Jimmie Crane
2013 INDUCTEE
Composer
EV’RY DAY OF MY LIFE
The Musical Journey of
JIMMIE CRANE
JIMMIE CRANE: SONG-BY-SONG
by Allan “Big Al” Pavlow
In November 1954, my father brought home our family’s first phonograph. The very next day, after school, I walked to Les Brown’s Record Shop on North Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island and bought six of the top hit records of the day. Of those six hits, Jimmie Crane and Al Jacobs had written two of them: “If I Give My Heart to You” and “I Need You Now.”
CHAPTER ONE
Jimmie Crane was born Loreto Domenico Fraieli in Providence, Rhode Island in 1910. His youthful career in music included producing minstrel shows and publishing his own tunes. He first break came in the Summer of 1941.
“IT’S GREAT TO BE AN AMERICAN”
The world of music in the pre-Rock ‘n’ Roll era was controlled by music publishing companies, who fed new tunes to the A&R (artists & repertoire) department heads of the major labels. A&R men had to sort through lead sheets (bare-boned music and lyric print copies) and eventually demos (bare-boned recordings on acetate discs) to find suitable material for their label’s artist roster. Experienced writers often crafted songs with specific singers in mind (writing songs in artist-friendly keys and/or producing the type of song which the intended artist favored). In the highly competitive world of music publishing, veteran writers who already tasted success had an overwhelming advantage over newcomers. The music biz was, and still is, an incredibly difficult world to break into, but the rewards of having a big hit continue to lure millions into making the attempt. Back in the era when Jimmie Crane was one of those looking for the elusive pot of gold, his competition included such venerable names as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Harry Warren, Sammy Cahn, Johnny Mercer and many, many others. Still, neophytes did manage to break the sound barrier from time to time and when 31 year old Jimmie Crane and his then partner, Ray Muffs*, heard their song “It’s Great To Be An American”** performed for the very first time by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra on his “Sunset Serenade” *** program broadcast nationally by the NBC Blue Network, on the evening of Saturday, August 30th, 1941, Jimmie and Ray probably thought they were “in”. Glenn Miller had the nation’s most popular band and a “plug” on his program exposed the tune to millions of listeners. Miller performed “It’s Great to be an American” on his various radio broadcasts at least another half-dozen times over the next month or so, but never saw fit to record it and the song abruptly disappeared. A dozen years would pass before Jimmie Crane had another shot at that pot of gold, but this time, he would not miss.
*Ray Muffs opened Muffet’s Music -circa 1947 – on Empire Street in downtown Providence.
**”It’s Great to be an American” was sung by Miller’s vocal group “The Modernaires”.
***”Sunset Serenade” was broadcast live from “The Steel Pier” in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
CHAPTER TWO
His second break came when he was introduced to Al Jacobs in the late 1940s by publisher Lester Sims, head of Miller Music, who thought they’d make a good team since both could write music and lyrics. Their collaboration brought them close to a breakout when two of their songs, “I’ll Try” and “Bella Mia,” were recorded by vocalist Tommy Mara and released as the “A” and”B” sides of a Jubilee label single in the Spring of 1953. Both songs garnered enough radio play to reach #67 and #71 respectively for the month of June in the “Hot Charts 1953” rankings, but the big time still eluded them. That would change dramatically. Within two years, they would have an enviable batch of tunes being played on radio stations across “the 48” and accompanying hit records gobbled up by American music lovers everywhere.
“IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU”
This tune was first recorded by Connee Boswell on January 28, 1954 and released by Decca Records in May. Impetus picked up when Denise Lor’s indie label cover began to get attention in late Summer. By September, both versions charted and as they began to climb, Doris Day jumped in with a reading of her own and it wasn’t long before all three were racing up the charts. Doris Day, asserting her superstar status, ultimately took over and her version reached the #1 spot on October 25, 1954. Kitty Kallen revived the tune in 1959 peaking at #34.
Milt Gabler, Decca Records A&R chief (who we assume produced the Connee Boswell original) shared writer credits with Jimmy and Al on this tune. Incidentally, Gabler also produced Bill Haley and His Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock.” Both discs were issued by Decca Records within days of each other.
“I NEED YOU NOW”
Eddie Fisher was at the top of his game when he cut “I Need You Now.” No need for anyone to bother covering this tune – it would have been too late. His recording received instant airplay, instant sales and in short order found itself in the upper reaches of the nation’s record surveys reaching the top spot on November 3, 1954.
It must be pointed out that with the success of “If I Give My Heart to You” and “I Need You Now,” Crane and Jacobs had the distinction of seeing each of their debut hits reach number one on “Your Hit Parade” during the Fall of 1954. Adding luster to this remarkable achievement for non-performing songwriters, their hits held down the top spot on successive weeks. The first, “I Need You Now,” occupied the penthouse on October 30, 1954 while its successor-in-waiting, “If I Give My Heart to You,” was #3. The following week (November 6), “If I Give My Heart to You” reached #1, while “I Need You Now” slipped to #2.
From its initial “Your Hit Parade” broadcast on April 20, 1955 until its demise on April 20, 1959, Jimmie Crane and Al Jacobs were the only songwriters whose first two hits reached the top spot on successive weeks and this feat would not be equalled or surpassed until the early months of 1964 when the Beatles-led British Invasion carried three John Lennon and Paul McCartney-penned songs into the #1 position on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart (“I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” from February 1 to May 2).
The team of Jimmie Crane & Al Jacobs holds down the #1 and #2 spots
Joni James in 1960 and Ronnie Dove in 1969 each grazed the bottom of the charts with their revivals of this swinging tune.
“HURT”
Roy Hamilton, like Eddie Fisher, was on the upside of his recording career – only his was in the field of Rhyhm and Blues – a few short months shy of that idiom’s big time crossover to the pop world. After three consecutive R&B smashes, he recorded the Crane-Jacobs tune “Hurt” in 1954 and it proceeded to climb the R&B charts where it peaked at #8 and found itself at #71 on the pop charts. While this tune seemed to be the weakest of their first three hits, it is arguably the songwriting team’s greatest song, eventually reaching the coveted status of a standard although it would take seven-plus years to grab that brass ring.
Fast forward to 1961. When super-hot record producer Clyde Otis was assigned the task of producing Timi Yuro’s first recording session for Liberty Records, one of the chosen tunes was “Hurt.” Clyde Otis and his arranger Belford Hendricks had turned R&B/Jazz stalwart Dinah Washington into a major crossover artist in 1959 with heart-felt renderings of pop standards and now he planned to do the same with newcomer Timi Yuro. Her distinctively soulful voice turned “Hurt” into an automatic add at Top 40 radio stations nationwide in the Summer of 1961 sending the disc up to its #4 peak on Billboard’s Top 100, and, in the process, turning a forgotten song into a potential standard. Subsequent charted recordings by Little Anthony and the Imperials (1966), The Manhattans and C&W singer Connie Cato (1975) and Elvis Presley (1976) guaranteed that it would go on forever.
Since 1954, the song has been recorded dozens of times in dozens of languages by artists as diverse as Peabo Bryson, Marty Robbins, Carly Simon, Vicki Carr, Juice Newton, Bonnie Bramlett and P.J. Proby, but perhaps the most successful version of all was the Italian language version by Fausto Leali which reached #1 in Italy in 1967.
“MY BELIEVING HEART”
This is one of the Crane-Jacobs hits that seems to have fallen though the cracks but this pretty ballad was a sizeable hit for songstress Joni James in the Winter of 1955-56 bouncing into the Top 40.
“EV’RY DAY OF MY LIFE”
Since Denise Lor did so well with “If I Give My Heart to You”, honchos at her record company, Majar Records, hoped lightning would strike twice with another Crane-Jacobs song and so “Ev’ry Day of My Life” was cut and released… to little fanfare. However, the song didn’t die. In 1956, The McGuire Sisters rescued it from oblivion and turned it into a solid contender in the Fall of 1956 when their disc climbed into the top 30. Bobby Vinton gave the song renewed life when his version peaked at #13 in 1972.
“I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEART”
Al Martino exploded on the music scene in the Spring of 1952 when his recording “Here in My Heart” blasted its way to the top selling over a million copies (check this fact) in the process, but lean years followed. By the time 1959 rolled around, the world of pop had turned into a world of Top 40 Rock ‘n’ Roll, where established pop singers were losing ground to teen beat newcomers and most forgotten pop singers remained forgotten. Al Martino could have been one of those, but his dramatic reading of this song put him back on the national scene. The disc rode the charts for over four months peaking at #25 and came back for a curtain call in 1964. Jimmie’s collaborator on this tune, Danny DiMinno, was co-writer (with Carmen Lombardo – Guy’s brother) on Dean Martin’s top ten hit “Return to Me” one year earlier.
“SO CLOSE TO MY HEART”
This extremely pretty tune, which Jimmie and Al wrote with Phil Tucker, gave songstress Kathy Linden her last charted hit. She had been under contract to producer/arranger Joe Leahy since 1957 and clicked big-time with her bouncy revival of the standard “Billy” in the Spring of 1958 and again with the wistful folk-flavored ballad “Goodbye Jimmy Goodbye” in 1959. As the follow-up to the latter, “So Close to My Heart” reached the Cash Box Magazine Top 100 in August of 1959, where it remained for four weeks, peaking at #84.
“I CAN’T SAY GOODBYE”
Songwriters Phil Tucker and Paul DeMaya joined Jimmie Crane on this item which brought The Fireflies (actually, RIMHOF inductee Gerry Granahan in one of his many guises) the follow-up hit to “You Were Mine” in early 1960. It was one of the only two Jimmie Crane hits to be introduced by a certified Rock ‘n’ Roll act…
“COME BACK”
…this was the other one. Teen idol Jimmy Clanton had a strong year in 1960, starting with “Go Jimmy Go” and his string continued when “Come Back” hit in the early Fall peaking at #60. Phil Tucker was his co-writer on this song.
Although Jimmie Crane would not produce any new “hit” songs after “Come Back,” it didn’t matter. His catalogue was stong enough to guarantee that big fat royalty checks would continue to rain down on him indefinitely!
JIMMIE CRANE: THE MAN & HIS MUSIC
An Appreciation by Rick Bellaire
Loreto Fraieli, known professionally throughout the world as Jimmie Crane, was the dean of Rhode Island songwriters in the second half of the 20th century.
He was born in 1910 in the Roman Catholic parish of the Holy Ghost Church in the Italian-American community of Federal Hill in Providence. As a young man, he began his musical journey by producing minstrel shows at local community centers such as granges, VFW posts and church halls.
An early Jimmie Crane production
He often wrote original songs for these productions and began his own publishing company to print sheet music of his compositions. He was also the leader of a successful band during the early 20th century craze for music of the South Pacific called “The Royal Hawaiians.”
This early phase of his career culminated with the writing and publishing of a patriotic song in 1941 called “It’s Great To Be An American” with his early partner, another Rhode Islander, Ray Muffs.* The song was first popularized with repeated broadcasts in southern New England on Rhode Island’s NBC affiliate during a popular program called “Celia Moreau’s W.J.A.R. Kiddie Revue.” The song was picked up for national distribution by Mutual Music who pitched it to Glenn Miller. The Miller band began to use it as the theme song to a segment on their weekly “Sunset Serenade” broadcast which played requests from Armed Forces personnel around the world. Jimmie met Miller at that time and Glenn told him of his intention to record the song. Shortly after their meeting, Miller joined the armed forces to lead the Army-Air Force band and then tragically went missing in action in 1944 without ever having cut the tune. Although a step in the right direction towards the big time, the song, although familiar to millions, was never recorded for general release and then Uncle Sam came knocking on Jimmie’s door.
*Ray would go on to write many more successful songs and, with his brother Myron, open a legendary record shop in downtown Providence and run a successful record label, Planet Records, the launching pad for some of Rhode Island’s most successful musicians. But that’s another story…
The local issue of this song’s sheet music featured Celia Moreau’s children’s chorus and will be of special interest to Rhode Islanders for two of the toddlers in particular: behind the drums is Jimmie’s son, Donald Fraeili, who had then recently been the subject of a “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” strip as the World’s Youngest Drummer at only age two, and fourth from the right in the front row, the little boy in the black suit is future Providence Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci
After his discharge, Jimmie was still intent on continuing his musical pursuits, but as a family man, he knew he couldn’t count on the fickle ways of the music business and started his own jewelry company as something to fall back on. Colonial Novelty on Elm Street in the busy jewelry district of downtown Providence was a successful venture and gave Jimmie the leeway and funds he needed to continue his musical career while providing for his family. He had studios at home and at the shop and spent as much time as he could working on his songs while running the business. With its central location between Boston and New York City, Providence provided the perfect base of operations to run both businesses simultaneously. In the postwar years, Jimmie made many connections with publishers, agents and producers on his frequent trips to New York culminating with his introduction to fellow songwriter Al Jacobs in the late 1940s.
Al Jacobs was born January 2, 1903 and began his career as a songwriter in San Francisco in the 1920s. Al was primarily a melodist, or music writer, but often made contributions to the lyrics of the songs on which he worked. His early successes included “I’m Just An Ordinary Human” for Ozzie Nelson and “Please Believe Me” for Rudy Vallee, both written with Larry Yoell in 1935. In 1940, he composed “This Is My Country” with Don Raye which became a major hit for Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians in 1942. (It has been covered many times since by artists as stylistically varied as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Patti Labelle.)
The two were introduced by their mutual publisher, Lester Sims of Miller Music and it was off to the races! The duo began writing a string of hits that would place them at the top of the charts for the next three decades. (The men remained friends and partners until Al’s death in 1985.)
Eddie Fisher, Al Jacobs & Jimmie Crane check over an arrangement, 1954
It is important to note that part of their success is undoubtedly attributable to Jimmie’s personality and personal style. He was an extremely generous man in every way and became lifelong friends with almost everyone with whom he came in contact in the music business. His wife, Rena, was his biggest cheerleader and had by the mid-1940s become an avid scrapbooker, saving every bit of chart information, advertising, recordings and sheet music she could get her hands on. The personal notes in those scrapbooks from the artists who covered his songs such as Eddie Fisher (and his then wife, Debbie Reynolds), Denise Lor, Doris Day, Bobby Vinton and dozens of others are testament to the kind of man he was. There’s even a story that he literally gave Al Martino the shirt off his back when the singer was attempting his comeback with Jimmie’s and Al’s song “I Can’t Get You Out Of My Heart!”
Jimmie’s pal Jerry Vale covered “Ev’ry Day Of My Life” on his 1972 album “Alone Again (Naturally)”
Liberace and Jimmie Crane discussing the success of “If I Give My Heart To You”
In 1964, five years after Jimmie had helped Pete Anders and Vini Poncia get their start in the business, they repaid the favor by calling in Jimmie as a co-writer on this Elvis movie theme song. The soundtrack album was a smash peaking at #8 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart during a 23-week run
THE JIMMIE CRANE SONGOGRAPHY
by Alan “Big Al” Pavlow assisted by Rick Bellaire
All chart position information (peak position followed by total number of weeks on the chart) are from Billboard Magazine’s charts unless otherwise noted: (CB) Cash Box, (HC) Hot Charts, MV (Music Vendor), RW (Record World)
ALONE AT THE DANCE
Artist: Johnny Lindy
Label: Sheri 100 & Operators 2004
Year: 1962
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer(s): Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Phil Tucker
Publisher: Deb-Mi/Suson
Producer:
Arranger: Lew Douglas
ANOTHER LONELY DAY
Artist: Dave Armstrong & The One-Eyed Jacks
Label: Bang 548
Year: 1967
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane
Publisher: Deb-Mi/Northfield
Producer: Leka & Vantura
Arranger:
BELLA MIA
Artist: Tommy Mara
Label: Jubilee 6040
Year: 1953
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 71-1 (HC)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher:
Producer:
Arranger: Monty Kelly
COME BACK
Artist: Jimmy Clanton
Label: Ace 600
Year: 1960
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 60-9 (MV)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Phil Tucker
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger:
DON’T GO MY LOVE, DON’T GO
Artist: Ritchie Adams
Label: Ribbon 6913
Year: 1960
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Phil Tucker
Publisher: Harvest/Trinda
Producer:
Arranger: Joe Rene
DON’T TELL LIES
Artist: Eydie Gorme
Label: Coral 60921
Year: 1953
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher:
Producer: Jerry Packer Chorus
Arranger: Monty Kelly
EVERYBODY KNOWS WHEN I’M HAPPY
Artist: Lionel Hampton & Roberta Sherwood
Label: Glad-Hamp 3028
Year: 1966
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: RFD
Producer: Eddie Deane & Bill Titone
Arranger: Peer Southern Productions
EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE
Artist: Denise Lor
Label: Majar 135
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: Joe Leahy
EV’RY DAY OF MY LIFE
Artist: The McGuire Sisters
Label: Coral 61703
Year: 1956
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 26-14 (MV)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: Dick Jacobs
EV’RY DAY OF MY LIFE
Artist: Brendan Hanlon
Label: Columbia 44392
Year: 1968
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Charles Calello
Arranger: Charles Calello
EV’RY DAY OF MY LIFE
Artist: Bobby Vinton
Label: Epic 10822
Year: 1972
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 13-16 (RW)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Jimmy Bowen
Arranger: Ernie Freeman
THE FLAME
Artist: Jerry Vale
Label: Columbia 41423
Year: 1959
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Phil Tucker
Publisher:
Producer:
Arranger: Glenn Osser
THE GYPSY WAS WRONG
Artist: June Valli
Label: RCA 5653
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher:
Producer: Joe Reisman
Arranger: Joe Reisman
HAPPY IS MY HEART
Artist: Robin Hood
Label: MGM 12046
Year: 1955
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher:
Producer:
Arranger: Frank Devol
HURT
Artist: Roy Hamilton
Label: Epic 9086
Year:1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: R&B 8-7 & 71-9 (MV)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: O.B. Massingill
HURT
Artist: Timi Yuro
Label: Liberty 55343
Year: 1961
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 4-12 & 3-13 (MV)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Clyde Otis
Arranger: Bellford Hendricks
Timi’s smash hit version of “Hurt” propelled her first alblum onto the Billboard LP chart where it reached #51 during a 13 week run
HURT
Artist: Les Watson
Label: Vesuvius 1004
Year: 1965
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Morgan, Coleman & Money
Arranger:
HURT
Artist: Little Anthony & The Imperials
Label: DCP 1154
Year: 1966
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 51-6
Writer: Jimme Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Teddy Randazzo
Arranger: Teddy Randazzo
HURT
Artist: Channie Blanchfield
Label: Verve 10600
Year:1968
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Harold Thomas
Arranger: Sticks Evans
HURT
Artist: Jimmy Elledge
Label: Spar 30015
Year: 1969
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Aubrey Mayhew*
Arranger:
*Data derived from internet sources purporting to be Spar Records session logs credit William Beasley as producer and Dick Powell as arranger for this session although the record label copy credits only Mayhew
HURT
Artist: Bobby Vinton
Label: Epic 10980
Year: 1973
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Bobby Vinton
Arranger: Al Capps
HURT
Artist: The Manhattans
Label: Columbia 10140
Year: 1975
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 70-6 (CB)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Bobby Martin
Arranger: Bobby Martin
HURT
Artist: Connie Cato
Label: Capitol 4035
Year: 1975
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: C&W 14-14
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Audie Ashworth
Arranger:
HURT
Artist: Elvis Presley
Label: RCA PB-10601
Year: 1976
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 28-11
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Elvis Presley & Felton Jarvis
Arranger: Bergen White
I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEART (TI AMO, TI VOGLIO AMOR)
Artist: Al Martino
Label: 20th Century Fox 132
Year: 1959
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 25-20 (MV)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Daniel DiMinno
Publisher: Southern Music
Producer:
Arranger: Aldo Provenzano
I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEART (TI AMO, TI VOGLIO AMOR)
Artist: Al Martino
Label: 20th Century Fox 530
Year: 1964
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 99-2
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Daniel DiMinno
Publisher: Southern Music
Producer:
Arranger: Aldo Provenzano
I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEART (TI AMO, TI VOGLIO AMOR)
Artist: Nick Bartell
Label: Bart 3820
Year: 1966
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Southern Music
Producer:
Arranger:
I CAN’T SAY GOODBYE
Artist: The Fireflies
Label: Ribbon 6904
Year: 1960
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 49-11 (CB)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Phil Tucker, Paul DeMaya
Publisher: Trinda Music
Producer: Gerry Granahan
Arranger:
I NEED YOU NOW
Artist: Eddie Fisher
Label: RCA 5830
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 1-23
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: Hugo Winterhalter
I NEED YOU NOW
Artist: Harry James
Label: Columbia EP B-1881
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimme Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger:
I NEED YOU NOW
Artist: Joni James
Label: MGM 12885
Year: 1960
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 98-1
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: Geoff Love
I NEED YOU NOW
Artist: Vic Dana
Label: Dolton 95
Year: 1964
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Dick Glasser
Arranger: Ernie Freeman
I NEED YOU NOW
Artist: Ronnie Dove
Label: Diamond 260
Year: 1969
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 90-4 (RW)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Dick Glasser
Arranger: Ernie Freeman
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: Doris Day
Label: Columbia 40300
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 1-15 (MV)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger:
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: Denise Lor
Label: Majar 27
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 13-14
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Joe Candullo
Arranger: Joe Leahy
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: Connee Boswell
Label: Decca 29148
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 20-5
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: George Siravo
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: Nat “King” Cole
Label: Capitol EP EAP-1-9120
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Nat “King” Cole
Arranger: Nelson Riddle
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
Label: Capitol 2930
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Dave Dexter
Arranger: Duke Ellington
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: The Timmie Rogers Orchestra (Vocal: Austin Powell & Dottie Smith)
Label: Mercury 70451
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger:
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: The Wright Brothers
Label: MGM 11776
Year: 1954
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: Lennie Martin
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: Kitty Kallen
Label: Columbia 41473
Year: 1959
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 34-12
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: Milton DeLugg
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: The Dynamics
Label: Liban 1006
Year: 1962
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger:
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: Tambi Garret
Label: Ascot 2182
Year: 1965
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Gerry Granahan
Arranger: Arnie Goland
IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU
Artist: Margo Smith
Label: Warner Bros. 8806
Year: 1979
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: C&W 10-13
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Jimmy Brewster (Milt Gabler)
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer: Norro Wilson
Arranger: Bergen White
I’LL TRY
Artist: Tommy Mara
Label: Jubilee 6040
Year: 1953
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 67-1 (HC)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Miller Music
Producer:
Arranger: Monty Kelly
IT’S GREAT TO BE AN AMERICAN
Artist: Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
Label: unrecorded*
Year: 1941
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Ray Muffs
Publisher: C&M Music & Mutual Music Society
Producer:
Arranger:
*Although never officially recorded for record release, the Miller band played – and The Modernaires sang – the first chorus of the song many times during their Chesterfield radio show and other broadcasts during the early 1940s. Millions of listeners became familiar with the tune as it was used as the theme song to a segment of each show when Glenn would play requests from our armed forces personnel around the world. There are many airchecks (recorded radio broadcasts) of his shows which are now in the public domain. A quick internet search will enable you to hear a short version of this great song which meant so much to so many.
The national issue of the sheet music during the time of Glenn Miller’s radio broadcasts
LONELY ONE
Artist: Ritchie Adams
Label: Ribbon 6910
Year: 1960
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Phil Tucker, Bob Erickson
Publisher: Trinda Music
Producer:
Arranger: Bob Mersey
MAKE A WISH
Artist: Don Cornell
Label: Coral 51439
Year: 1956
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher:
Producer:
Arranger: (Jerry) Carretta
MY ARMS
Artist: Johnny Lindy
Label: Sheri 100 & Operators 2004
Year: 1962
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Phil Tucker
Publisher: Deb-Mi/Suson
Producer:
Arranger: Lew Douglas
MY BELIEVING HEART
Artist: Joni James
Label: MGM 12126
Year: 1955
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 34-13 (MV)
Writer: Jimmy Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher:
Producer:
Arranger: David Terry
MY HEART KEEPS CRYING FOR YOU
Artist: Norma Rivers
Label: Vassar 316
Year: 1961
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs
Publisher: Deb-Mi
Producer:
Arranger: Lew Douglas
ONLY THEN
Artist: The Scott Brothers (with The Jerry Field Orchestra)
Label: Ribbon 6911
Year: 1960
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Phil Tucker
Publisher: Skyline/Trinda
Producer:
Arranger: Art Harris
POOR ME
Artist: The Paulette Sisters
Label: Ribbon 6914
Year: 1960
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Phil Tucker
Publisher: Trinda Music
Producer:
Arranger: Joe Rene
SHADOWS
Artist: Frank Baron
Label: Normandy 93033
Year:
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane
Publisher: Jimmie Crane Music
Producer: Arion Entertainment
Arranger: Michael Renzi
SIXTY LONELY SECONDS
Artist: Vicki Young (with The Jordanaires)
Label: Brunswick 55055
Year: 1958
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane, William Katz, Ruth Roberts, Bob Thiele
Publisher:
Producer:
Arranger: Charles Bud Dant
SO CLOSE TO MY HEART
Artist: Kathy Linden
Label: Felsted 8587
Year: 1959
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart: 84-4 (CB)
Writer: Jimmie Crane, Al Jacobs, Phil Tucker
Publisher: Trinda Music
Producer:
Arranger: Joe Leahy
SOMEWHERE ELVIS IS SMILING
Artist: Keith Bradford
Label: Nu-Sound 422
Year: 1977
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane
Publisher: Teardrop/Deb-Mi
Producer: Jimmie Crane & Porter Wagoner
Arranger:
THERE THEY GO
Artist: The Delmonicos
Label: Aku 6318
Year: 1963
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane
Publisher: Deb-Mi
Producer:
Arranger:
THERE THEY GO
Artist: Lou Christie
Label: Roulette 4545
Year: 1964
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane
Publisher: Deb-Mi
Producer: Nick Cenci
Arranger:
THIS IS MY SONG OF LOVE
Artist: Frank Baron
Label: Normandy 93033
Year:
Peak Chart Position-Weeks On Chart:
Writer: Jimmie Crane
Publisher: Jimmie Crane Music
Producer: Arion Entertainment
Arranger: Michael Renzi