"But You're Mine" is a
pop song written by
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and politician who came to fame in partnership with his second wife Cher as the popular singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republica ...
and recorded by
Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector.
The pair f ...
. The song reached its peak of popularity in 1965, when it charted in the US and the United Kingdom.
In mid-August1965, while returning to America from a two-week promotional tour of Britain, Bono noticed Cher repeatedly singing
the Fortunes
The Fortunes are an English harmony beat group. Formed in Birmingham, the Fortunes first came to prominence and international acclaim in 1965, when "You've Got Your Troubles" broke into the US, Canadian, and UK Top 10s. Afterwards, they had ...
' "
You've Got Your Troubles
"You've Got Your Troubles" became the inaugural composition by the prolific songwriting team of Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway in 1964. "You've Got Your Troubles" became a number 2 UK hit for the Fortunes in the United Kingdom in August 1965, a ...
" to herself. He composed "But You're Mine" and quickly committed a
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
recording of the song to tape. Convinced it would be a hit, he presented the tape to
Jerry Wexler of
Atlantic Records, who was instead unimpressed. American
folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
band
the Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...
performed as
studio musicians on the final recording, which
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the comp ...
issued as a single in September or October1965.
It peaked in November at number 15 in America and number 17 in the United Kingdom.
The lyrics make reference to a
hippie couple who do not fit into the larger society to which they belong, but who are still happy because they have each other. The song has been covered by
Patty Pravo
Patty Pravo (born Nicoletta Strambelli on 9 April 1948) is an Italian singer. She debuted in 1966 and remained most successful commercially for the rest of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Having suffered a decline in popularity in the followin ...
with italian text as ''Ragazzo triste'' (sad boy).
''
Billboard'' described the song as an "exciting rhythm ballad with offbeat message lyric."
Charts
References
Sources
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Sonny & Cher songs
1965 songs
Songs written by Sonny Bono
Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements
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