"I Wonder" is a 1944 song written and originally performed by Pvt.
Cecil Gant. The original version was released on the Bronze label, before Gant re-recorded it for the Gilt-Edge label in Los Angeles. The record made it to number one on the Juke Box Race Records chart and was Pvt. Gant's most successful release. In February 1945, pianist,
Roosevelt Sykes
Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "the Honeydripper".
Career
Sykes was born the son of a musician in Elmar, Arkansas. "Just a little old sawmill town", Sykes said of his birthplace. The ...
hit number one with his version of the song. Roosevelt Sykes version is notable in that it replaced Pvt. Gant's version, at number one on the Juke Box Race Records chart.
Other cover versions
*Also in 1945, vocalist Warren Evans reached number six on the Juke Box Chart with his version of song.
*Also in 1945,
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
recorded his own version of "I Wonder" which peaked at number three on the Juke Box Chart.
*
Brenda Lee released a version as the B-side of "
My Whole World Is Falling Down
"My Whole World Is Falling Down" is a song written by Bill Anderson and Jerry Crutchfield and performed by Brenda Lee. Its chorus is based on the nursery rhyme "London Bridge Is Falling Down". The song reached #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart ...
" in July 1963. It reached No. 25 on the
Billboard Hot 100 later that year.
*
Etta Jones
Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene A ...
included it on her 1962 album ''
Lonely and Blue
According to ''The Authorized Roy Orbison'', ''Lonely and Blue'' is the debut studio album by Roy Orbison for Monument Records, released in January 1961.
The track entitled "Come Back to Me (My Love)" features an almost identical intro to "On ...
''.
*
Vikki Carr - ''Color Her Great!'' (1963).
*
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
from the album ''
Aretha Arrives
''Aretha Arrives'' is the eleventh studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on August 4, 1967, by Atlantic Records. Its first single release was " Baby I Love You", a million-selling Gold 45 which hit #1 R&B and #4 on the ''Bill ...
'' (1967).
*American
R&B and
boogie-woogie pianist and singer
Little Willie Littlefield recorded a version for his 1997 album ''
The Red One
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''.
*
Humble Pie
Humble Pie are an English rock band formed by guitarist and singer Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first supergroups of the late 1960s and found success in the early 1970s with songs such as " Black Cof ...
recorded a slow blues/rock version for their ''
Smokin''' release in 1972.
*
Tony Bennett and
k.d. lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop (music), pop and country music, country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical perfor ...
– ''
A Wonderful World'' (2002)
See also
*
List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B singles of the 1940s
References
1944 songs
Roosevelt Sykes songs
Louis Armstrong songs
Little Willie Littlefield songs
Brenda Lee songs
{{pop-standard-stub