This Bitter Earth

Updated on Jan 21, 2024

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A-side "I Understand" Format Vinyl, 7" (45 rpm) Genre jazz, soul		Released 1960 Recorded 1959 Length 2:30

"This Bitter Earth" is a 1960 song made famous by rhythm and blues singer Dinah Washington. Written and produced by Clyde Otis, it peaked to #1 on the U.S. R&B charts for the week of July 25, 1960, and also reached #24 on the U.S. pop charts. The song is a key piece in the 1978 film Killer of Sheep by director Charles Burnett.

Other recordings

In 1964, Aretha Franklin released a cover on her album Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington for Columbia Records.

In May 1970, The Satisfactions released a version, reaching #36 on the U.S. R&B charts.

In 1992, R&B/soul singer Miki Howard recorded a version that appears on her 1992 album, Femme Fatale.

In 2004, break-core musician Venetian Snares used vocals from this song in his own composition with the same title on his mini-album Moonglow / This Bitter Earth.

In 2006, Gladys Knight released her début album for the Verve Records label, Before Me, including this song as the sixth track.

In 2007, R&B/Dance singer Deborah Cox made a remake of this song on her album Destination Moon.

On June 10, 2010, this was danced to on So You Think You Can Dance, in a routine choreographed by Mia Michaels.

In February 2010, this song was featured on the soundtrack for the Martin Scorsese film Shutter Island, in the form of a mash-up with Max Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight".

In 2012 the Max Richter mashup was featured as the accompanying track to the launch trailer of The Secret World, an MMORPG from developer Funcom, published by Electronic Arts.

Pedro Ruy-Blas (2014)

References

This Bitter Earth Wikipedia

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