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I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself

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"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
Song
B-side"My Colouring Book"
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
Song
B-side"In Between the Heartaches"
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
Song

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Original version

"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" was first recorded by Tommy Hunt in a session produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, with Burt Bacharach arranging and conducting. It was released as single Scepter 1236 (B-side "And I Never Knew") in May 1962, but did not chart. The song served as the title track for Hunt's sole album release on Scepter released in April 1963. The success in the UK of the Dusty Springfield version of "I Just Don't Know..." in the summer of 1964 led to Scepter's re-releasing the original, at which time it reached the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in Billboard with a #119 peak. It would appear however that the first version of this song to be recorded was not by Hunt but by Chuck Jackson also in 1962. Jackson's version was shelved and remained unreleased until it appeared on a 1984 compilation on the Kent record label called "Mr. Emotion". According to the sleeve notes of that album, Tommy Hunt's vocals were substituted for Jackson's whilst the original backing track was retained.

Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield recorded "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" in a session at Olympic Studios in Westminster with production credited to Philips Records owner Johnny Franz - although Springfield later stated her solo Philips tracks were self-produced - and arranged by Ivor Raymonde who conducted his orchestra; personnel on the session included Big Jim Sullivan on guitar and Bobby Graham on drums. Springfield, whose first solo recordings had included covers of the Bacharach/David compositions "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Wishin' and Hopin' " - had brought back "I Just Don't Know..." from an overnight trip to New York City where she met up with Bacharach in February 1964.

The third UK single release of Springfield's solo career - following the "Brill Building" Sound-alikes "I Only Want to Be With You" and "Stay Awhile" - "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was Springfield's first UK single release to display her signature vocal style; rising to #3 in the summer of 1964 the track remained Springfield's highest charting UK hit until she reached #1 in 1966 with "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" which would remain Springfield's only UK solo hit to chart higher than "I Just Don't Know...".

A concurrent US release of Springfield's "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was preempted by the presence of Springfield's "Wishin' and Hopin'" in the US Top Ten over the summer of 1964. Springfield's "I Just Don't Know..." received a belated US release in October 1965 featured on a single with Springfield's current UK hit "Some of Your Lovin'"; that month Springfield made a promotional junket to the US which included performances of both of the single's tracks on the TV shows Hullabaloo and Shindig but neither side reached the Billboard Hot 100.

Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick recorded "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" at Bell Sound Studios in August 1966 with Burt Bacharach producing; released that September the track was a moderate success reaching #26 on the Hot 100 (#20 R&B) with its strongest evident regional success in Detroit going Top Ten there. After "Message to Michael" and "Trains and Boats and Planes" Warwick's "I Just Don't Know..." was her third consecutive single release comprising a previously recorded Bacharach/David song and Warwick's next Top 40 single "Alfie" would also fit in this category; three of the four appeared on Warwick's 1967 album Here Where There Is Love.

White Stripes single track listing

Promo

  1. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session) (Burt Bacharach, Hal David)
  2. "Who's to Say" (Dan Miller)
  3. "Lafayette Blues" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session)
  4. "I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman "(Live on the John Peel Show)

7"

  1. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session)
  2. "Who's to Say"

CD

  1. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session)
  2. "Who's to Say"
  3. "I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman" (Live on the John Peel Show)

DVD

  1. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (audio only)
  2. "Lafayette Blues" (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session) (audio only)
  3. "Black Math" (Masonic Temple Theatre, 16 April 2003)

Other versions

Although the recording year is unknown, a 2002 release of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' Away We a Go-Go includes their version of "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself".

Bibliography

  • Serene Dominic. Burt Bacharach, song by song: the ultimate Burt Bacharach reference for fans. Schirmer Trade (New York NY) 2003. ISBN 0-8256-7280-5

References

  1. ^ Elvis Costello (13 October 2015). Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink. Viking. p. 505. ISBN 978-0241003466.
  2. ^ Lynn Hirschberg (31 August 2003). "The Coppola Smart Mob". NYTimes. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
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