Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" is a popular song written by Scotty Wiseman and published in 1945.^[1] It was the greatest hit of Wiseman and his wife and one of the first country music songs to attract major attention in the pop music field.

Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters version

"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?"
Single by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
B-side	"Quicksilver"
Released	1949
Format	7" and 10"
Recorded	November 25, 1949
Genre	Easy Listening
Label	Decca
Writer(s)	Scotty Wiseman

Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters recorded the song on November 25, 1949^[2] and it had a good reception from the trade magazine Billboard who said: "Ditty’s a sprightly mountain-musiker that had its innings a couple of years back on straight hillbilly diskings. Bing and the gals are in top form as they harmonize it to a spanking fare-thee-well."^[3] The record entered the Billboard charts on January 21, 1950 and in a four-week stay it peaked at No. 24.^[4]

Lulu Belle and Scotty version

"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?"
Single by Lulu Belle and Scotty
B-side	"In the Heart of a Fool"
Released	1956
Format	7"
Recorded	1956
Genre	Country
Label	Mercury
Writer(s)	Scotty Wiseman

Lulu Belle and Scotty released their version in 1956 on a Mercury Records 45 rpm single.

Elvis Presley version

The earliest and easily most prominent recording of "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" in the early rock era was by Elvis Presley. According to the book of the CD-boxset "Elvis - The Complete 50's Masters", Presley recorded it on January 19, 1957, at RCA's Radio Recorders in Hollywood for his Loving You album. Session musicians for the song included Presley himself on rhythm guitar, his usual lead guitarist Scotty Moore, with Bill Black on bass, D.J. Fontana on drums, piano by Dudley Brooks, organ by Hoyt Hawkins, and background vocals were of course The Jordanaires. When the song was included on the Loving You album release in July 1957, it immediately prompted both Ricky Nelson and Eddie Cochran to record cover versions of the song. Nelson's was the "B" side of a hit single ("Be-Bop Baby", released in September), while Cochran's was an album cut (released in November). The impact of the Elvis version was felt across the Atlantic.

Eddie Cochran version

"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You"
Song by Eddie Cochran from the album Singin' to My Baby
Released	November 1957
Recorded	August 1957
Genre	Country
Length	2:32
Label	Liberty
Writer(s)	Scotty Wiseman
Producer(s)	Simon Jackson
Singin' to My Baby track listing
"Tell Me Why" (9) "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" (10) "Cradle Baby" (11)

Eddie Cochran recorded his version in August 1957 and released it on the album Singin' to My Baby. Musicians on the session were:

• Eddie Cochran - guitars, ukulele, vocals
• Perry Botkin Sr. - rhythm guitar
• Connie "Guybo" Smith - double bass
• The Johnny Mann Chorus - backing vocals

Other versions

• Rosalie Allen
• Eddy Arnold
• Gene Autry – one of the first recorded versions of this song, which went to number 3 on the C&W charts in 1946. For many years it was the standard, and still is to many people today.
• The Beau Marks
• The Blue Diamonds (Netherlands, 1961)
• Jim Ed Brown
• Anita Bryant
• Michael Bublé (2013) with Naturally 7 - included in the album To Be Loved.
• The Canadian Sweethearts
• Tommy Collins
• Jill Corey
• Floyd Cramer
• Bob Hope with Bing Crosby (This was a parodied version which was used in Crosby's radio show on February 1, 1950.)
• Curly Joe & his Knights of the Range (1946)
• Vic Damone
• Adrienne Davidsen
• Skeeter Davis and Porter Wagoner
• Little Jimmy Dickens
• Don Edwards
• George Faith
• Red Foley (1947)
• Billy Fury
• Geraldine (1982 pop cover)
• Stonewall Jackson
• Kitten
• Jerry Lee Lewis
• Vera Lynn
• Al Martino - included in his album "Painted, Tainted Rose" (1963).^[5]
• Susan McCann
• Moon Mullican
• Ricky Nelson (as the B-side to "Be-Bop Baby")
• Willie Nelson (on his 1967 album Make Way for Willie Nelson)
• Patti Page - included in her album "Patti Page Sings Country and Western Golden Hits" (1961)^[6]
• Freddy Quinn
• Jim Reeves - included in the album "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" (1964).^[7]
• Cliff Richard
• Riders in the Sky
• Riders of the Purple Sage
• Tex Ritter (1946)
• Marty Robbins - included in his album "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" (1974).^[8]
• Johnny Rodriguez
• Kenny Rogers
• The Sons of the Pioneers
• Sissy Spacek (on her 1983 album Hangin' Up My Heart)
• Ringo Starr (on his 1970 album Sentimental Journey)^[9]
• Hank Thompson
• Wesley Tuttle
• Greg Vail
• Billy Vaughn and His Orchestra
• Bobby Vinton
• Porter Wagoner
• Patrick Wall
• Kitty Wells
• Slim Whitman
• Roger Whittaker
• Hank Williams
• Mac Wiseman
• Faron Young
• Michael Ktenas
• Dale Evans and Roy Rogers
• Pat and Shirley Boone - included in their album "I Love You Truly" (1962).^[10]

Charting versions

Year	Artist	Chart Positions
		^U.S. C&W	^U.S.	^CAN
1946	Red Foley	5	—	—
1946	Gene Autry	3	—	—
1946	Tex Ritter	3	—	—
1950	Bing Crosby & Andrews Sisters	—	24	—
1957	Ricky Nelson	—	29	—
1957	Elvis Presley	—	—	13
1968	Kitty Wells & Red Foley	74	—	—

References

1. Lulu Belle & Scotty, Hillbilly-Music.com
2. "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
3. "Billboard". December 24, 1949.
4. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 113. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
5. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
6. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
7. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
8. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
9. Miles, Barry (1998). The Beatles a Diary: An Intimate Day by Day History. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780711963153.
10. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved September 20, 2016.

• Scotty Wiseman i Nashville Songwriters' Foundation