"I Cried for You" is a pop and jazz standard with music written by Gus Arnheim and Abe Lyman, with lyrics by Arthur Freed.[1] It was introduced by Abe Lyman and His Orchestra in 1923. The recording by Benny Krueger and His Orchestra the same year peaked at number 2 for two weeks and remained in the charts for ten weeks at large. Also in 1923 another interpretation of the song by the Columbians reached number 14 for one week. 15 years later in 1938 two new recordings peaked both number 13 in the Billboard charts, Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra with Kathleen Lane on vocals and an interpretation by Bing Crosby (a minor hit for him). Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Orchestra followed the next year, peaking at number 6, and in 1942 Harry James' recording was the last to get into the Billboard charts, peaking at number 19.[2]
I Cried for You was also featured in several films including the musical short Alladin from Manhattan (1936) (starring Ruth Etting), The Women (1939), Idiot’s Delight (1939) and Babes in Arms, sung by Judy Garland (1939). In 1944 Helen Forrest sang it in Bathing Beauty with Harry James and His Music Makers. Frank Sinatra interpreted the song in The Joker Is Wild (1957), and Diana Ross sang it in Lady Sings the Blues, personifying Billie Holiday (1972).[3]
| Date | Main recording artist | Featured vocalists (or instrumental) | Album title, notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | Abe Lyman and His Orchestra | (instrumental?) | First recording of the song |
| 1923 | (instrumental?) | cf. 1923 in music | |
| 1923 | Benny Krueger and His Orchestra | (instrumental?) | cf. 1923 in music, 10 weeks in the charts, peaking two weeks at number 2. |
| 1932 | Connee Boswell | 78 rpm, Brunswick BX-11569[4] | |
| 1932 | Red Nichols and His Orchestra | 78 rpm, Brunswick B-11332[5] | |
| 1935 | Mildred Bailey and Her Orchestra | 78 rpm Shellac, Parlaphone 2675[6] | |
| 1936 | Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra | With Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney and Jonah Jones; The Quintessential Billie Holiday Volume 2, cf. 1936 in music | |
| 1937 | Benny Goodman Quintet | (instrumental) | cf. 1937 in music |
| 1937 | Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra | cf. 1937 in music | |
| 1937-41 | Kate Smith | ||
| 1938 | Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra | cf. 1938 in music, peaked nr. 13, Casa Loma on Hi-Fi, rel. 1956 | |
| 1938 | Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra | (instrumental) | Contrasts, arranged by Tutti Camarata |
| 1938 | Bing Crosby with The John Scott Trotter Orchestra | Bing Crosby | recorded December 12, 1938,[7] peaked nr. 13 |
| 1939 | Judy Garland | Feat. in the film Babes in Arms, cf. 1939 in music | |
| 1939 | Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra | (instrumental?) | peaked nr. 6 |
| 1930s | (instrumental) | ||
| 1930s | Lee Wiley | ||
| 1942 | Harry James and His Orchestra | cf. 1942 in music, peaked nr. 19 | |
| 1945 | (instrumental) | cf. 1945 in music | |
| 1946 | Jazz at the Philharmonic | On June 3, with Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Lester Young and Buck Clayton | |
| 1946 | Andy Russell | cf. 1946 in music | |
| 1947 | Satchmo at Symphony Hall, released in 1951 | ||
| 1947 | Sarah Vaughan | cf. 1947 in music | |
| 1948 | Louis Armstrong & the All-Stars | Velma Middleton | The Fabulous 1948 Paris Concert Vol. 1, released in 1978 |
| 1952 | Count Basie and His Orchestra | TV Broadcast | |
| 1952 | |||
| 1954 | Billie Holiday | Billie Holiday | With Oscar Peterson and Charlie Shavers Billie Holiday for Clef/Verve, |
| 1955 | Sarah Vaughan | After Hours with Sarah Vaughan | |
| 1956 | Eddy Arnold | cf. 1956 in music | |
| 1956 | Cliff Edwards with The Wonderland Jazz Band | Ukulele Ike Sings Again | |
| 1956 | Billie Holiday | Billie Holiday | |
| 1956 | Rita Reys | The Cool Voice of Rita Reys (Philips) | |
| 1956 | Frank Sinatra | Featured in the film The Joker Is Wild, cf. 1956 in music | |
| 1957 | Della Reese | [8] | |
| 1957 | Ethel Ennis | Change of Scenery, cf. 1957 in music | |
| 1957 | Woody Herman and His Orchestra | (instrumental) | Live in Stereo at Marion June 8 - 1957 featuring Bill Harris |
| 1957 | Matt Monro with The Malcolm Lockyer Orchestra | Matt Monro | Blue and Sentimental |
| 1957 | Sarah Vaughan | Swingin' Easy | |
| 1958 | Connie Francis | Who's Sorry Now, cf. 1958 in music | |
| 1959 | Polly Bergen | My Heart Sings | |
| 1959 | Vic Damone with Orchestra cond. by Jack Marshall | Vic Damone | On the Swingin' Side, cf. 1959 in music |
| 1959 | Sonny King | For Losers Only, “Colpix Find of the Year”, arr. by Johnny Williams | |
| 1959 | Jimmy Rushing | Rushing Lullabies with Ray Bryant on piano | |
| 1960 | Ella Fitzgerald | Let No Man Write My Epitaph | |
| 1960 | (instrumental) | Down Home | |
| 1961 | Count Basie and His Orchestra | Sarah Vaughan | Count Basie / Sarah Vaughan |
| 1962 | Trumpet and Strings, cf. 1962 in music | ||
| 1962 | Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holiday Classics | ||
| 1963 | Wayne Newton | Danke Schoen | |
| 1963 | (instrumental) | Swing Time! | |
| 1963 | Sarah Vaughan | 1963 Live Guard Sessions | |
| 1964 | Sweet and Sour Tears | ||
| 1965 | The Soul of Big Maybelle (Scepter)[9] | ||
| 1965 | Rita Reys with the Pim Jacobs Trio | Rita Reys | Congratulations in Jazz |
| 1968 | Ella Fitzgerald | 30 by Ella | |
| 1972 | Carmen McRae | The Great American Songbook, live recording with Jimmy Rowles and Joe Pass | |
| 1972 | Featured in the film Lady Sings the Blues, a biopic tributed to Billie Holiday | ||
| 1974 | Dean Martin | cf. 1974 in music | |
| 1976 | Bertice Reading | The Two Moods of Bertice Reading | |
| 1977 | Rosemary Clooney | Everything's Coming Up Rosie | |
| 1978 | Anita O'Day | There's Only One... | |
| 1985 | Rita Reys with the Pim Jacobs Trio | Rita Reys | Live at the Concertgebouw – Special Guest Louis van Dijk |
| 1993 | (instrumental) | Trio Brubeck | |
| 2001 | Etta Jones | Sings Lady Day | |
| 2003 | Elkie Brooks | Trouble in Mind | |
| 2006 | Stephanie Nakasian | ||
| 2009 | Kalil Wilson | Kalil Wilson | Easy to Love |