Heartaches (song)#Ted Weems version
{{Short description|1931 song by Al Hoffman and John Klenner}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Heartaches
| cover = File:HeartachesSheetMusic.jpeg
| alt =
| caption = Sheet music cover featuring Guy and Carmen Lombardo
| type = song
| written =
| published = 1931
| writer =
| composer = Al Hoffman
| lyricist = John Klenner
}}
"Heartaches" is a song written by composer Al Hoffman and lyricist John Klenner and originally published in 1931. A fast-tempo instrumental version of the song by Ted Weems and his Orchestra became a major hit in 1947, topping the Billboard Best Selling Singles chart in the US. Later versions by band leader Harry James and doo-wop group the Marcels were also chart successes. "Heartaches" received renewed attention in the 2010s after several 1930s recordings of the song, including a version by Sid Phillips & his Melodians with Al Bowlly, were sampled in the Caretaker's album Everywhere at the End of Time.
Early recordings
Al Hoffman composed "Heartaches" after moving to New York City in a bid to become a successful songwriter; though it was not initially a major hit, it has been described by Billboard as Hoffman's first great song.{{cite magazine |last1=Burton |first1=Jack |title=The Honor Roll of Popular Songwriters No. 51 - Al Hoffman |magazine=Billboard |date=11 March 1950 |page=48 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/50s/1950/Billboard%201950-03-11.pdf |access-date=26 October 2022}} The song's lyrics were written by John Klenner.{{cite book |last1=Studwell |first1=William Emmett |last2=Baldin |first2=Mark |title=The Big Band Reader |date=2000 |publisher=Haworth Press |isbn=9780789009142 |page=140 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iyJsVIs_L2sC&dq=Heartaches+hoffman&pg=PA140 |access-date=26 October 2022}} A 1931 recording by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians on Columbia (catalogue number 2390-D), was a modest success.{{cite book |last1=Tyler |first1=Don |title=Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era |date=2 April 2007 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786429462 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSCfBQAAQBAJ |access-date=24 October 2022}} Another early version was issued by Sid Phillips & his Melodians with Al Bowlly providing the vocal. This recording was made in London in late August 1931 and released on the Edison Bell Winner label (EBW 5358).Brian Rust, Allen G Debus. (1973). The Complete Entertainment Discography, from the Mid-1890s to 1942 . Arlington House. p. 77. {{ISBN|0870001507}}
Ted Weems version
File:Ted Weems.JPG in 1944]]
The most successful version of the song is by the American bandleader Ted Weems and his Orchestra.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zH5QAAAAIBAJ&pg=2909,3273259&dq=elmo+tanner&hl=en|title=Miracle Mystery of "Heartaches"|author=Helgesen, Ray|date=22 June 1947|publisher=The Milwaukee Sentinel|access-date=13 April 2011}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Weems' instrumental arrangement features a prominent whistling part by Elmo Tanner over what the bandleader described as a "corny sort-of half rhumba rhythm". The original recording was made in 1933 on Bluebird B-5131 in a novel, fast tempo to low record sales. Tanner later described this version as "before its time", stating "its beat was too fast and it was in samba time. Nobody knew the samba in those days."{{cite news |last= Bruning |first= Bill |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Kz1QAAAAIBAJ&pg=6999,3069445&dq |title= Elmo Tanner full of 'Heartaches' |publisher= St. Petersburg Independent |date= March 21, 1962|page= 8A}} In 1938, Weems and his Orchestra (including Tanner) re-recorded "Heartaches" at a slightly slower "rhumba fox trot" tempo for Decca Records. Like its predecessor, this version was not a chart success upon release. Weems' career was put on hold in early 1942 when he and his entire band enlisted in the United States Merchant Marine to fight in the Second World War.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/134143562/?terms=ted%2Bweems%2Bsworn%2Bin|title=Ted Weems, Seven Of Band Sworn In|date=30 November 1942|page=6|publisher=The Palm Beach Post|accessdate=31 October 2010}}(subscription required){{cite news|title=Weems And Band To Join Sea Unit|date=19 November 1942|publisher=The Miami News}}
In early 1947, Kurt Webster, a late-night disc jockey on WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina, a 50,000-watt station that reached across the East Coast, played Weems' 1938 version of "Heartaches". Webster enjoyed the tune and entered it into his regular rotation, leading to listeners frequently requesting it and "Heartaches" gaining national attention.Swing Magazine, WHB Broadcasting Co., Kansas City, MO; April 1947, p. 85. To meet demand, Decca reissued the 1938 record (catalog number 25017), prompting Victor to reissue its 1933 version (catalog number 20-2175); both labels shared credit on the Billboard Best Selling Singles chart, where the song reached number 1 on March 15, 1947.{{cite journal |title=Ted Weems' "Heartaches" No. 1 in Charlotte |journal=The Cash Box |date=27 January 1947 |page=31 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/40s/47/CB-1947-01-27.pdf |access-date=24 October 2022}}
{{cite book
| last = Whitburn
| first = Joel
| author-link = Joel Whitburn
| title = Top Pop Records 1940-1955
| publisher = Record Research
| year = 1973 }}
Weems' "Heartaches" eventually sold over 2 million copies.
Ted Weems, whose musical career had declined during his military service, revived his orchestra to capitalize on the success of "Heartaches".{{cite journal |title=Weems Riding Gravy Train |journal=DownBeat |date=21 May 1947 |page=22 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/DownBeat/40s/47/Down-Beat-1947-05-21-14-11.pdf |access-date=24 October 2022}} He signed a new deal with Mercury Records and recruited his first manager, Howard Christensen. Weems received artist royalties from the 1933 Victor recording, but not the 1938 Decca recording, having let his contract expire. He did, however, receive composer royalties for its B-side "Oh! Monah".{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uOUlAAAAIBAJ&pg=7045,1916625&dq=perry+como+contract&hl=en|title='Heartaches' Made Him Famous Coast-To-Coast|author=Bartlett, George|date=14 February 1960|publisher=St. Petersburg Times|accessdate=31 October 2010}} In May 1947, Weems made front-page news when he publicly repaid his debt to Kurt Webster, the man who had revived "Heartaches" and thus Weems' career. Weems staged a benefit performance by his band on June 6, with all proceeds going to war veteran Webster.Variety, "Weems Knows Value of 'Heartaches', a Disc," May 28, 1947, p. 1.
The success of Ted Weems' "Heartaches" prompted several other notable recordings in 1947. A version by Harry James and his Orchestra was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 37305. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on April 18, 1947, and lasted 3 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 8. In the United Kingdom, a recording of "Heartaches" by Vera Lynn was the most successful and the song impacted the sheet music chart from July to October 1947, peaking at number 10.{{cite web |title=UK Sheet Music Chart - 1957 |url=https://www.popmusichistory.co.uk/_files/ugd/b4848d_ea4e838612354a449f2058595cae8c85.pdf |access-date=26 October 2022}} The song features in the 1947 film of the same title.{{cite web |title=Heartaches (PRC, 1947). Half Sheet (22" X 28"). |url=https://movieposters.ha.com/itm/movie-posters/drama/heartaches-prc-1947-half-sheet-22-x-28-drama/a/510062-52194.s |website=Heritage Auctions |access-date=26 October 2022}}
In January 1948, Billboard listed the Ted Weems version of "Heartaches" as 1947's third biggest-selling record in the United States, behind The Harmonicats' "Peg O' My Heart" and Francis Craig's "Near You".{{cite magazine |title=1947 Honor Roll of Hits |magazine=Billboard |date=3 January 1948 |page=21 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1948/Billboard%201948-01-03.pdf |access-date=24 October 2022}} Al Hoffman was listed as the year's top songwriter, having composed not only "Heartaches" but also "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba", which had hit number 1 in June in a recording by Perry Como, formerly vocalist with Weems' orchestra.{{cite magazine |title=The Year's Top Songwriters |magazine=Billboard |date=3 January 1948 |page=20 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1948/Billboard%201948-01-03.pdf |access-date=24 October 2022}}
The Marcels version
The song was revived by American doo-wop group the Marcels in 1961. The group recorded their version of "Heartaches" on September 1, 1961, and its release followed the success of their million-selling version of "Blue Moon".{{cite book |last1=Warner |first1=Jay |title=American Singing Groups |date=2006 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=9780634099786 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mTM_9JTeoMIC&dq=marcels+heartaches&pg=PA419 |access-date=26 October 2022}}{{cite book
| first= Joseph
| last= Murrells
| year= 1978
| title= The Book of Golden Discs
| edition= 2nd
| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd
| location= London
| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/137 137]
| isbn= 0-214-20512-6
| url-access= registration
| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/137
}} Although the Marcels' "Heartaches" single failed to match the number 1 position on the US singles charts achieved by "Blue Moon",{{cite book|last=Bronson|first=Fred |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits: The Inside Story Behind Every Number One Single on Billboard's Hot 100 from 1955 to the Present|publisher=Billboard Books|year=2003|edition=5|page=87|isbn=0-8230-7677-6}} "Heartaches" reached the Top 10, peaking at number 7, as well as number 19 on the Hot R&B Sides chart.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=376}} In Canada it reached number 22.{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/61-11-27-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - November 27, 1961}} The Marcels version appears in the film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping{{cite news |last1=Pearce |first1=Sheldon |date=May 23, 2016 |title=The Lonely Island's Popstar Soundtrack Features Linkin Park, Seal, Akon, Emma Stone |work=Pitchfork |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/65237-the-lonely-islands-popstar-soundtrack-features-linkin-park-seal-akon-emma-stone/ |access-date=May 28, 2016}} and is sampled in the 2016 Lonely Island song "I'm So Humble," featuring Adam Levine.{{cite web | title= Heartaches|url=https://www.google.com/search?q=im+so+humble+lonely+island&start=10 |website=WhoSampled |access-date=26 October 2022}}
Allan Sherman parody
A parody rendition by the American musician and satirist Allan Sherman features on his successful 1963 album My Son, the Nut. Titled "Headaches", Sherman's version is musically based on the Ted Weems arrangement and is lyrically a humorous commentary on aspirin advertisements ("Headaches, headaches / Aspirin commercials give me headaches").{{cite book |last1=Rapoport |first1=Alan |last2=Sheftell |first2=Fred D. |title=Headache Relief |date=15 December 1991 |publisher=Touchstone |isbn=9780671748036 |page=92 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Vilw1AgDhkC&dq=Allan+Sherman+headaches&pg=PA92 |access-date=24 October 2022}} The song features the voice of a child, credited as Tom Greenleigh, who interrupts with a comically unreasonable demand; "Mommy! Can't you keep Daddy's car out of the driveway?".{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YW9AgAAQBAJ&q=Percy+%28Fatty%29+Coplon&pg=PP45|first=Mark|last=Cohen|title=Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman|publisher=University Press of New England|year=2013|isbn=9781611684278}}
The Caretaker version
{{Main|Everywhere at the End of Time}}
From 2016 to 2019, English electronic musician Leyland James Kirby, also known as the Caretaker, sampled the Al Bowlly, Seger Ellis, and Guy Lombardo recordings of "Heartaches" for his final project, Everywhere at the End of Time; all three are used multiple times in the project and serve as one of its leitmotifs, with each subsequent appearance becoming more distorted and disfigured than the last, representing the gradual distortion and destruction of memory and other mental faculties brought about by dementia. The complete edition of the project achieved viral popularity in October 2020 on TikTok as an online challenge, receiving coverage from publications including The New York Times.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/style/tiktok-caretaker-challenge-dementia.html |title=Why Are TikTok Teens Listening to an Album About Dementia? |date=October 23, 2020 |access-date=February 25, 2021 |website=The New York Times |last=Marcus |first=Ezra }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926607585/tiktok-the-caretaker-challenge-avant-garde |title=What Happens When TikTok Looks To The Avant-Garde For A Challenge? |date=October 22, 2020 |access-date=February 25, 2021 |website=NPR |last=Garvey |first=Meaghan }}{{Cite web |url=https://junkee.com/everywhere-at-the-end-of-time-tiktok/274709 |title=How An Obscure Six-Hour Ambient Record Is Terrifying A New Generation On TikTok |date=October 17, 2020 |access-date=February 25, 2021 |website=Junkee |last=Earp |first=Joseph }}
Notable cover versions
- Somethin' Smith and the Redheads - US #71 Billboard Hot 100 (1956){{cite book |title= Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2013 |publisher=Record Research |page=175}}
- Patsy Cline - US #73, UK #31 (1962){{cite book |title= Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2013 |publisher=Record Research |page=175}}{{cite web |last1=Sexton |first1=Paul |title='Heartaches': The Patsy Cline Hit That Country Missed |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/patsy-cline-heartaches-song/ |website=UDiscoverMusic |access-date=27 October 2022}}
- Vince Hill - UK #28 (1966){{cite web |title=Vince Hill |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/10219/vince-hill/ |website=Official Charts |access-date=27 October 2022}}
- Allan Sherman - parodied as "Headaches" (1963)
References
{{reflist}}
{{Harry James}}
{{Patsy Cline singles}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Al Hoffman
Category:Decca Records singles