Careless Hands

"Careless Hands" is a popular song written by Carl Sigman and Bob Hilliard, and first recorded in 1948.

The song was originally recorded by Sammy Kaye with vocals by Don Cornell,^[1] and then recorded in 1949 by Mel Tormé, whose version reached no.1 on the US pop chart and became Tormé's first major success.^[2] It was also recorded by many other singers including Bing Crosby and Al Martino.^[1] There were no less than four charted versions in 1949, Mel Tormé (#1), Sammy Kaye (#3), Bing Crosby (#12) and Bob & Jeanne (#21).^[3]

In the UK, a version by comedian and entertainer Des O'Connor reached no.6 on the UK singles chart in 1967.^[4] In the 1970s, the song became a country hit in the US for Dottie West, and was later recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis.

References

1. "Careless Hands" at SecondhandSongs.com. Retrieved 19 February 2014
2. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 421. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
3. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 483. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
4. Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 565. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.