"Singing the Blues" is a

popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...

song written by

Melvin Endsley Melvin Endsley (January 30, 1934 – August 16, 2004) was a musician, singer, and songwriter best known for writing the song "Singing the Blues", along with over 400 songs recorded by hundreds of artists since 1956. Some of the artists ...

and published in 1956. The song was first recorded and released by

Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and succ ...

in 1956. It is not related to the 1920 jazz song "

Singin' the Blues ''Singin' the Blues'' is the first LP album by American bluesman B.B. King, released in 1957 by the Bihari brothers on their Crown budget label. It is a compilation album whose songs were issued between 1951 and 1956 on singles by RPM Records ...

" recorded by Frank Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke in 1927.

Guy Mitchell

The best-known recording was released in October 1956 by

Guy Mitchell Guy Mitchell (born Albert George Cernik; February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK, and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. In the fa ...

and spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' chart from 8 December 1956, to 2 February 1957. It was Mitchell's second and last hit in Italy, on national

Musica e Dischi ''Musica e dischi'' was the oldest and long-running music industry publication in Italy. '' Billboard'' defined the publication as the "Italian record bible". History It was founded in October 1945 in Milan, Italy, on the initiative of the journ ...

Hit Parade, after " My Heart Cries For You" in 1951. An example of the U.S. recording is on Columbia #40769, dated 1956, with the Ray Conniff Orchestra. Mitchell's version was also No. 1 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

for three (non-consecutive) weeks in early 1957, one of only four singles to rise to No. 1 on the chart on three separate occasions, with the other three being " I Believe" by

Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American Singing, singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to hi ...

, " Happy" by Pharrell Williams and "

What Do You Mean? "What Do You Mean?" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his fourth studio album ''Purpose'' (2015). The song was released on August 28, 2015, as the album's lead single by Def Jam. The song was produced by MdL and co-produced ...

" by

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

. Mitchell's version prominently features

whistling Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The a ...

in the intro and solo sections.

Marty Robbins and Tommy Steele versions

Two other charting versions of the song were released almost simultaneously with Mitchell's, one by the English singer

Tommy Steele Sir Thomas Hicks (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele, is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, Steele reco ...

(with the Steelmen) and the other (recorded before Mitchell covered it) by US country singer

. Tommy Steele's version of "Singing the Blues" made number 1 in the

for one week on 11 January 1957, sandwiched by two of the weeks that Guy Mitchell's version of the same song topped the charts. Steele's recording of the song was not a chart success in the US. The Marty Robbins version made it to number one on the ''

'' C&W Best Sellers chart for 13 weeks in late 1956 and early 1957 and peaked at number seventeen on the US pop chart. In 1983, Gail Davies recorded a cover version, taking her version into the top 20 of the Hot Country Singles chart in the spring of 1983.

Other cover versions

The song is often revived, and on three occasions new recordings of "Singing the Blues" have become UK Top 40 hits. These latter-day hit versions were by Dave Edmunds (1980), Gail Davies (1983),

Daniel O'Donnell Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...

(1994), and

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

the Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...

(2009).

Charting versions

More cover versions

Trumpeter Bob Scobey and banjoist/vocalist Clancy Hayes recorded a

trad jazz Trad jazz, short for "traditional jazz", is a form of jazz in the United States and Britain in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, played by musicians such as Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Ken Colyer and Monty Sunshine, based on a re ...

version in 1958 for the LP "Scobey and Clancy raid the Jukebox" on the Good Time Jazz label. Other notable cover versions include a 1960 recording by Bill Haley & His Comets, a 1963 version by

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

, and a 1971 version by

Black Oak Arkansas Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970charting ten albums according to Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Their style is punctuated ...

. It was recorded by

Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, television host, and a member of the show business family the Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a country and pop ...

for her 1975 album ''

In My Little Corner of the World ''In My Little Corner of the World'' is the second studio album by American country music singer Marie Osmond. It was released on MGM Records in 1974. Marie Osmond's second album was named after the lead and only single from the album, " In My ...

'', by

Gene Summers David Eugene Summers (January 3, 1939 – February 17, 2021) was an American rockabilly singer, songwriter and guitarist. His most famous recordings include the late 50s "School of Rock 'n Roll", "Straight Skirt", " Nervous", "Gotta Lotta That ...

on his 1981 French album '' Gene Summers in Nashville'', by

Randy Travis Randy Bruce Traywick (born May 4, 1959), known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American country music and gospel music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Active from 1978 until being incapacitated by a stroke in 2013, he has recor ...

on his 1989 album '' No Holdin' Back'', and by

The Kentucky Headhunters The Kentucky Headhunters are an American country rock and Southern rock band originating in the state of Kentucky. The band's members are Doug Phelps (vocals, bass guitar), Greg Martin (vocals, lead guitar), and brothers Richard Young (vocals, rhy ...

for their album '' Stompin' Grounds'' (1997). A version by

Bert Jansch Herbert Jansch (3 November 1943 – 5 October 2011) was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s as an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter ...

appears on his 2000 release '' Crimson Moon''. Frank Ifield, Max Bygraves and Slim Whitman also recorded the song. "Singing the Blues" was performed live by

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

on the MTV show ''Unplugged'' in 1991 and included on the subsequent soundtrack, ''

Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) ''Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)'' is a live unplugged performance by Paul McCartney, recorded and released in 1991. Following the vastness of his world tour recently captured on '' Tripping the Live Fantastic'', McCartney relished the oppor ...

''.

Hank Snow Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian-American country music artist. Most popular in the 1950s, he had a career that spanned more than 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on ...

did it on his 1969 album on RCA "I Went To Your Wedding". The song was also performed by

Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also mai ...

. The tune was also sung by

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress and singer best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom '' I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Out ...

and

William Frawley William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best remembered for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy ser ...

(Ethel and Fred of ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...

'' fame) for a Ford Motor Company television commercial promoting the Edsel. The Californian pop punk band

Groovie Ghoulies The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs, and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was ...

covered the song on their third album ''World Contact Day'' in 1996. The first line of this song is famously the last line of "London Calling" by the Clash, cut short and echoed in the final mix of the song ("I never felt so much a-like, a-like, a-like...").

Hugues Aufray Hugues Jean Marie Auffray (; born 18 August 1929), better known as Hugues Aufray, is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. Aufray is known for French language covers of Bob Dylan's songs. Aufray knew Dylan and his work from his time in Ne ...

and his Skiffle Group recorded a French version of the song, "Tout le long du chemin", in 1964."Tout le long du chemin"
Discogs.com

Use in English football

Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...

-supporting radio presenters Tom Ross and Ian Danter released a version to celebrate the club's promotion to the Premier League. It has been sung since at least the 1969 season by fans of the Midlands club.

Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...

fans have been known to sing a version of the song: "Never felt more like singing the blues, the Rovers win and Burnley lose, oh Rovers, you've got me singing the blues." Everton fans sing a version of this song; "I've never felt more like singing the blues, when Everton win and

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

lose, oh Everton you've got me singing the blues." Also this song is commonly used at Manchester City football matches, where the fans sing: "Never felt more like singing the blues, City win,

United United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

lose." This song has been used by

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...

fans since the 1960's. Their lyrics are: "Never felt more like singing the blues, When Wednesday win, United lose." Former Wednesday player

Terry Curran Edward Terence (Terry) Curran is an English former professional footballer whose career lasted from 1975 to 1988. Curran was an attacking midfielder, who could also play as a winger, and as an out and out striker. During his 13-year career ...

recorded a version of the song in 1980 that sold tens of thousands, that is still used at Hillsborough to this day.

Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...

fans also use the song and the club recorded their own version of it, with the chorus being "I've never felt more like singing the Blues, When Ipswich win and Norwich lose, Oh Ipswich you've got me singing the blues".

References

{{Authority control 1956 songs 1956 singles Songs about blues Songs written by Melvin Endsley Billboard Top 100 number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia UK Singles Chart number-one singles Randy Travis songs The Kentucky Headhunters songs Gene Summers songs Guy Mitchell songs Marty Robbins songs Bill Haley songs Marie Osmond songs Tommy Steele songs Gail Davies songs Song recordings produced by Gail Davies Swan Song Records singles Music videos directed by John Lloyd Miller Dave Edmunds songs