I Sold My Heart to the Junkman

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"I Sold My Heart to the Junkman"
Single by The Basin Street Boys feat. Ormonde Wilson
Released1946
Recorded1946
GenreRhythm and blues
LabelExclusive Records
Songwriter(s)Leon René, as Jimmie Thomas

"'I Sold My Heart to the Junkman'" is a 1946 recording by The Basin Street Boys featuring Ormonde Wilson, written by

RCA Victor
.

Patti LaBelle and Her Blue Belles

In 1962, the

Philadelphia-based girl group named The Ordettes, who had changed their name to The Blue Belles - after a threat from another record label owner, the name was altered to Patti LaBelle and Her Blue Belles.[1]

Success

After the Blue-Belles made their first television appearance on American Bandstand in April 1962, the popularity of the song increased and became a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.[2]

Despite the controversy with The Starlets, the song became a 'million-selling' record as a result of the promotion done by Newtown Records and performances by The Blue-Belles.[3][4]

Aftermath

It is unknown as to whether Robinson erased the original lead vocal from the song and added in Patti LaBelle's lead vocal, or whether the Starlets themselves were replaced by session singers. Nevertheless, the Starlets' manager sued Robinson for ownership of the recording, with the girls each winning $5,000 from the suit.[5] Despite this, however, it is still not clear as to how the record was released.

Ironically when the Blue Belles recorded their own version shortly before promoting it, both the Starlets and Blue Belles' versions were strikingly similar. The Starlets did not fully recover from the "Junkman" scandal and after a half-year of new recordings, disbanded in 1963.[5] Meanwhile, the newly christened Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles went on to national fame that year with their hit, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)".[1]

Chart Performance

Charts (1962) Peak

position

U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] 15
U.S. R&B 13
U.S.
Cashbox Top 100[7]
 16
U.S. Cashbox Top 50 R&B[8] 6
U.S. Record World 100 Top Pops[9] 22
U.S. Record World Top 50 R&B[10] 4

Other versions

In 1962,

UK Singles Chart appearance with "Never on Sunday".[11]

Bette Midler covered the song on her 1998 album, Bathhouse Betty.

References

  1. ^ a b "Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles". History-of-rock.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  2. ^ "The secret of chicago music". Chicagoreader.com. 14 July 2011.
  3. ISBN 1573220396
    .
  4. ^ "Cash Box" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 1962-06-30. p. 45.
  5. ^ a b "The Starlets". History-of-rock.com. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
  6. ^ "The Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. June 2, 1962.
  7. ^ "Cash box Top 100". Cashboxmagazine.com. May 26, 1962.
  8. ^ "Cashbox Top R&B". Cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Music Vendor" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 1962-06-23.
  10. ^ "Record World" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 1967-05-13.
  11. ^ "Lynn Cornell | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-12-25.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Sold_My_Heart_to_the_Junkman&oldid=1185917711"