Only Love Can Break a Heart

Last updated

"Only Love Can Break a Heart"
Only Love Can Break a Heart - Gene Pitney.jpg
Single by Gene Pitney
from the album Only Love Can Break a Heart
B-side "If I Didn't Have a Dime (To Play the Jukebox)"
ReleasedSeptember 1962
Genre Pop
Length2:50
Label Musicor
Songwriter(s) Hal David, Burt Bacharach
Producer(s) Wally Gold, Aaron Schroeder
Gene Pitney singles chronology
"(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance"
(1962)
"Only Love Can Break a Heart"
(1962)
"Half Heaven – Half Heartache"
(1962)

"Only Love Can Break a Heart" is a popular song from 1962, performed by the American singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. The song was written by Hal David (words) and Burt Bacharach (music) and appears on Pitney's second album Only Love Can Break a Heart .

Contents

Gene Pitney version

Pitney had enjoyed some success as a songwriter prior to breaking through as a performer in his own right. He wrote the songs "Hello Mary Lou", "Rubber Ball", and "He's a Rebel", the last a number-one Billboard Hot 100 hit for The Crystals in 1962. [1] Ironically, Pitney's success as a singer was beginning at that time, and, on November 3, 1962, "He's a Rebel" kept "Only Love Can Break a Heart", Pitney's highest charting hit, at No. 2 for one week, from topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [2] [3] The song also spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart in October and November 1962, [4] while reaching No. 2 on New Zealand's "Lever Hit Parade". [5] Pitney did his own whistling on the song.

Chart performance

Chart (1962)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [2] 2
US Billboard Easy Listening [4] 1
New Zealand – "Lever Hit Parade" [5] 2
Canada – CHUM Hit Parade [6] 11
US Billboard R&B [4] 16

Country music versions

Country music singers Sonny James and Kenny Dale also recorded cover versions of "Only Love Can Break a Heart". Both versions reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart during the 1970s. [4] James' version peaked at No. 2 in March 1972, held out of the top by Freddie Hart's "My Hang-Up Is You." As a result, "Only Love ..." just missed continuing James' record-breaking streak of consecutive number-one singles, which had reached 16. [7] Dale's version of the song reached number seven on the Hot Country Singles chart in 1979 and it was his biggest hit on the country charts.

Other versions

Margaret Whiting charted with the song in 1967. Whiting's version reached No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart. [8] [9]

Bobby Vinton released the song in 1977, and it reached No. 99 on the Billboard Hot 100, [10] while reaching No. 44 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart, [11] and No. 50 on the RPM "Adult Oriented Playlist" in Canada. [12] Vinton's version appears on his album The Name Is Love .

Dionne Warwick recorded the song in 1970 for Scepter Records as part of the sessions for Very Dionne, but the recording remained unreleased for several years. Scepter finally released her version of the song as a single in 1977, but it only reached No. 9 on the "Bubbling Under" portion of the Billboard Hot 100, [4] as well as No. 46 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Charts.

In 1999, Glen Campbell recorded the song on his album My Hits and Love Songs .

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Good Care of My Baby</span> 1961 song by Bobby Vee

"Take Good Care of My Baby" is a song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The song was made famous by Bobby Vee, when it was released in 1961.

"Make It Easy on Yourself" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was initially a hit for Jerry Butler in 1962. The best-known version is the 1965 recording by the Walker Brothers, for whom it was a No. 1 UK and Canadian hit. Dionne Warwick, who made a demo of the song in early 1962, later had a hit with it in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sealed with a Kiss</span> Song by Peter Udell and Gary Geld

"Sealed with a Kiss" is a song written and composed by Peter Udell and Gary Geld. The original recording of "Sealed with a Kiss" was by the Four Voices which was released as a single in May 1960 without becoming a hit. It first became a hit in 1962 for Brian Hyland. Jason Donovan later had an international number one hit with the song in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Know Him Is to Love Him</span> 1958 single by The Teddy Bears

"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by the words on his father's gravestone, "To Know Him Was to Love Him". It was first recorded by the only vocal group of which he was a member, The Teddy Bears. The single spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, while reaching No. 2 on the UK's New Musical Express chart. Peter & Gordon and Bobby Vinton later each experienced chart success with the song, in 1965 and 1968, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Lonely (Bobby Vinton song)</span> 1964 single by Bobby Vinton

"Mr. Lonely" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer Bobby Vinton, backed by Robert Mersey and his Orchestra. The song was first released on Vinton's 1962 album, Roses Are Red.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roses Are Red (My Love)</span> 1962 single by Bobby Vinton

"Roses Are Red (My Love)" is a popular song composed by Al Byron and Paul Evans. It was recorded by Bobby Vinton, backed by Robert Mersey and his Orchestra, in New York City in February 1962, and released in April 1962, and the song was his first hit.

"There! I've Said It Again" is a popular song written and published by Redd Evans and David Mann in 1941. In early 1945, Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra released Victor 20-1637, which reached the number one position on the Billboard's National Radio Airplay chart for five straight weeks, then no.2 for six more weeks, and a total run of 29 weeks. It finished 1945 as the no. 4 record of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Melody of Love</span> 1974 single by Bobby Vinton

"My Melody of Love" is the title of a popular song from 1974 by the American singer Bobby Vinton. Vinton adapted his song from a German schlager song composed by Henry Mayer, and it appears on Vinton's album Melodies of Love. The song was also recorded by Spanish pop singer Karina as "Palabras de Cristal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ev'ry Day of My Life</span> 1972 single by Bobby Vinton

"Ev'ry Day of My Life" is a popular song written in 1954 by Al Jacobs and Jimmie Crane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurt (Roy Hamilton song)</span> 1954 song

"Hurt" is a 1954 song by Jimmie Crane and Al Jacobs. "Hurt" was originally performed by Roy Hamilton, whose version peaked at number eight on the R&B Best Seller chart and spent a total of seven weeks on the chart. A version by Ricky Denell also received considerable radio airplay in 1954 on pop radio stations. The song is considered to be the signature hit of Timi Yuro, whose version went to number four on the Billboard pop chart in 1961. Elvis Presley’s 1976 version reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart. Juice Newton's 1985 version scored number one on Billboard's Country chart.

"The Days of Sand and Shovels" is a song written by Doyle Marsh and George Reneau, and recorded by American country music artist Waylon Jennings. It was released in April 1969 as the second single from his compilation album The Best of Waylon Jennings. The song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.

"Trains and Boats and Planes" is a song written by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. Hit versions were recorded by Bacharach in 1965, by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas in the same year, and by Dionne Warwick in 1966.

"Please Love Me Forever" is a song written by John Malone and Ollie Blanchard. The song was originally released by Tommy Edwards in 1958. Hit versions were later released by Cathy Jean and the Roommates in 1960 and Bobby Vinton in 1967.

"Just as Much as Ever" is a song written by Charles Singleton and Larry Coleman. The song was a hit single for Bob Beckham, Nat King Cole, and Bobby Vinton.

"Clinging Vine" is a song released by Bobby Vinton in 1964. The song spent 8 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 17, while reaching No. 2 on Billboard's Pop-Standards Singles chart, No. 14 on the Cash Box Top 100, No. 11 on Canada's RPM "Top 40-5s", and No. 9 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rain Rain Go Away (Bobby Vinton song)</span> 1962 single by Bobby Vinton

"Rain Rain Go Away" is a song released by Bobby Vinton in August 1962.

"Coming Home Soldier" is a song co-written and sung by Bobby Vinton, which he released in 1966. The song is a sequel to Vinton's previous hit "Mr. Lonely," sung from the perspective of a man who is returning home to the girl he loves, after having fought in a war overseas, and has survived without serious injury. The song spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 11, while reaching No. 29 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade, and No. 89 on Canada's RPM 100.

"Long Lonely Nights" is a song that was originally released by Lee Andrews & the Hearts in 1957. Hit versions were also released by Clyde McPhatter, later in 1957, and Bobby Vinton in 1965. The song was written by Lee Andrews, though Larry Brown, Doug Henderson, and Mimi Uniman were given songwriter credit as well, in a practice that was common at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over the Mountain; Across the Sea</span>

"Over the Mountain; Across the Sea" is a song written by Rex Garvin. The song was a hit for Johnnie & Joe in 1957 and Bobby Vinton in 1963.

"Half Heaven – Half Heartache" is a song released by Gene Pitney in 1962. The song spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 12, while reaching No. 4 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade, and No. 5 on Billboard's Middle-Road Singles chart.

References

  1. Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Hits, 5th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  2. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  3. Casey Kasem noted that fact on the May 24, 1986, edition of American Top 40.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  5. 1 2 "Lever Hit Parade" 15-Nov-1962, Flavour of New Zealand. Accessed October 21, 2015
  6. "CHUM Hit Parade – Week of October 29, 1962". CHUM. Archived from the original on November 7, 2006. Retrieved January 21, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Chart No. 292.
  7. Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944–2005," 2006.
  8. Margaret Whiting – Chart History – The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed October 21, 2015
  9. Margaret Whiting – Chart History – Adult Contemporary, Billboard.com. Accessed October 21, 2015
  10. Bobby Vinton – Chart History – The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed October 21, 2015
  11. Bobby Vinton – Chart History – Adult Contemporary, Billboard.com. Accessed October 21, 2015
  12. "RPM Adult Oriented Playlist", RPM , Volume 27, Ed. 13, June 25, 1977. p. 27. Accessed October 21, 2015