YOU GO TO MY HEAD
Music: J. Fred Coots- Lyrics: Haven Gillespie
Year: 1938
Origin of the song
Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra, with singer Kenny Sargent, is generally considered to be the first performers of “You Go To My Head”. Curiously, Larry Clinton's orchestra, with Bea Wain's voice, recorded the song for the Victor label on the same day! Two months later, Teddy Wilson's band did it for the Brunswick label.
Critics often label J. Fred Coots as the author of a single hit, and say 'You Go To My Head' is a small masterpiece written by a competent but not exceptional composer. However, Coots had more hits, for example 'Santa Claus is Comin' To Town', which easily surpasses 'You Go To My Head' in sales and popularity, and which is, after 'White Christmas' and 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', the best-selling Christmas song of all time. Coots is usually associated with the songs of Tin Pan Alley, but he was also trained in vaudeville and theatre, where he was hired by the Shubert Organization, a company where he worked with Sigmund Romberg.
Haven Gillespie, with several contributors, wrote 'Drifting and Dreaming' (1925), 'Breezin' Along with the Breeze' (1926), '(I'm in Love with You) Honey' (1928), 'Beautiful Love' (1931), 'That Lucky Old Sun' (1949), and 'The Old Master Painter' (1949), among other songs.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1938.02.24 |
1938.07.23 |
12 |
3 |
Bea Wain (voc) |
|
|
Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra |
1938.02.24 |
1938.08.13 |
7 |
9 |
Kenny Sargent (voc) |
|
Teddy Wilson Orchestra |
1938.04.29 |
1938.06.18 |
1 |
20 |
Nan Wynn (voc) |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
Teddy Wilson |
1945.11.05 |
Teddy Wilson (p) |
|
Don Byas Quartet |
1946.09.?? |
Don Byas (ts), Beryl Booker (p), John Simmons (b), Fred Radcliffe (d) |
|
1946.12.?? |
Coleman Hawkins (ts), Fats Navarro (tp), J.J. Johnson (tb), Porter Kilbert (as), Milt Jackson (vib), Hank Jones (p), Curley Russell (b), Max Roach (d) |
|
|
1947.12.10 |
Mel Powell (p) |
|
|
1949.08.09 |
Bud Powell (p), Tommy Potter (b), Roy Haynes (d) |
|
|
1950.04.07 |
Lee Konitz (as), Sal Mosca (p), Billy Bauer (g), Arnold Fishkin (b), Jeff Morton (d) |
|
|
Gene Ammons Sextet |
1950.05.02 |
Gene Ammons (ts), Bill Massey (tp), Matthew Gee (tb), Charlie Bateman (p), Gene Wright (b), Wesley Landers (d) |
|
1950.05.17 |
Stan Getz (ts), Al Haig (p), Tommy Potter (b), Roy Haynes (d) |
|
|
Stan Kenton Orchestra |
1952.09.15 |
Stan Kenton (p, dir), Buddy Childers, Maynard Ferguson, Conte Candoli, Don Dennis, Ruben McFall, Pete Candoli (tp), Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo, Keith Moon, George Roberts (tb), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Bob Gioga (bars), Sal Salvador (g), Don Bagley (b), Stan Levey (d) |
|
1952.10.22 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Wyatt Reuther (b), Lloyd Davis (d) |
|
|
1955.06.11 |
Lennie Tristano (p), Lee Konitz (as), Gene Ramey (b), Art Taylor (d) |
|
|
1957.02.15 |
Lee Konitz (as), Billy Bauer (g), Peter Ind (b), Dick Scott (d) |
|
|
1957.03.19 |
Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Shelly Manne (d) |
|
|
1962.07.16 |
Bill Evans (p), Freddie Hubbard (tp), Jim Hall (g), Percy Heath (b), Philly Joe Jones (d) |
|
|
1965.07.01 |
Lee Morgan (tp), Wayne Shorter (ts), Harold Mabern (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Billy Higgins (d) |
|
|
1999.10.04 |
Roy Hargrove (tp), Sherman Irby (as), Larry Willis (p), Gerald Cannon (b), Willie Jones III (d),
string section |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1938.04.29 |
Teddy Wilson (p, dir), Bobby Hackett (cnt), Pee Wee Russell (cl), Johnny Hodges (as), Allen Reuss (g), Al Hall (b), Johnny Blowers (d), Nan Wynn (voc) |
|
|
1938.05.11 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Babe Russin (ts), Buster Bailey (cl), Claude Thornhill (p), John Kirby (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1948.09.25 |
Miles Davis (tp), Lee Konitz (as), John Lewis (p), Curley Russell (b), Max Roach (d), Kenny Hagood (voc) |
|
|
1956.04.?? |
Keely Smith (voc), Nelson Riddle Orchestra |
|
|
1957.10.14 |
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Louis Bellson (d) |
|
|
1961.01.10 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Sonny Cohn, Joe Newman, Snooky Young, Thad Jones (tp), Henry Coker, Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Frank Wess (fl, as, ts), Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (fl, bars), Kirk Stuart (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Sonny Payne (d) |
|
|
Carol Sloane |
1996.03.04 |
Carol Sloane (voc), Byron Stripling, Greg Gisbert (tp), Steve Turre (tb), Bill Easly (ss, as, ts), Frank Wess (ts, fl), Scott Robinson (bars, cl), Bill Charlap (p), Ben Brown (b), Dennis Mackrel (d) |
|
Keely Smith |
2002.07.?? |
Keely Smith (voc), Wayne Bergeron, Pete Candoli, Carl Saunders, Frank Szabo (tp, Andy Martin, Chauncey Welsch, Bryant Byers (tb), Paul Klintworth (tpa), Lanny Morgan (as), Pete Christlieb, Don Menza (ts), Bob Efford (bars), Jim Self (tu), Frank Collet (p), Barry Zweig (g), Kirk Smith (b), Steve Barnes (d), John Magnussen (per), string section, Dennis Michaels (dir) |
|
Dianne Reeves |
2002.12.10 |
Dianne Reeves (voc), Nicholas Payton (tp), Peter Martin (p), Romero Lubambo (g), Reuben Rogers (b), Gregory Hutchinson (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'You Go To My Head' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Laura |
Laura |
1944 |
Background music |
|
The Big Sleep |
El sueño eterno |
1946 |
Background music |
|
Battle Cry |
Más allá de las lágrimas |
1955 |
Playing a piano |
|
Trail Of The Pink Panther |
Tras la pista de la Pantera Rosa |
1982 |
|
|
Lola |
Lola |
1986 |
Cristina Vilallonga |
|
Avalon |
Avalon |
1990 |
|
|
Swing Kids |
Rebeldes del swing |
1993 |
|
|
Corrina, Corrina |
Corina, Corina |
1994 |
Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson Trio |
|
Myth Of Fingerprints |
Volviendo a casa |
1997 |
Rozz Nash Sextet |
|
Playing By Heart |
Jugando con el corazón |
1999 |
Chet Baker Quartet |
|
The Great Raid |
El gran rescate |
2005 |
Victoria Hamilton |
|
The Master |
The Master |
2012 |
Larry Clinton Orchestra |