Heartaches by the Number
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2016) |
| "Heartaches by the Number" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Guy Mitchell | ||||
| B-side | "Two" | |||
| Released | 1959 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:34 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Harlan Howard | |||
| Producer(s) | Joe Sherman | |||
| Guy Mitchell singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Heartaches by the Number" is a popular country song written by Harlan Howard and published in 1959. Sheet music for the song was a best seller in both the US and Britain in January 1960.[1]
Guy Mitchell version
The biggest hit version was recorded by Guy Mitchell on August 24, 1959. It reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for the weeks of December 14 and December 21, 1959.[2] The recording was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 41476. This would be Mitchell's second pop chart topper (after "Singing the Blues"); it was also his last top-40 single in the Billboard charts. Columbia first issued a mono recording by Mitchell as a 7" 45 rpm single, which became the hit. Columbia later issued a stereo version of the song, also by Mitchell; however, the mono and stereo issues are in fact two completely different recordings. The hit version has never appeared in stereo and has appeared on only a lone compact disc release (Hit Parade Records 12311, Hard to Find Jukebox Classics 1959: Pop Gold.) The video game Fallout: New Vegas does not feature his original Columbia Records version; rather it is a 1980 re-recording made for K-Tel records.
Other notable recordings
- 1959 Ray Price - recorded before the Guy Mitchell version.(Columbia 41374). Price's version reached number two and spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot C&W Sides chart.[1]
- 1961 George Jones - his version of the song was included on the Mercury label album George Jones Sings Country and Western Hits (MG 20624/SR 60624).
- 1961 Kitty Wells recorded a version for her LP Heartbreak U.S.A..
- 1961 Buck Owens - included in his album Buck Owens Sings Harlan Howard.
- 1962 Connie Francis for the album Country Music - Connie Style.
- 1962 Leroy Van Dyke on the Mercury album Walk on By (MG 20682/SR 60682).
- 1972 Jack Reno reached #26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[3]
- 1965 Bing Crosby - recorded for his album Bing Crosby Sings the Great Country Hits.
- 1965 Johnny Tillotson a single release on the MGM label.
- 1966 Willie Nelson included on his album Country Favorites-Willie Nelson Style.
- 1967 Waylon Jennings for the album Waylon Sings Ol' Harlan.
- 1968 Burl Ives on the Decca album The Big Country Hits.
- 1969 Jerry Lee Lewis included in the album Sings the Country Music Hall of Fame Hits, Vol. 1.
- 1969 Country Joe and the Fish - Performed at Woodstock
- 1970 Jane Morgan - included in her album Jane Morgan - In Nashville.
- 1983 The Kendalls for the album 20 Favorites
- 1986 Dwight Yoakam included on his debut studio album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc..
- 2005 Martina McBride (featuring Dwight Yoakam) for her album Timeless.
- 2009 Rosanne Cash (featuring Elvis Costello) in the album The List.
- 2013 The Playtones for their album In the Mood.
- 2014 Mary Sarah in a duet version featuring Ray Price included in her album Bridges: Great American Country Duets.[4]
- 2016 Cyndi Lauper covered the song for studio album Detour.
Chart performance
Ray Price
| Chart (1959) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 2 |
Guy Mitchell
| Chart (1959) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.K. Singles Charts | 5 |
| U.S. Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles | 19 |
| Norway VG-Lista[5] | 3 |
| German Singles Charts | 2 |
All-time charts
| Chart (1958-2018) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 407 |
Johnny Tillotson
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 35 |
| U.S. Adult Contemporary | 4 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 14 |
Jack Reno
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 26 |
See also
References
- ^ a b Billboard Jan 11, 1960. page 48
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 431.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 347. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Guy Mitchell - Heartaches By The Number". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.