If I didn't care
If I Did not Care is a pop song of the Ink Spots from 1939, of the first record sales of the music industry heard. The piece was composed by Jack Lawrence (1912-2006).
History of origin
Jack Lawrence had been employed in Hollywood as a film music composer since 1938. On a free afternoon he tried some new scores on the piano , the result of which was the ballad If I Didn't Care . He sent them to Dave Kapp, owner of the young Decca label. Shortly thereafter, Lawrence was criticized by Archie Bleyer for starting and ending this piece with two different pitches. When Lawrence unsettled and sent the corrected version to Decca Records, the prompt answer came: “Too late, song has already been recorded by the new group Ink Spots . They have a smash hit. ”Faced with the million seller , Bleyer weakened his claim:“ Both endings would have been possible. ”
publication
In January 1939 the Ink Spots had their first chart placement with If I Didn't Care / Knock Kneed Sal (Decca # 2286). The group received $ 37.50 for inclusion as contractually agreed. After the ballad was released in February 1939, the single reached number 2 on the pop hit parade for two weeks .
If I Didn't Care , Bill Kenny's ascending but shaky tenor presents, while Jones improvises his recitation bass spoken within the song bridge , garnished with complex harmonies from the rest of the group. The recipe for the future vowel structure was found. At the end of 1939, the million sales mark had already been reached, and the song had sold 19 million times worldwide. It ranks 5th among the world's best-selling singles. From Bing Crosby's White Christmas apart, was the title of the Ink Spots for a long time record holder with sales of singles - until terminated by Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock was replaced.
Cover versions and statistics
The early pop music success was covered 18 times according to ASCAP , including by Van Alexander & His Orchestra on April 25, 1939, the Hilltoppers (August 1954; Rank # 17), Connie Francis (March 1959; # 22), Brenda Lee (October 1960), Platters (December 1960; # 30), Moments (August 1970; # 44) and David Cassidy (May 1974; GB # 9, D # 43). The song was subsequently inducted into the Hall of Fame in the R&B (single) category in February 1987 . The song is listed at number 271 on the Songs of the Century list, compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2001 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jack Lawrence on If I Didn't Care ( Memento of the original from July 9, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ blocked from first rank by Larry Clinton's Deep Purple , which stayed here for nine weeks.
- ↑ Celebrity Networth on If I Didn't Care
- ↑ Start the Revolution without me on If I Didn't Care
- ↑ ASCAP entry for If I Didn't Care
