YOU GO TO MY HEAD

Music: J. Fred Coots- Lyrics: Haven Gillespie

Year: 1938

 

you go to my head-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra, with singer Kenny Sargent, is generally considered to be the first performers of “You Go To My Head”. Curiously, Larry Clinton's orchestra, with Bea Wain's voice, recorded the song for the Victor label on the same day! Two months later, Teddy Wilson's band did it for the Brunswick label.

Critics often label J. Fred Coots as the author of a single hit, and say 'You Go To My Head' is a small masterpiece written by a competent but not exceptional composer. However, Coots had more hits, for example 'Santa Claus is Comin' To Town', which easily surpasses 'You Go To My Head' in sales and popularity, and which is, after 'White Christmas' and 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', the best-selling Christmas song of all time. Coots is usually associated with the songs of Tin Pan Alley, but he was also trained in vaudeville and theatre, where he was hired by the Shubert Organization, a company where he worked with Sigmund Romberg.

Haven Gillespie, with several contributors, wrote 'Drifting and Dreaming' (1925), 'Breezin' Along with the Breeze' (1926), '(I'm in Love with You) Honey' (1928), 'Beautiful Love' (1931), 'That Lucky Old Sun' (1949), and 'The Old Master Painter' (1949), among other songs.


Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

 

Larry Clinton Orchestra

1938.02.24

1938.07.23

12

3

Bea Wain (voc)

Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra

1938.02.24

1938.08.13

7

9

Kenny Sargent (voc)

Teddy Wilson Orchestra

1938.04.29

1938.06.18

1

20

Nan Wynn (voc)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Teddy Wilson

1945.11.05

Teddy Wilson (p)

Don Byas Quartet

1946.09.??

Don Byas (ts), Beryl Booker (p), John Simmons (b), Fred Radcliffe (d)

Coleman Hawkins

Orchestra

1946.12.??

Coleman Hawkins (ts), Fats Navarro (tp), J.J. Johnson (tb), Porter Kilbert (as), Milt Jackson (vib), Hank Jones (p), Curley Russell (b), Max Roach (d)

Mel Powell

1947.12.10

Mel Powell (p)

Bud Powell Modernists

1949.08.09

Bud Powell (p), Tommy Potter (b), Roy Haynes (d)

Lee Konitz Quintet

1950.04.07

Lee Konitz (as), Sal Mosca (p), Billy Bauer (g), Arnold Fishkin (b), Jeff Morton (d)

Gene Ammons Sextet

1950.05.02

Gene Ammons (ts), Bill Massey (tp), Matthew Gee (tb), Charlie Bateman (p), Gene Wright (b),

Wesley Landers (d)

Stan Getz Quartet

1950.05.17

Stan Getz (ts), Al Haig (p), Tommy Potter (b), Roy Haynes (d)

Stan Kenton Orchestra

1952.09.15

Stan Kenton (p, dir), Buddy Childers, Maynard Ferguson, Conte Candoli, Don Dennis, Ruben McFall, Pete Candoli (tp), Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino, Bill Russo, Keith Moon, George Roberts (tb), Vinnie Dean, Lee Konitz (as), Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (ts), Bob Gioga (bars), Sal Salvador (g), Don Bagley (b), Stan Levey (d)

Dave Brubeck Quartet

1952.10.22

Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Wyatt Reuther (b), Lloyd Davis (d)

Lennie Tristano Quartet

1955.06.11

Lennie Tristano (p), Lee Konitz (as), Gene Ramey (b), Art Taylor (d)

Lee Konitz Quartet

1957.02.15

Lee Konitz (as), Billy Bauer (g), Peter Ind (b), Dick Scott (d)

The Poll Winners

1957.03.19

Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Shelly Manne (d)

Bill Evans Quintet

1962.07.16

Bill Evans (p), Freddie Hubbard (tp), Jim Hall (g), Percy Heath (b), Philly Joe Jones (d)

Lee Morgan Quintet

1965.07.01

Lee Morgan (tp), Wayne Shorter (ts), Harold Mabern (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Billy Higgins (d)

Roy Hargrove

1999.10.04

Roy Hargrove (tp), Sherman Irby (as), Larry Willis (p), Gerald Cannon (b), Willie Jones III (d),

string section

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Teddy Wilson Orchestra

1938.04.29

Teddy Wilson (p, dir), Bobby Hackett (cnt), Pee Wee Russell (cl), Johnny Hodges (as), Allen Reuss (g), Al Hall (b), Johnny Blowers (d), Nan Wynn (voc)

Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra

1938.05.11

Billie Holiday (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Babe Russin (ts), Buster Bailey (cl), Claude Thornhill (p), John Kirby (b), Cozy Cole (d)

Miles Davis Quintet

1948.09.25

Miles Davis (tp), Lee Konitz (as), John Lewis (p), Curley Russell (b), Max Roach (d),

Kenny Hagood (voc)

Keely Smith

1956.04.??

Keely Smith (voc), Nelson Riddle Orchestra

Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson Trio

1957.10.14

Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Louis Bellson (d)

Sarah Vaughan

1961.01.10

Sarah Vaughan (voc), Sonny Cohn, Joe Newman, Snooky Young, Thad Jones (tp), Henry Coker, Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Frank Wess (fl, as, ts), Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (fl, bars), Kirk Stuart (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Sonny Payne (d)

Carol Sloane

1996.03.04

Carol Sloane (voc), Byron Stripling, Greg Gisbert (tp), Steve Turre (tb), Bill Easly (ss, as, ts), Frank Wess (ts, fl), Scott Robinson (bars, cl), Bill Charlap (p), Ben Brown (b), Dennis Mackrel (d)

Keely Smith

2002.07.??

Keely Smith (voc), Wayne Bergeron, Pete Candoli, Carl Saunders, Frank Szabo (tp, Andy Martin, Chauncey Welsch, Bryant Byers (tb), Paul Klintworth (tpa), Lanny Morgan (as), Pete Christlieb, Don Menza (ts), Bob Efford (bars), Jim Self (tu), Frank Collet (p), Barry Zweig (g), Kirk Smith (b), Steve Barnes (d), John Magnussen (per), string section, Dennis Michaels (dir)

Dianne Reeves

2002.12.10

Dianne Reeves (voc), Nicholas Payton (tp), Peter Martin (p), Romero Lubambo (g), Reuben Rogers (b), Gregory Hutchinson (d)

On cinemas

 The song 'You Go To My Head' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

 

ORIGINAL TITLE

TITLE IN SPAIN

YEAR OF PRODUCTION

PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM

Laura

Laura

1944

Background music

The Big Sleep

El sueño eterno

1946

Background music

Battle Cry

Más allá de las lágrimas

1955

Playing a piano

Trail Of The Pink Panther

Tras la pista de la Pantera Rosa

1982

 

Lola

Lola

1986

Cristina Vilallonga

Avalon

Avalon

1990

 

Swing Kids

Rebeldes del swing

1993

 

Corrina, Corrina

Corina, Corina

1994

Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson Trio

Myth Of Fingerprints

Volviendo a casa

1997

Rozz Nash Sextet

Playing By Heart

Jugando con el corazón

1999

Chet Baker Quartet

The Great Raid

El gran rescate

2005

Victoria Hamilton

The Master

The Master

2012

Larry Clinton Orchestra

clasicosdeljazz@gmail.com