Who's Sorry Now? (song)
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"Who's Sorry Now?" is a popular song with music written by Ted Snyder and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It was published in 1923,[1] when Isham Jones took it to number three.[2] "Who's Sorry Now?" was also featured in the Marx Brothers film A Night in Casablanca (1946), directed by Archie Mayo and released by United Artists.
The song was a major hit in 1958 for American singer Connie Francis, who took her cover of the song to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and charted at number one in the UK Singles Chart. It spent 22 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100, her single of greatest longevity, and became her first of eight gold records.
Connie Francis version
| "Who's Sorry Now?" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "You Were Only Foolin' (While I Was Fallin' in Love)" |
Background
"Who's Sorry Now?" was recorded in 1957 by Connie Francis, and since then the song has become closely identified with her due to the immense popularity of her version which was her breakout hit. Francis' father had pestered her to record "Who's Sorry Now" being adamant that the song would be a rock and roll smash hit. Francis did not share this enthusiasm but when an October 1957 recording session - scheduled to be Francis' last as she had scored no hits - wrapped early the singer used the leftover studio time to record "Who's Sorry Now" as a goodwill gesture to her father.[3]
Reception
Breaking on January 1, 1958 - mainly on account of Dick Clark's championing of "Who's Sorry Now" on American Bandstand - the track rose to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 that spring, with eventual US sales totaling one million units. In the UK, "Who's Sorry Now" was number 1 for six weeks in May and June 1958.[4]
Chart performance
Weekly singles charts
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Year-end charts
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Other versions
The song has been recorded by a number of artists including:
- Harry James recorded a version in 1945 (released in 1946) with Willie Smith on vocals on Columbia 36973.
- Irving Kaufman
- Marion Harris
- Isham Jones
- Johnnie Ray recorded his version in 1956 for the Columbia Records label. It reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1956.[10]
- Marie Osmond's third studio album, released in 1975, featured a remake of "Who's Sorry Now" as its title cut; this version reached number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 also ranking on Billboard's C&W chart and Easy Listening chart at respectively number 29 and 21.
- Lyn Paul had a 1974 single release of "Who's Sorry Now" which approached the UK Top 50 that October but stalled at number 54.
See also
References
- ^ Furia, Philip; Lasser, Michael. America's Songs: The Stories Behind the Songs of Broadway, Hollywood, and Tin Pan Alley. CRC Press. p. 36. ISBN 0-415-97246-9.
On infrequent occasions Ruby also worked on lyrics. He and Kalmar wrote the words to a Tom Snyder tune they called "Who's Sorry Now?"
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003).Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
- ^ Ron Roberts: Connie Francis Discography 1955–1975
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 212. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ [Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002]
- ^ http://50.6.195.142/archives/50s_files/19580412.html
- ^ http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1958.shtml
- ^ http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1958.htm
- ^ http://50.6.195.142/archives/50s_files/1958YESP.html
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 451. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.