My Heart Cries for You

"My Heart Cries for You" is a popular song, adapted by Carl Sigman and Percy Faith from an 18th-century French melody.^[1]

Background[]

The music is from an old French song attributed to Dauphine of France Queen Marie Antoinette " La jardinière du Roi". The chorus "My heart cries for you, Sighs for you, dies for you..." is original and does not appear in the French song.

Guy Mitchell recording[]

The sentimental ballad was recorded toward the end of 1950 by Guy Mitchell^[1] with Mitch Miller and his orchestra, in a recording issued by Columbia Records as catalog number 39067, which sold over a million copies and reached number 2 on the Billboard chart in 1951.

Cover versions[]

It had numerous cover versions; among the hit recordings made were those by:

• Vic Damone (a number 4 hit on the Billboard chart), Jimmy Wakely (number 12), Bill Farrell (number 18), Al Morgan (number 24), and Evelyn Knight and Red Foley, a duet which reached number 28 pop and number 6 country.^[2][3]
• The composition was also arranged and recorded by John Serry, Sr. and his ensemble for Dot Records as a 33 RPM vinyl recording entitled Squeeze Play in 1956.^[4] Subsequently, it was released by Versailles Records as a 45 RPM recording under the title Chicago Musette - John Serry et son Accordéon in 1958.^[5][6]
• Dinah Shore with Henri René's Orchestra & Chorus^[7] (number 3 on Billboard's pop chart)
• Henri René recorded a version in New York City on November 4, 1950. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-3978 (in US)^[8] and by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10026.
• Jimmy Wakely who reached number 7 on Billboard's country chart.^[9]
• A revival by Ray Charles reached the U.S. top forty in 1964.^[10]
• Connie Francis "bubbled under" the Billboard pop chart in 1967 (number 118) and peaked at number 12 on Billboard Adult Contemporary.^[11] She also recorded the song in German as "Mein Herz ruft nach dir" and in French as "Mon cœur pleure pour vous", the latter marking her last French-language recording of the 1960s.^[12]
• Percy Faith himself recorded an instrumental version of this song in the early 1970s. It is on his 1973 album, Corazón.^[13]
• On his 2005 "comeback" album, The Moon Was Blue, country singer Bobby Bare also recorded a version of the song.^[14]
• On her 2006 album If Your Memory Serves You Well, Serena Ryder covers this, as well as many other classics.^[15] The album received Gold certification.
• Harry James released a version in 1981 on his album For Listening And Dancing (Reader's Digest RD4A 213)^[16]
• Margo Smith released a version in 1981 that peaked at number 72 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.^[17]

References[]