which time it reached the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in Billboard with a #119 peak. It would appear however that the first version of this song to be recorded was not by Hunt but by Chuck Jackson also in 1962. Jackson's version was shelved and remained unreleased until it appeared on a 1984 compilation on the Kent record label called "Mr. Emotion". According to the sleeve notes of that album, Tommy Hunt's vocals were substituted for Jackson's whilst the original backing track was retained.

Dusty Springfield version

Dusty Springfield recorded "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" in a session at Olympic Studios in Westminster with production credited to Philips Records owner Johnny Franz - although Springfield later stated her solo Philips tracks were self-produced - and arranged by Ivor Raymonde who conducted his orchestra; personnel on the session included Big Jim Sullivan on guitar and Bobby Graham on drums. Springfield, whose first solo recordings had included covers of the Bacharach/David compositions "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Wishin' and Hopin' " - had brought back "I Just Don't Know..." from an overnight trip to New York City where she met up with Bacharach in February 1964.

The third UK single release of Springfield's solo career - following the "Brill Building" Sound-alikes "I Only Want to Be With You" and "Stay Awhile" - "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was Springfield's first UK single release to display her signature vocal style; rising to #3 in the summer of 1964 the track remained Springfield's highest charting UK hit until she reached #1 in 1966 with "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" which would remain Springfield's only UK solo hit to chart higher than "I Just Don't Know...".

A concurrent US release of Springfield's "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was preempted by the presence of Springfield's "Wishin' and Hopin'" in the US Top Ten over the summer of 1964. Springfield's "I Just Don't Know..." received a belated US release in October 1965 featured on a single with Springfield's current UK hit "Some of Your Lovin'"; that month Springfield made a promotional junket to the US which included performances of both of the single's tracks on the TV shows Hullabaloo and Shindig but neither side reached the Billboard Hot 100.

Dionne Warwick version

Dionne Warwick recorded "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" at Bell Sound Studios in August 1966 with Burt Bacharach producing; released that September the track is from her third album, Here Where There Is Love on Scepter Records. The song was a moderate success reaching #26 on the US Hot 100 and #20 on US Hot R&B with its strongest evident regional success in Detroit going Top Ten there.

After "Message to Michael" and "Trains and Boats and Planes" Warwick's "I Just Don't Know..." was her third consecutive single release comprising a previously recorded Bacharach/David song and Warwick's next Top 40 single "Alfie" would also fit in this category; three of the four appeared on Warwick's 1967 album Here Where There Is Love.

Formats and track listing

US 7" Vinyl Single

"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" – 2:50
"In Between The Heartaches" – 2:50

Notes

"In Between The Heartaches" - Published By – Blue Seas Music, Inc. / JAC Music Co., Inc. (ASCAP)
"I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" - Published By – Quartet Music Inc. (BMI) Belinda (Canada Litd.)

Marcia Hines version

Marcia Hines recorded a version of the track and released it as the lead single from her second studio album, Shining (1976). The B-Side was "Trilogy" was included on her debut studio album, Marcia Shines (1975).

Track listing

7" Single (ZS-153)

Side A "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (Burt Bacharach/Hal David) - 3:08

Side B "Trilogy" (Robie Porter) - 4:20

White Stripes formats and track listing

UK CD Promo

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session) (Burt Bacharach, Hal David)
"Who's to Say..." (Dan Miller)
"Lafayette Blues" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session)
"I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman "(Live on the John Peel Show)

US 7" Vinyl

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session)
"Who's to Say..."

UK CD Single

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session)
"Who's to Say"
"I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman" (Live on the John Peel Show)

UK DVD Single

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (audio only)
"Lafayette Blues" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session) (audio only)
"Black Math" (Masonic Temple Theatre, 16 April 2003)

Other versions

1964: A French version of the song by Michèle Vendôme and Claude Carrère, "Oui, il faut croire", was released by yéyé-singer Sheila.

1968: An Italian translation by Franco Migliacci, "Se mi vuoi bene", was recorded by Patty Pravo. The original English version was also recorded by Cissy Houston in the same year.

1970: In October 1970 a Richard Perry-produced version of the song was released as the first solo single by Gary Puckett; primarily supported by Easy Listening radio, the track reached #61 on the Hot 100 in Billboard magazine whose Easy Listening chart afforded Puckett's "I Just Don't Know..." a #14 peak. Isaac Hayes released his version in the same year.

1972 the Dells.

1978 Elvis Costello & The Attractions; Demis Roussos. Costello later wrote of his version, "It was a measure of how backwards things were in 1977 that some people actually thought I was making a joke when The Attractions and I began performing "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself". I was not being ironic. I was being extremely literal."

1980 The Photos (featuring Wendy Wu).

1991 the Stylistics.

1994 Linda Ronstadt.

1997 The soundtrack to My Best Friend's Wedding included a version by Nicky Holland. In the film, Cameron Diaz sings the song in a karaoke scene.

2003 Steve Tyrell (2003). In the same year, "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was released as a single by the American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was the second single from their album Elephant. The video for the White Stripes version is a black-and-white video featuring Kate Moss who was pole dancing in her black bra and her black underwear, and was directed by Sofia Coppola.

2006 The song was performed and included in the soundtrack for Shout! The Mod Musical.

2007 Trijntje Oosterhuis; Tina Arena.

2009 Scottish pop singer and songwriter Jimmy Somerville recorded the song for his album, Suddenly Last Summer.

2011 Ronan Keating recorded the song for his album, When Ronan Met Burt.

2012 Melanie C recorded the song for her musical-theatre-inspired album, Stages.

Although the recording year is unknown, a 2002 release of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' Away We a Go-Go includes their version of "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself".