"The Very Thought of You" is a pop standard that was recorded and published in 1934 with music and lyrics by Ray Noble. The song was first recorded by Ray Noble and His Orchestra with Al Bowlly on vocals for HMV in England in April 1934. This record was then released in the United States by Victor, and it reached number one for five weeks on the pop music charts.[5]
| "The Very Thought of You" | |
|---|---|
 1934 release by Ray Noble with Al Bowlly on vocals on Victor Records | |
| Single by Ray Noble and His Orchestra, vocal Al Bowlly | |
| B-side | "I'll Be Good Because of You" |
| Published | April 16, 1934 by Campbell, Connelly & Co., Ltd., London, UK[1] |
| Released | June 20, 1934[2] |
| Recorded | April 21, 1934[3] |
| Studio | Abbey Road Studios, Studio 1, London, UK[3] |
| Genre | Pop standard, British dance band |
| Length | 3:28 |
| Label | Victor 24657[4] |
| Songwriter(s) | Ray Noble |
| Music video | |
| Al Bowlly "The Very Thought of You" on YouTube | |
The song was the subject of litigation in 1962. In 1934, Noble assigned the copyright to British publisher Campbell, Connelly & Company. Before the copyright was renewed, however, Noble assigned the United States copyright to M. Witmark & Sons. A suit was brought by Campbell, Connelly against Noble, stating that the assignment covered all rights, including rights in the US. A British High Court judge ruled in favor of Campbell, Connelly.[6]
Charting cover versions
edit- In 1946, Luis Russell recorded the song, which went to number three on the Most-Played Juke Box Race Records charts.[7]
- A rhythm and blues version by Little Willie John reached number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.[8]
- Three years later Ricky Nelson's rock and roll version reached No. 26 on the Billboard chart, lasting 7 weeks in the Hot 100, and crossing to No. 11 on the Billboard magazine Easy Listening chart.
- Natalie Cole reached No. 34 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart in the spring of 1992 with her version from her LP Unforgettable... with Love (1991).[9] In Canada, her version spent two weeks at No. 19 Adult Contemporary.[10]
Covers by notable artists
edit
|
|
References
edit- ^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1934). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1934 Musical Compositions New Series Vol 29 Pt 3 For the Year 1934. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
- ^ "Victor 24657 (Black label (popular) 10-in. double-faced) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
- ^ a b "Gramophone matrix 0B6874. The very thought of you / Ray Noble Orchestra - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
- ^ Colin Bratkovich (2014-05-08). Just Remember This. Xlibris Corporation. pp. 247–. ISBN 978-1-4836-4519-3.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004
- ^ "British Ruling on Renewal Rights Studied for Import". Google Books. Nielsen Business Media. 1 December 1962. p. 6. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 507.
- ^ "Hot 100 - Billboard". Billboard. April 3, 1961. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ "Natalie Cole – Unforgettable: With Love". Allmusic. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1992-05-23. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
