"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

and

lyricist A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income derives ...

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

. The song was recorded by

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...

and it reached No. 3 on the UK chart in 1964.

Composition and early versions

The song's life began in 1962 when Bacharach and David were songwriters at the New York songwriting factory the

Brill Building The Brill Building is an office building at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and farther uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. The Brill Building hous ...

. "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" was first recorded by

Chuck Jackson Charles Benjamin Jackson (July 22, 1937 – February 16, 2023) was an American R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He performed with moderate success starting in 1961. Hi ...

in 1962. This version was shelved and remained unreleased until it appeared on a 1984 compilation on the Kent record label called ''Mr. Emotion''. According to the sleeve notes of that album, Jackson's vocals were substituted for

Tommy Hunt Thomas James Hunt (June 18, 1933 – February 12, 2025) was an American soul and northern soul singer, and a 2001 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee as a member of famed R&B group the Flamingos. Early life Born to Georgianna Derico on June 18 ...

's while the original backing track was retained. The 1962 release by

, which featured Hunt singing over the original Chuck Jackson backing track, listed

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...

as producers. It was released as single

Scepter A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia, signifying sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

1236 (

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

"And I Never Knew") in May 1962, but did not chart. The song served as the title track for Hunt's sole album release on Scepter released in April 1963. The U.K. success of Dusty Springfield's June 1964 cover version led to Scepter's re-releasing the Tommy Hunt recording, at which time it reached the

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart in ''

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 advertis ...

'' with a number 119 peak.

Dusty Springfield version

recorded "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" in a session at

Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a British independent recording studio based on Church Road, Barnes, Church Road, Barnes, London, Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st ...

Barnes, London Barnes () is a district in South West London, England, part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It takes up the extreme north-east of the borough, and as such is the closest part of the borough to central London. It is centred west ...

with production credited to

Philips Records Philips Records is a record label founded by Netherlands, Dutch electronics company Philips and in 1999 was absorbed into Netherlands, Dutch-United States, American music corporation Universal Music Group. It was founded as Philips Phonograph ...

owner

Johnny Franz John Charles Franz (23 February 1922 – 29 January 1977) was an English record producer and A&R man at the Philips label. He was one of Britain's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s. While his recordings encompassed several forms o ...

- although Springfield later stated her solo Philips tracks were self-produced - and arranged by

Ivor Raymonde Ivor Raymonde (born Ivor Pomerance; 22 October 1926 – 4 June 1990) was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s. Life and ca ...

who conducted his orchestra; personnel on the session included

Big Jim Sullivan James George Tomkins (14 February 1941 – 2 October 2012), known professionally as Big Jim Sullivan, was an English guitarist. Best known as a session guitarist, he was one of the most in-demand studio musicians in the UK in the 1960s ...

on guitar and Bobby Graham on drums. Springfield, whose first solo recordings had included covers of the Bacharach/David compositions " Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "

Wishin' and Hopin' "Wishin' and Hopin" is a song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, which was a US Top 10 hit for Dusty Springfield in 1964. History The song was first recorded by Dionne Warwick in the fall of 1962, and was the B-side of Warwick's sing ...

- had brought back "I Just Don't Know..." from an overnight trip to New York City where she met up with Bacharach in February 1964. The third UK single release of Springfield's solo career - following the "Brill Building" Sound-alikes "

I Only Want to Be With You "I Only Want to Be with You" is a song written by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. Released as a debut solo single by British singer Dusty Springfield under her long-time producer Johnny Franz, "I Only Want to Be with You" peaked at number 4 o ...

" and "Stay Awhile" - "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was Springfield's first UK single release to display her signature vocal style; rising to number 3 in the summer of 1964 the track remained Springfield's highest UK Singles Chart hit until she reached number 1 in 1966 with " You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", which was Springfield's only UK solo hit to chart higher than "I Just Don't Know...". A concurrent US release of Springfield's "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was preempted by the presence of Springfield's "Wishin' and Hopin'" in the US Top Ten over the summer of 1964. Springfield's "I Just Don't Know..." received a belated US release in October 1965 featured on a single with Springfield's current UK hit "Some of Your Lovin'"; that month Springfield made a promotional junket to the US which included performances of both of the single's tracks on the TV shows '' Hullabaloo'' and '' Shindig'' but neither side reached the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Charts

Dionne Warwick version

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

recorded "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" at

Bell Sound Studios Bell Sound Studios was an independent recording studio in New York City from 1950 to 1976. At its height, the studio was the largest independent recording studio in the United States, and the site of recording sessions that produced seminal hits b ...

in August 1966 with Burt Bacharach producing; released that September the track is from her third album, ''

Here Where There Is Love ''Here Where There Is Love'' is Dionne Warwick's sixth studio album for Scepter Records, and was released on December 4, 1966. The album was recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City and was produced in full by Burt Bacharach and Hal D ...

'' on

Scepter Records Scepter Records was an American record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. History Florence Greenberg founded Scepter Records from the $4,000 she received after she sold Tiara Records and the Shirelles to Decca Records. When the S ...

. The song was a moderate success reaching number 26 on the US Hot 100 and number 20 on US Hot R&B with its strongest evident regional success in Detroit going Top Ten there. Warwick released three consecutive Bacharach/David songs as singles: "

Message to Michael "Message to Michael" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, that has been a hit for several different artists under several different titles. The song was first recorded as "Message to Martha" by Jerry Butler in 1962. In 1964, singer ...

", "Trains and Boats and Planes", and "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself". Warwick's next

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

single, " Alfie", was also a Bacharach/David song; three of the four songs appeared on Warwick's 1967 album ''

''.

Track listing

*US 7" Vinyl Single :A: "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" – 2:50 :B: "In Between the Heartaches" – 2:50 Notes *"In Between the Heartaches" - Published By – Blue Seas Music, Inc. / JAC Music Co., Inc. (ASCAP)
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" - Published By – Quartet Music Inc. (BMI) Belinda (Canada Litd.)

Charts

Marcia Hines version

Marcia Hines Marcia Elaine Hines AM (born July 20, 1953) is an American-born Australian singer and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the stage musical ''Hair'' and followed with the role of Mary Magdalen ...

recorded a version of the track and released it as the lead single from her second studio album, '' Shining'' (1976). The

"Trilogy" was included on her debut studio album, ''

Marcia Shines ''Marcia Shines'' is the debut studio album as a solo artist for American-Australian singer Marcia Hines Marcia Elaine Hines AM (born July 20, 1953) is an American-born Australian singer and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age o ...

'' (1975).

Track listing

7-inch Single (ZS-153) *Side A "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (

) - 3:08 *Side B "Trilogy" (

Robie Porter Robert George Porter (4 June 1941 – 16 December 2021) was an Australian country and pop-rock musician, producer and record label owner. Beginning in 1959, he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar instrum ...

) - 4:20

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

The White Stripes version

In September 2003, "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

by American

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band

the White Stripes The White Stripes were an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals). They were a leading group of 2000s indi ...

. It was the second single released from their album ''

Elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

'', reaching the top 40 in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and on the US ''

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

chart. The

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

, directed by

Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola ( , ; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and former actress. She has List of awards and nominations received by Sofia Coppola, won an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, a Golden Lion, and a Can ...

, cinematographed by

Lance Acord Lance Acord is an American cinematographer and film director. He is best known for his work on the films, '' Buffalo '66'' (1998), ''Being John Malkovich'' (1999), ''Adaptation'' (2002), and ''Lost in Translation'' (2003). Early life Acord ...

and choreographed by Robin Conrad, features

Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is an English model. Arriving towards the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her t ...

pole dancing Pole dance combines dance and acrobatics centered around a vertical pole. This performance art form takes place not only in strip club, gentleman's clubs as a form of erotic dance, but also as a mainstream form of fitness, practiced in gyms and ...

in black underwear.

Track listings

UK CD single # "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" # "Who's to Say..." # "I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman" (live on the John Peel Show) UK 7-inch single :A. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" :B. "Who's to Say..." UK DVD single # "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (audio) # "Lafayette Blues" (audio) # "Black Math" (filmed at the Masonic Temple, Detroit)

Charts

Release history

Bibliography

* Serene Dominic. ''Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans''. Schirmer Trade, New York 2003.

References

External links

White Stripes.net
{{Authority control Songs about depression 1962 songs 1964 singles 1966 singles 1976 singles 1978 singles 2003 singles Dionne Warwick songs Dusty Springfield songs Marcia Hines songs Cissy Houston songs Elvis Costello songs The White Stripes songs Demis Roussos songs Songs with lyrics by Hal David Songs with music by Burt Bacharach Song recordings produced by Johnny Franz Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements XL Recordings singles Philips Records singles Wizard Records singles Scepter Records singles V2 Records singles Breakup songs

Composition and early versions

Dusty Springfield version

Charts

Dionne Warwick version

Track listing

Charts

Marcia Hines version

Track listing

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

See also

The White Stripes version

Track listings

Charts

Release history

Bibliography

References

External links