Cry Me a River
| "Cry Me a River" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1953 |
| Writer(s) | Arthur Hamilton |
"Cry Me a River" is a popular American torch song, written by Arthur Hamilton, first published in 1953 and made famous in 1955 with the version by Julie London.
Origins and early recordings
Arthur Hamilton later said of the song: "I had never heard the phrase. I just liked the combination of words... Instead of 'Eat your heart out' or 'I'll get even with you,' it sounded like a good, smart retort to somebody who had hurt your feelings or broken your heart." He was initially concerned that listeners would hear a reference to the Crimea, rather than "..cry me a...", but said that "..sitting down and playing the melody and coming up with lyrics made it a nonissue."[1]
A jazzy blues ballad, "Cry Me a River" was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in the 1920s-set film, Pete Kelly's Blues (released 1955), but the song was dropped. Fitzgerald first released a recording of the song on Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! in 1961. The song was also offered to Peggy King, but Columbia Records A&R chief Mitch Miller objected to the word "plebeian" in the lyric[2] and its first release was by actress/singer Julie London on Liberty Records in 1955, backed by Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on bass. A performance of the song by London in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It helped to make it a bestseller (reaching nr. 9 on US and nr. 22 on UK charts). London's recording was later featured in the soundtracks for the movies Passion of Mind (2000), and V for Vendetta (2005). It became a gold record, and in 2016, it was inducted by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry.[3]
Later recordings
Other recordings include a version by Shirley Bassey on her third album, The Fabulous Shirley Bassey, her debut for Columbia in 1959; a version by Barbra Streisand on her 1963 debut album as the opening track of Side 1; and a version by British rocker Joe Cocker, who made the chart in 1970 with an upbeat rock rendition on the album, Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Crystal Gayle recorded the song in 1978, and it was the B-side of her number-one Country hit, "Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For". In 1995, British actress Denise Welch's double A-side "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" / "Cry Me a River" spent three weeks in the UK Singles Chart, reaching #23. Canadian jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall recorded the song on her 2001 album, The Look of Love. In 2009, Canadian singer Michael Bublé entered the charts with a big-band jazz version, which is also the opening track of his fourth album Crazy Love. This adaption of the song was used in the BBC's advertising for, and theme music for coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
| Date | Artist | Album | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Eileen Barton | Single | Coral Records | |
| 1955 | Jill Corey | Single | Columbia Records[4] | |
| 1955 | Dexter Gordon | Dexter Blows Hot and Cool | ||
| 1955 | Julie London | Julie Is Her Name | Also rel. as 10" shellac and 7" single with George and Ira Gershwin's "'S Wonderful" on B-side; both on Liberty[5] | |
| 1956 | Maire Ojonen (Harmony Sisters) | Finnish version "Joet tulvimaan itke" | ||
| 1957 | J. J. Johnson | First Place | ||
| 1958 | Annie Fratellini | French version "Pleure" | ||
| 1959 | Shirley Bassey | The Fabulous Shirley Bassey | ||
| 1959 | Davy Graham | The Guitar Player (1963) | Instrumental version orig. for BBC's Monitor | |
| 1959 | Dinah Washington | What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! | ||
| 1961 | Roberto Carlos | Louco Por Você | Brazilian Portuguese version "Chore Por Mim"; debut album on Columbia | |
| 1961 | Ella Fitzgerald | Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! | ||
| 1962 | Dexter Gordon | Cry Me a River | recorded live at Jazzhus Montmartre with the Atli Bjorn Trio[6] | |
| 1963 | Steve Alaimo | Everyday I Have to Cry | ||
| 1963 | Sam Cooke | Mr. Soul | ||
| 1963 | Lesley Gore | I'll Cry If I Want To | Debut album | |
| 1963 | Barbra Streisand | The Barbra Streisand Album | ||
| 1964 | Ray Charles | Sweet & Sour Tears | ||
| 1964 | Gene Krupa | The Great New Gene Krupa Quartet Featuring Charlie Ventura | ||
| 1965 | Sammy Davis, Jr. | When the Feeling Hits You! | ||
| 1965 | Marie Knight | single | ||
| 1966 | Lorraine Ellison | Heart & Soul | Debut album | |
| 1970 | Joe Cocker | Mad Dogs & Englishmen | ||
| 1975 | Cher | The Cher Show | ||
| 1977 | Joan Baez | Blowin' Away | ||
| 1978 | Crystal Gayle | When I Dream | ||
| 1978 | Giorgio Moroder | O.S.T. of Midnight Express | Moroder used the 6 notes corresponding to the line "Now you say you love me" | |
| 1982 | Aerosmith | Rock in a Hard Place | ||
| 1983 | Christophe | French version "Noir est ta couleur" | ||
| 1983 | Mari Wilson | Showpeople | Debut album; the song scored #27 in the UK. It was later featured as the theme music for the British television series, McCallum (1995–96). | |
| 1985 | Viktor Lazlo | She | French version "Pleurer des rivières", translated by Boris Bergman | |
| 1986 | Aaron Neville | Make Me Strong | ||
| 1986 | Carola | Finnish version by Saukki, "Joet tulvimaan itke" | ||
| 1988 | Patti Austin | The Real Me | Arranged and conducted by Marty Paich | |
| 1988 | Diane Schuur | Talkin' 'Bout You | ||
| 1988 | Kate Ceberano and Wendy Matthews | You've Always Got the Blues | ||
| 1988 | Swans | World of Skin | ||
| 1990 | Björk | Cover Me | Live rec. with Tríó Gudmundur Ingolfssonar at Hotel Borg in Reykjavik on unofficial compilation | |
| 1991 | Mari Wilson | Rhythm Romance | ||
| 1992 | Maná | ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? | Spanish version "Te lloré un río" | |
| 1993 | Natalie Cole | Take a Look | ||
| 1993 | Anne Murray | Croonin' | ||
| 1994 | Combustible Edison | I, Swinger | ||
| 1995 | Lisa Ekdahl | When Did You Leave Heaven | ||
| 1995 | Ithamara Koorax | Rio Vermelho | ||
| 1996 | Benny Golson | Benny Golson Tenor Summit[7] | ||
| 1996 | Alexia (Vassiliou) | In a Jazz Mood | Debut album, featuring Chick Corea | |
| 1997 | Sue Raney | Breathless | ||
| 1997 | Jai | Heaven | ||
| 1999 | Susan Boyle | I Dreamed a Dream (2009) | Orig. issued on a charity single. After Boyle's performance on Britain's Got Talent generated global interest in her, her performance of this song was uploaded onto YouTube and quickly became an internet sensation.[8] | |
| 1999 | Harry Connick Jr. | Come by Me | ||
| 2000 | John Martyn | Glasgow Walker | ||
| 2001 | Etta James | Blue Gardenia | ||
| 2001 | Diana Krall | The Look of Love | ||
| 2001 | Brad Mehldau | Progression: The Art of the Trio, Vol. 5 | ||
| 2003 | Jeff Beck, Van Morrison | Red, White and Blues | Directed by Mike Figgis, one of seven films in the Martin Scorsese series, The Blues | |
| 2004 | Alison Moyet | Voice | ||
| 2004 | Olivia Newton-John | Indigo: Women of Song | Produced by Phil Ramone | |
| 2004 | Linda Ronstadt | Hummin' to Myself | Album hit #2 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart. | |
| 2005 | Rick Astley | Portrait | ||
| 2006 | Fourplay Quartet | Now to the Future | ||
| 2006 | Norah Jones | Heaven in Creepy | from album by Jim Campilongo Electric Trio | |
| 2006 | Frank Sinatra, Jr. | That Face | ||
| 2007 | Cynthia Basinet | Single | ||
| 2008 | China Moses | This One's for Dinah | Dinah Washington tribut album, with pianist Raphaël Lemonnier | |
| 2009 | Sylvia Brooks | Dangerous Liaisons | ||
| 2009 | Michael Bublé | Crazy Love | ||
| 2009 | Lynda Carter | At Last | Potomac Productions | |
| 2009 | Eddy Mitchell | French version "Pleurer des rivières", translated by Boris Bergman | ||
| 2010 | Liam Payne | X Factor UK audition | (Member of English boy band One Direction) | |
| 2011 | Jeff Beck with Imelda May | Rock 'n' Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul) | ||
| 2011 | Lana Del Rey | An unreleased cover of the song leaked on August 6, 2015. | ||
| 2012 | Tina Arena | Symphony of Life | ||
| 2013 | Angie Miller | One Hit Wonder theme portion of American Idol season 12 on April 24 | ||
| ? | Nina Simone | ? | ||
| ? | Gene Bertoncini | ? | ||
| ? | Harry James | Harry James & His New Jazz Band, Vol 2 | ||
| ? | Cote de Pablo | ? | singer on Roberto Pitre's Vivo en vida where she sings "Samba in Prelude" and "Cry Me a River" | |
| ? | Mari Wilson | Showpeople | Spanish version "Tu no me llores" |
- The song is featured on the soundtrack of the film Repo Men (2010).
- The song is featured on the soundtrack of the film V For Vendetta (2006).
- It was sampled in the song "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" on the Tough Guys Don't Dance album by High Contrast.
References
- ↑ John Berlau, "Crying a River for Years", The Wall Street Journal, December 15, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2016
- ↑ "PEGGY KING & ANDY KAHN - "Cry Me A River" at Metropolitan Room NYC 2-23-14". YouTube. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ↑ https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2016/16-056.html
- ↑ "Miss Jill Corey: Discography". Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ↑ "Cry Me a River" at Discogs
- ↑ Cry Me a River - Dexter Gordon | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic
- ↑ Benny Golson Catalog
- ↑ "Cry Me A River Songfacts". Retrieved 4 October 2014.
External links
- Peggy King performs "Cry Me a River" at the Metropolitan Room in 2014
- "Cry Me a River" at jazzstandards.com
- "Cry Me a River" at Allmusic.com
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics