My Heart Cries for You

"My Heart Cries for You" is a popular song, adapted by Carl Sigman and Percy Faith from an 18th-century French melody.^[1]

The music is from an old French song attributed to Dauphin of France Queen Marie Antoinette " La jardinière du Roi". The chorus "My heart cries for you, Sighs for you, dies for you..." is original and does not appear in the French song.

The sentimental ballad was recorded toward the end of 1950 by Guy Mitchell ^[1] with Mitch Miller and his orchestra, in a recording issued by Columbia Records as catalog number 39067, which sold over a million copies and reached #2 on the Billboard charts in 1951.

Cover versions

The composition was also arranged and recorded by John Serry, Sr. and his ensemble for Dot Records (Catalog #DLP-3024) as a 33 RPM vinyl recording entitled Squeeze Play in 1956.

It had numerous cover versions; among the hit recordings made were those by Dinah Shore (#3 on Billboard's pop charts), Vic Damone (a #4 hit on the Billboard charts), Jimmy Wakely (#12), Bill Farrell (#18), Al Morgan (#24), and Evelyn Knight and Red Foley, (a duet which reached #28 pop and #6 country) at approximately the same time, January 1951.

Dinah Shore with Chorus & Orchestra Cond.: Henri René recorded a version in New York City on November 4, 1950. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-3978 (in USA)^[2] and by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10026.

A revival by Ray Charles reached the U.S. top forty in 1964.

Connie Francis "bubbled under" the Billboard pop charts in 1967 (# 118) and peaked at # 12 on Billboard Adult Contemporary. She also recorded the song in German as "Mein Herz ruft nach dir" and in French as "Mon cœur pleure pour vous", the latter marking her last French-language recording of the 1960s.^[3]

The song has also been recorded by Elvis Presley, Ben E. King, Dinah Washington, Charlie Rich, Dean Martin, Jo Stafford (in a duet with Gene Autry), Jimmy Wakely (who reached #7 on Billboard's country charts), Doyle Holly, Keely Smith, and The McGuire Sisters.

Percy Faith himself recorded an instrumental version of this song in the early 1970s. It's on his 1973 release "Corazon."

On his 2005 "comeback" album, The Moon Was Blue, country singer Bobby Bare also recorded a version of the song.

On her album If Your Memory Serves You Well, Serena Ryder covers this, as well as many other classics.

Harry James released a version in 1981 on his album For Listening And Dancing (Reader's Digest RD4A 213)

References