1970s, Pop

After the Lovin’

July 5, 2021

First recorded (as a demo) by Ritchie Adams (1974).
First released by Rick Chambers (1975).
Also recorded by Jack Jones (1975), Barbara Mandrell (1977).
Hit version by Engelbert Humperdinck (US #8/MOR #1/C&W #40/CAN #7/AUS #13/NZ #1 1976).

From the wiki: “‘After the Lovin” was written by Ritchie Adams and Alan Bernstein in 1974, and first recorded as a demo by Adams. In 1975, Adams, recording under his stage name, Rick Chambers, would record and release the song as a promotional single which did not chart. Adams had earlier co-written hits for Bobby Lewis (‘Tossing and Turning’), Ronnie Dove (‘Happy Summer Days’), and The Banana Splits (‘The Tra La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)’) on which whose TV program Adams was also the music director.

“Jack Jones would cover ‘After the Lovin” in 1975, for his album What I Did For Love (and attributed only to Bernstein).

“Recorded and released by Engelbert Humperdinck in 1976, ‘After the Lovin” would go Top-10 in the US and Canada, and top the New Zealand music chart. The song failed, however, to chart in the UK, despite Humperdinck’s earlier successes there.

“Barbara Mandrell would cover ‘After the Lovin” for her 1977 album Friends and Strangers. Although never released as a single, her performance would garner a Grammy nomination for Mandrell for Best Country Vocal Performance (Female) in 1978.”

Rick Chambers, “After the Lovin'” (1975):

[no video available]

Jack Jones, “After the Lovin'” (1975):

Engelbert Humperdinck, “After the Lovin'” (1976):

Barbara Mandrell, “After the Lovin'” (1976):

1960s, Broadway/Movies/Television

Strangers in the Night

December 5, 2016

First recorded (as “Beddy Bye”) by Bert Kaempfert (1965).
Possibly based on “Stranci u noći” by Ivo Robić (1966)
First English-language recording by Jack Jones (1966).
Also recorded (in German, as “Fremde in der Nacht”) by Ivo Robić (1966).
Hit version Frank Sinatra (US #1/MOR #1/UK #1 1966).

From the wiki: “‘Strangers in the Night’ is credited to Bert Kaempfert with English lyrics by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder. It is sometimes claimed that the Croatian singer Ivo Robić was the original composer of ‘Strangers in the Night’ (performed as ‘Stranci u noći’), and that he sold the rights to Kaempfert after entering it without success in a song contest in Yugoslavia. These claims have not been substantiated.

“Robić, a pioneer of popular Yugoslav music from the early 1950s on, was the only artist from Yugoslavia whose records were available in the record shops of Europe and the rest of the world. He performed and collaborated with Kaempfert, Freddy Quinn, and Dean Martin. Robić would go on to record Yugoslav and German versions of ‘Strangers in the Night’, ‘Stranci u Noći’ with lyrics by Marija Renota and ‘Fremde in der Nacht’ with lyrics by Kurt Feltz.

“Kaempfert originally recorded the melody under the title ‘Beddy Bye’ as part of the instrumental score for the movie soundtrack to A Man Could Get Killed, which went on to win a Golden Globe Award in 1967 for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.

Call Me Irresponsible

January 11, 2016

First performed by Jackie Gleason (in Papa’s Delicate Condition) (1963).
Also performed by Judy Garland (1963).
Popular versions by Frank Sinatra (1963), Jack Jones (US #75 1963).

From the wiki: “”Call Me Irresponsible” was composed in 1962 by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn. According to the Mel Tormé book The Other Side of the Rainbow with Judy Garland on the Dawn Patrol, Van Heusen originally wrote the song for Garland to sing at a CBS dinner. At that time, Garland had just signed to do The Judy Garland Show on CBS-TV, and the intent of the song was to parody her well-known problems. Garland later did sing the song, on the seventh episode of her variety show.

“However, in 1988, Sammy Cahn said that the song was originally written for Fred Astaire to sing in the film Papa’s Delicate Condition in which Astaire was to star. Cahn personally auditioned the song for Astaire’s approval, which was given. However, Astaire’s contractual obligations prevented him from making the film and the role went to Jackie Gleason, who introduced the song. It would go on to win the Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’ at the 36th Academy Awards held in 1964.”

Tagged: Jack Jones