The Gypsy
"The Gypsy" is a popular song written by Billy Reid, and published in 1945.
"The Gypsy" was originally introduced in the United Kingdom by Reid's orchestra and vocalist Dorothy Squires. In the United States, the song was recorded by The Ink Spots, by Dinah Shore, and by Sammy Kaye's orchestra, becoming a hit for all three.
- The recording by The Ink Spots was released by Decca Records as catalog number 18817. It first reached the Billboard chart on May 2, 1946 and lasted 18 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1. [1]and was also number one on the R&B charts for three non consecutive weeks [2].
- The recording by Dinah Shore was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36964. It first reached the Billboard charts on May 2, 1946 and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, peaking at #2. This recording was a two-sided hit, with the flip side, "Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)," reaching #3 the same year. [1]
- The recording by Sammy Kaye was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-1844. It first reached the Billboard chart on May 9, 1946 and lasted 10 weeks on the chart, peaking at #4. [1]
The Gypsy was also recorded by Charlie Parker on July 29, 1946, during the famous "Lover" session after which he was committed to the Camarillo State Mental Hospital in California. In addition to Charlie Parker's version, there were two recordings done by Quincy Jones: "The Birth of The Band" year 1959 and in the early '60s "Quincy Jones and His Band: Vol. 1", both albums featuring Phil Woods.
The song appears on Sonny Stitt Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio.
A more recent version, by Memphis record producer and performer Jim Dickinson was included in his 1997 release A Thousand Footsteps in the Sand, actually recorded in 1992.
This song has recently been featured in the 2008 movie Revolutionary Road starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
The song tells the story of a person who regularly visits a Gypsy, who comforts them by telling them that their lover has been faithful, though as the song says, the person knows that Gypsy is wrong and that their lover has been unfaithful.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 275.
| Preceded by "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" by Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra |
Billboard Most Played Juke Box Race Records number-one single June 29, 1946 (The Ink Spots) |
Succeeded by "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" by Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra "Stone Cold Dead in the Market (He Had it Coming)" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five |
| Preceded by "Prisoner of Love" by Perry Como |
U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single May 25, 1946–July 27, 1946 (The Ink Spots) |
Succeeded by "Surrender" by Perry Como |
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