Singing the Blues

"Singing the Blues" is a popular song written by Melvin Endsley and published in 1956. The song was first recorded and released by Marty Robbins in 1956.^[1] (It is not related to the 1920 jazz song "Singin' the Blues" recorded by Frank Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke in 1927.)

Guy Mitchell

The best-known recording was released in October 1956 by Guy Mitchell and spent ten weeks at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart from December 8, 1956, to February 2, 1957. An example of the U.S. recording is on Columbia #40769, dated 1956, with the Ray Conniff Orchestra. Mitchell's version was also number 1 in the UK Singles Chart for three (non-consecutive) weeks in early 1957,^[2]^[3] one of only four singles to return to number 1 on three separate occasions, with the other three being "I Believe" by Frankie Laine, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and "What Do You Mean?" by Justin Bieber.^[4]

Marty Robbins and Tommy Steele versions

Two other charting versions of the song were released almost simultaneously with Mitchell's, one by the English singer Tommy Steele (with the Steelmen) and the other (recorded before Mitchell covered it)^[5] by US country singer Marty Robbins.^[6]

Tommy Steele's version of "Singing the Blues" made number 1 in the UK Singles Chart for one week on 11 January 1957, sandwiched by two of the weeks that Guy Mitchell's version of the same song topped the charts.^[7] Steele's recording of the song was not a chart success in the US.

The Marty Robbins version made it to number one on the Billboard C&W Best Sellers chart for 13 weeks in late 1956 and early 1957^[8] and peaked at number seventeen on the US pop chart.^[9] In 1983, Gail Davies recorded a cover version, taking her version into the top 20 of the Hot Country Singles chart in the spring of 1983.

Other cover versions

The song is often revived, and on three occasions new recordings of "Singing the Blues" have become UK Top 40 hits. These latter-day hit versions were by Dave Edmunds (1980), Gail Davies (1983), Daniel O'Donnell (1994), and Cliff Richard & the Shadows (2009).

Charting versions

Release date	Performer	Chart Positions				Notes
Release date	Performer	UK ^[10]	U.S.	U.S. C&W	CAN Country	Notes
1956	Marty Robbins	—	17	1	—	—
1956	Guy Mitchell	1	1	—	—	Reached number 1 in the UK in early 1957
1956	Tommy Steele & the Steelmen	1	—	—	—	Reached number 1 in the UK in early 1957
1980	Dave Edmunds	28	—	—	—	—
1983	Gail Davies	—	—	17	19	—
1994	Daniel O'Donnell	23	—	—	—	—
1997	The Kentucky Headhunters	—	—	70	—	—
2009	Cliff Richard & the Shadows	40	—	—	—	—

More cover versions

Trumpeter Bob Scobey and banjoist/vocalist Clancy Hayes recorded a trad jazz version in 1958 for the LP "Scobey and Clancy raid the Jukebox" on the Good Time Jazz label. Other notable cover versions include a 1960 recording by Bill Haley & his Comets, a 1963 version by Dean Martin, and a 1971 version by Black Oak Arkansas. It was recorded by Marie Osmond for her 1975 album In My Little Corner of the World, by Gene Summers on his 1981 French album Gene Summers in Nashville, and by The Kentucky Headhunters for their album Stompin' Grounds (1997). A version by Bert Jansch appears on his 2000 release Crimson Moon.

"Singing the Blues" was performed live by Paul McCartney on the MTV show Unplugged in 1991 and included on the subsequent soundtrack, Unplugged (The Official Bootleg).

The song was also performed by Albert Lee.^[11]

The tune was also sung by Vivian Vance and William Frawley (Ethel and Fred of I Love Lucy fame) for a Ford Motor Company television commercial promoting the Edsel.

The Californian pop punk band Groovie Ghoulies covered the song on their third album World Contact Day in 1996.

The first line of this song is famously the last line of "London Calling" by the Clash, cut short and echoed in the final mix of the song ("I never felt so much a-like, a-like, a-like...").

Birmingham City-supporting radio presenters Tom Ross and Ian Danter released a version to celebrate Birmingham's promotion to the Premier League, and has been sung since at least the 1969 season by fans of the Midlands club.

Blackburn Rovers fans have been known to sing a version of the song: "Never felt more like singing the blues, the Rovers win and Burnley lose, oh Rovers, you've got me singing the blues."

Everton fans sing a version of this song; "I've never felt more like singing the blues, when Everton win and Liverpool lose, oh Everton you've got me singing the blues."

Also this song is commonly used at Manchester City F.C. football matches, where the fans sing: "Never felt more like singing the blues, City win, United lose."

This song has also been used by Sheffield Wednesday fans. Their lyrics are:

Never felt more like singing the blues,
When Wednesday win and United lose!

Oh Wednesday, you got me singing the blues. Boxing Day! Boxing Day! Boxing Day!

"Boxing Day" is added onto the end in reference to the 'Boxing Day Massacre', on 26 December 1979, where the Owls beat their fierce rivals, Sheffield United, 4-0. One of the Wednesday scorers on that day, Terry Curran, even recorded a version of the song and it is still used at Hillsborough to this day.

Hugues Aufray and his Skiffle Group recorded a French version of the song, "Tout le long du chemin", in 1964.^[12]

References

↑ Singing the Blues. Second Hand Songs.
↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 67–8. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
↑ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 28. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
↑ Myers, Justin (2 March 2014). "Unstoppable Pharrell scores chart record hat-trick as Happy smashes a". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
↑ The Billboard Book of Number One Hits - Fred Bronson - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-04-03.
↑ Marty Robbins interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
↑ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 28–9. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 293.
↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 532.
↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 179. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
↑ Video on YouTube
↑ "Tout le long du chemin" at Discogs.

Preceded by "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley	Billboard Top 100 number one single (Guy Mitchell version) December 8, 1956 (9 weeks)	Succeeded by "Don't Forbid Me" by Pat Boone
Preceded by "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley	Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record (Guy Mitchell version) December 1, 1956–January 26, 1957	Succeeded by "Young Love" by Tab Hunter
Preceded by "Don't Be Cruel"/ "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley	C&W Best Sellers in Stores number one single (Marty Robbins version) November 10, 1956 - January 27, 1957 (thirteen weeks)	Succeeded by "Young Love" by Sonny James
Preceded by "Just Walkin' in the Rain" by Johnnie Ray	UK number one single (Guy Mitchell, Tommy Steele version) 4 January 1957 (one week, Guy Mitchell version) 11 January 1957 (one week, Tommy Steele version) 18 January 1957 (one week, Guy Mitchell version)	Succeeded by "The Garden of Eden" by Frankie Vaughan
Preceded by "The Garden of Eden" by Frankie Vaughan	UK number one single (Guy Mitchell version) 1 February 1957 (one week)	Succeeded by "The Garden of Eden" by Frankie Vaughan

Marty Robbins

Albums	Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs Today The Performer

Notable singles	"I'll Go On Alone" "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" "That's All Right" "Maybellene" "Singing the Blues" "Knee Deep in the Blues" "A White Sport Coat" "The Story of My Life" "Just Married" "The Hanging Tree" "El Paso" "Big Iron" "Don't Worry" "Devil Woman" "Ruby Ann" "Begging to You" "Ribbon of Darkness" "Tonight Carmen" "I Walk Alone" "It's a Sin" "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)" "El Paso City" "Among My Souvenirs" "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)" "Some Memories Just Won't Die" "Tie Your Dream to Mine"

Related articles	Discography Columbia Records MCA Records Jeanne Pruett

Book:Marty Robbins

Guy Mitchell

Singles	"My Heart Cries for You" "The Roving Kind" "You're Just in Love" "Sparrow in the Treetop" "Christopher Columbus" "Unless" "My Truly, Truly Fair" "Belle Belle My Liberty Belle" "Sweetheart of Yesterday" "There's Always Room At Our House" "I Can't Help It" "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" "Day of Jubilo" "Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po)" "'Cause I Love You, That's a Why" "She Wears Red Feathers" "Tell Us Where the Good Times Are" "Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie" "Look at That Girl" "Chicka Boom" "Cloud Lucky Seven" "The Cuff of My Shirt" "I Dime and a Dollar" "Ninety Nine Years" "Singing the Blues" "Crazy With Love" "Knee Deep in the Blues" "Take Me Back Baby" "Rock-a-Billy" "In the Middle of a Dark Dark Night" "Sweet Stuff" "Call Rosie On the Phone" "Heartaches by the Number" "The Same Old Me" "My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You" "Your Goodnight Kiss" "(I'd Like to Be In) Charlie's Shoes" "Go Tiger Go" "Traveling Shoes" "Alabam" "Frisco Lane"

Songs	"Allegheny Moon" "Charlie Brown" "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle" "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" "Everybody Loves a Lover" "Everybody Loves Somebody" "It's Been a Long, Long Time" "Music! Music! Music!" "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" "O mein Papa" "Pennies from Heaven" "Side by Side" "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"

Television	The Guy Mitchell Show Whispering Smith

Related acts	Rosemary Clooney Mindy Carson

Gail Davies

Notable singles	"Someone Is Looking for Someone Like You" "Blue Heartache" "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)" "It's a Lovely, Lovely World" "Grandma's Song" "Round the Clock Lovin'" "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" "Singing the Blues" "You're a Hard Dog (To Keep Under the Porch)" "Boys like You" "Jagged Edge of a Broken Heart" "Break Away"

Related articles	Discography Warner Bros. Records RCA Records MCA Records Capitol Records "Tell Me Why"

The Kentucky Headhunters

Greg Martin Doug Phelps Fred Young Richard Young James Harrison Anthony Kenney Mark S. Orr Ricky Lee Phelps

Studio albums	Pickin' on Nashville Electric Barnyard Rave On!! That'll Work (with Johnnie Johnson) Stompin' Grounds Songs from the Grass String Ranch Soul Big Boss Man Dixie Lullabies

Compilation albums	The Best of The Kentucky Headhunters: Still Pickin' Flying Under the Radar Authorized Bootleg: Live – Agara Ballroom – Cleveland, Ohio

Notable singles	"Dumas Walker" "Oh Lonesome Me" "Rock 'n' Roll Angel" "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" "Let's Work Together" "Blue Moon of Kentucky" "Dixie Fried" "Singin' the Blues" "Big Boss Man" "Chug-a-Lug" "Take These Chains from My Heart"

Related articles	Discography Brother Phelps Mercury Records

Dave Edmunds

Studio albums	Rockpile Subtle as a Flying Mallet Get It Tracks on Wax 4 Repeat When Necessary Twangin... D.E. 7th Information Riff Raff Closer to the Flame Plugged In

Live albums	I Hear You Rockin'

Singles	"I Hear You Knocking" "Blue Monday" "Promised Land" "Baby, I Love You" "Born to Be with You" "Where or When" "I Knew the Bride" "Girls Talk" "Queen of Hearts" "Singing the Blues" "Almost Saturday Night" "The Race Is On" with Stray Cats "Slipping Away" "Do You Want to Dance" "The Wanderer"

Related articles	Love Sculpture Nick Lowe Rockpile Porky's Revenge! "And the Night Stood Still"

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