"I Cried for You" is a pop and jazz standard with music written by Gus Arnheim and Abe Lyman, with lyrics by Arthur Freed. It was introduced by Abe Lyman and His Orchestra in 1923. The recording by Benny Krueger and His Orchestra the same year peaked at number 2 for two weeks and remained in the charts for ten weeks at large. Also in 1923 another interpretation of the song by the Columbians reached number 14 for one week. 15 years later in 1938 two new recordings peaked both number 13 in the Billboard charts, Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra with Kathleen Lane on vocals and an interpretation by Bing Crosby (a minor hit for him). Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Orchestra followed the next year, peaking at number 6, and in 1942 Harry James' recording was the last to get into the Billboard charts, peaking at number 19.
I Cried for You was also featured in several films including the musical short Alladin from Manhattan (1936) (starring Ruth Etting), The Women (1939), Idiot’s Delight (1939) and Babes in Arms, sung by Judy Garland (1939). In 1944 Helen Forrest sang it in Bathing Beauty with Harry James and His Music Makers. Frank Sinatra interpreted the song in The Joker Is Wild (1957), and Diana Ross sang it in Lady Sings the Blues, personifying Billie Holiday (1972).
Recordings
| Date | Main recording artist | Featured vocalists (or instrumental) |
Album title, notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | Abe Lyman and His Orchestra | (instrumental?) | First recording of the song |
| 1923 | Columbians | (instrumental?) | cf. 1923 in music |
| 1923 | Benny Krueger and His Orchestra | (instrumental?) | cf. 1923 in music, 10 weeks in the charts, peaking two weeks at number 2. |
| 1932 | Connee Boswell | Connee Boswell | 78 rpm, Brunswick BX-11569 |
| 1932 | Red Nichols and His Orchestra | Chick Bullock | 78 rpm, Brunswick B-11332 |
| 1935 | Mildred Bailey and Her Orchestra | Mildred Bailey | 78 rpm Shellac, Parlaphone 2675 |
| 1936 | Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra | Billie Holiday | With Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney and Jonah Jones; The Quintessential Billie Holiday Volume 2, cf. 1936 in music |
| 1937 | Benny Goodman Quintet | (instrumental) | cf. 1937 in music |
| 1937 | Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra | Kenny Sargent | cf. 1937 in music |
| 1937-41 | Kate Smith | Kate Smith | |
| 1938 | Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra | Kathleen Lane | cf. 1938 in music, peaked nr. 13, Casa Loma on Hi-Fi, rel. 1956 |
| 1938 | Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra | (instrumental) | Contrasts, arranged by Tutti Camarata |
| 1938 | Bing Crosby with The John Scott Trotter Orchestra | Bing Crosby | recorded December 12, 1938, peaked nr. 13 |
| 1939 | Judy Garland | Judy Garland | Feat. in the film Babes in Arms, cf. 1939 in music |
| 1939 | Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra | (instrumental?) | peaked nr. 6 |
| 1930s | Sid Phillips | (instrumental) | |
| 1930s | Lee Wiley | Lee Wiley | |
| 1942 | Harry James and His Orchestra | Helen Forrest | cf. 1942 in music, peaked nr. 19 |
| 1945 | Erroll Garner | (instrumental) | cf. 1945 in music |
| 1946 | Jazz at the Philharmonic | Billie Holiday | On June 3, with Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Lester Young and Buck Clayton |
| 1946 | Andy Russell and The Pied Pipers | Andy Russell | cf. 1946 in music |
| 1947 | Louis Armstrong | Velma Middleton | Satchmo at Symphony Hall, released in 1951 |
| 1947 | Sarah Vaughan | Sarah Vaughan | cf. 1947 in music |
| 1948 | Louis Armstrong & the All-Stars | Velma Middleton | The Fabulous 1948 Paris Concert Vol. 1, released in 1978 |
| 1952 | Count Basie and His Orchestra | Helen Humes | TV Broadcast |
| 1952 | Five Keys | Rudy West, Dickie Smith | |
| 1954 | Billie Holiday | Billie Holiday | With Oscar Peterson and Charlie Shavers Billie Holiday for Clef/Verve, |
| 1955 | Sarah Vaughan | Sarah Vaughan | After Hours with Sarah Vaughan |
| 1956 | Eddy Arnold | Eddy Arnold | cf. 1956 in music |
| 1956 | Cliff Edwards with The Wonderland Jazz Band | Cliff Edwards | Ukulele Ike Sings Again |
| 1956 | Billie Holiday | Billie Holiday | The Essential Billie Holiday: Carnegie Hall Concert Recorded Live |
| 1956 | Rita Reys with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers | Rita Reys | The Cool Voice of Rita Reys (Philips) |
| 1956 | Frank Sinatra | Frank Sinatra | Featured in the film The Joker Is Wild, cf. 1956 in music |
| 1957 | Della Reese | Della Reese | |
| 1957 | Ethel Ennis with Orchestra cond. by Neal Hefti | Ethel Ennis | Change of Scenery, cf. 1957 in music |
| 1957 | Woody Herman and His Orchestra | (instrumental) | Live in Stereo at Marion June 8 - 1957 featuring Bill Harris |
| 1957 | Matt Monro with The Malcolm Lockyer Orchestra | Matt Monro | Blue and Sentimental |
| 1957 | Sarah Vaughan | Sarah Vaughan | Swingin' Easy |
| 1958 | Connie Francis | Connie Francis | Who's Sorry Now, cf. 1958 in music |
| 1959 | Polly Bergen with Orchestra cond. by Luther Henderson | Polly Bergen | My Heart Sings |
| 1959 | Vic Damone with Orchestra cond. by Jack Marshall | Vic Damone | On the Swingin' Side, cf. 1959 in music |
| 1959 | Sonny King with Orchestra cond. by Van Alexander | Sonny King | For Losers Only, “Colpix Find of the Year”, arr. by Johnny Williams |
| 1959 | Jimmy Rushing | Jimmy Rushing | Rushing Lullabies with Ray Bryant on piano |
| 1960 | Ella Fitzgerald | Ella Fitzgerald | Let No Man Write My Epitaph |
| 1960 | Zoot Sims | (instrumental) | Down Home |
| 1961 | Count Basie and His Orchestra | Sarah Vaughan | Count Basie / Sarah Vaughan |
| 1962 | Al Hirt | Dean Martin | Trumpet and Strings, cf. 1962 in music |
| 1962 | Carmen McRae | Carmen McRae | Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics |
| 1963 | Wayne Newton | Wayne Newton | Danke Schoen |
| 1963 | Claude Hopkins | (instrumental) | Swing Time! |
| 1963 | Sarah Vaughan with Woody Herman | Sarah Vaughan | 1963 Live Guard Sessions |
| 1964 | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | Sweet and Sour Tears |
| 1965 | Big Maybelle | Big Maybelle | The Soul of Big Maybelle (Scepter) |
| 1965 | Rita Reys with the Pim Jacobs Trio | Rita Reys | Congratulations in Jazz |
| 1968 | Ella Fitzgerald | Ella Fitzgerald | 30 by Ella |
| 1972 | Carmen McRae | Carmen McRae | The Great American Songbook, live recording with Jimmy Rowles and Joe Pass |
| 1972 | Diana Ross | Diana Ross | Featured in the film Lady Sings the Blues, a biopic tributed to Billie Holiday |
| 1974 | Dean Martin | Dean Martin | cf. 1974 in music |
| 1976 | Bertice Reading | Bertice Reading | The Two Moods of Bertice Reading |
| 1977 | Rosemary Clooney | Rosemary Clooney | Everything's Coming Up Rosie |
| 1978 | Anita O'Day | Anita O'Day | There's Only One... |
| 1985 | Rita Reys with the Pim Jacobs Trio | Rita Reys | Live at the Concertgebouw – Special Guest Louis van Dijk |
| 1993 | Dave Brubeck | (instrumental) | Trio Brubeck |
| 2001 | Etta Jones | Etta Jones | Sings Lady Day |
| 2003 | Elkie Brooks with Humphrey Lyttelton | Elkie Brooks | Trouble in Mind |
| 2006 | Stephanie Nakasian | Stephanie Nakasian | Thrush Hour: A Study of the Great Ladies of Jazz, emulating Carmen McRae |
| 2009 | Kalil Wilson | Kalil Wilson | Easy to Love |
References
- Cf. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.
- Cf. Jazzstandards.com citing Joel Whitburn: Pop Memories 1890-1954: The History of Popular Music, Record Research Inc 1992, ISBN 978-0-89820-083-6.
- Cf. Jazzstandards.com
- Cf. The Boswell Sisters Discography 1925 – 1936 on Guymcafee.com
- Cf. The Boswell Sisters Discography 1925 - 1936 on Guymcafee.com
- Cf. 78discography.com
- "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- “I Cried for You” on YouTube
- "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- Cf. Big Maybelle Discography on Soulfulkindamusic.com