Don't Break the Heart That Loves You
"Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" is an American song written by Benny Davis and Ted Murry. The song would become a success for two artists in two different genres: Connie Francis in the pop field in 1962, and Margo Smith as a country version in 1978.
Connie Francis version
| "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Connie Francis | ||||
| B-side | "Drop It Joe" | |||
| Released | January 1962 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | November 2, 1961 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:05 | |||
| Label | MGM Records K 13059 | |||
| Writer(s) | Benny Davis, Ted Murry | |||
| Producer(s) | Danny Davis, Arnold Maxin | |||
| Connie Francis singles chronology | ||||
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Benny Davis and Ted Murry became associated with Connie Francis by suggestion of Francis' father, George Franconero. The idea was to combine the skills of Tin Pan Alley veterans Davis and Murry with the current sound of the day. Francis signed Murry and Davis as regular composers to her own music publishing company, Francon Music Incorporated. Over the following years, Davis and Murry wrote further hits for Francis, such as the country ballad The biggest sin of all and the theme song for Francis' third movie, Follow The Boys, which she also recorded in French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and German. Neither of the songs left a bigger impact on Billboard's Pop Charts, but became notable successes on the Adult Contemporary Charts.
Francis recorded "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" in a 2 November 1961 session which also produced "I'm Falling in Love With You Tonight," "When the Boy in Your Arms (Is the Boy in Your Heart)," "'Baby's First Christmas," "'Mon Cœur est un Violon," and "Personne au Monde."
The ballad, recorded by Francis in two-part harmony with a spoken bridge, is a plea from a heartbroken lover who is trying to understand why her lover is going out of his way to treat her unkindly. The song ends with her begging him not to break her heart.
The Billboard Hot 100 dated 31 March 1962 ranked "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" at #1, making it Francis third and final chart-topper. The Connie Francis recording also went to number one on the easy listening charts.[1]
"Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" charted in the UK in April 1962 without paralleling its US chart impact; rather "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" became Francis' first single to miss the UK Top 30 with a #39 peak. The track reached #1 in New Zealand - where it would evidently be Francis' last hit - and #18 in Australia.
Following the success in the US, Francis recorded "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" subsequently also in German ("Tu mir Nicht Weh"), Spanish ("Mi Corazón te Adora"), Japanese (泣かせないでね) and in both regular Italian and the Italian dialect Neapolitan (both as "Un Desiderio Folle")
| Preceded by "Hey! Baby" by Bruce Channel |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single March 31, 1962 (one week) |
Succeeded by "Johnny Angel" by Shelley Fabares |
| Preceded by "Moscow Nights" by Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen |
"Billboard" Easy Listening number-one single by Connie Francis March 24, 1962 (four weeks) |
Succeeded by "Stranger on the Shore" by Mr. Acker Bilk |
Other versions
| "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Margo Smith | ||||
| from the album Don't Break the Heart That Loves You | ||||
| B-side | "apt. #4, sixth street in cincinnati" | |||
| Released | December 1977 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:57 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Writer(s) | Benny Davis, Ted Murry | |||
| Producer(s) | Norro Wilson | |||
| Margo Smith singles chronology | ||||
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Margo Smith
In 1977, the ballad was recorded by country singer Margo Smith. Her version — featuring a saxophone solo during the musical bridge but not the recitation of Francis's version — topped the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in February 1978, and crossed over to the Easy Listening chart peaking at number forty.
Chart performance
| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 40 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 5 |
| Preceded by "I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love" by Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single February 18-February 25, 1978 |
Succeeded by "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson |
Also
"Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" has also been recorded by Arthur Alexander (album You Better Move On/ 1962), the Lennon Sisters (album #1 Hits Of The 1960's/ 1964), Tatjana Hubinská ("Vieš, Čo Je Žiaľ" Slovak/ 1965), and by Dominic Kirwan (album Unconditional Love/ 1999).
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 97.
