Nobody's Child (Hank Snow song)
"Nobody's Child" is a song written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree and first recorded by Hank Snow in 1949. Many other versions of this song exist.
"Nobody's Child" | |
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Single by Hank Snow (The Singing Ranger) and his Rainbow Ranch Boys | |
B-side | "The Only Rose" |
Released | 1949 |
Genre | Country |
Label | RCA Victor |
Songwriter(s) | Cy Coben, Mel Foree |
History
It was first recorded by Hank Snow in 1949 and it became one of his standards, although it did not chart for him. The song has been covered a number of times in the UK; it was on Lonnie Donegan's first album in 1956 (which went to No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart),[1] and in 1969 Karen Young took the song to No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart[2] and used it as the title track on her album. In 1969, Hank Williams Jr. did a version of it that made it to No. 46 on the US Country chart. The Traveling Wilburys' 1990 version made it to No. 44 on the UK chart.[3]
The song lyrics are about an orphan whom no one wants to adopt because he is blind:
I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
Just like a flower I'm growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child
The Beatles with Tony Sheridan
"Nobody's Child" | ||||
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Single by The Beatles with Tony Sheridan | ||||
A-side |
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B-side |
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Released | June 4, 1964 (US) / January 31 1965 (GER) | |||
Recorded | June 22–23, 1961[4] | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 2:58 | |||
Label | Atco Records 6308 (US) / Polydor 52 906 (GER) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Cy Coben, Mel Foree | |||
Producer(s) | Bert Kaempfert | |||
The Beatles US singles chronology | ||||
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It was also covered by Tony Sheridan and recorded in June 1961 in Hamburg with The Beatles as his backing group.[4] This recording was released by Polydor in 1964 when the British group's popularity was cresting. On this recording, Sheridan sings "Mammy's," not "Mommy's." Sheridan returned in studio during that year to rerecord the lyrics of "Sweet Georgia Brown", another Beatle track from these early sessions, and, at the same session, put to tape a new solo acoustic version of "Nobody's Child"[5] which was only released in Germany.
Singles
- "Ain't She Sweet" / "Nobody's Child" — released in 1964 by Atco in the US.
- "Sweet Georgia Brown" / "Nobody's Child" (acoustic version)— released in 1964 in Germany by Polydor.[6]
Albums
All these albums have the same tracklist.
- The Beatles' First ! — original German release, April 1964.
- The Beatles' First — released August 4, 1967 in the UK.
- Very Together — released October 1969 in Canada.
- In the Beginning (Circa 1960) — released May 4, 1970 in the US.
CD reissue
- The Early Tapes of the Beatles — worldwide release in 1984 which included two new Sheridan songs not featuring the Beatles.
Personnel
- Tony Sheridan — lead vocals
- Paul McCartney — bass guitar
- Pete Best — drums
- Bert Kaempfert — producer
- Peter Klemt — engineer
Traveling Wilburys
"Nobody's Child" | ||||
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Single by Traveling Wilburys | ||||
from the album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal | ||||
B-side |
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Released | June 18, 1990 | |||
Genre | Country rock | |||
Length | 3:27 | |||
Label | Wilbury Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Cy Coben, Mel Foree | |||
Producer(s) | Traveling Wilburys | |||
Traveling Wilburys singles chronology | ||||
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The Traveling Wilburys version of "Nobody's Child" was the first track on the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal, released on July 24, 1990. Wilbury member George Harrison, while present during the recording, had not appeared on the 1961 Beatles/Tony Sheridan version.
Year-end charts
Chart (1990) | Position |
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New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] | 43 |
Other cover versions
- Agnes Chan on her 1971 album Will The Circle Game Be UnBroken with the local Life Records.
- Billy Fury covered the song in 1972.
- Irene Ryder on her 1971 album Irene Ryder with EMI Regal Records
- Max Romeo and Techniques All Stars, both versions on a 1974 split 7" single released by Techniques Records.
- Majda Sepe (Slovenija). Her version was titled "Sirota", translated by G. Strniša (1969).
- The Alexander Brothers' biggest selling single was "Nobody's Child" in 1964.[8][9]
References
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 164/5. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 615. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 564. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- Russell, Jeff (1989) [1982]. The Beatles Album File and Complete Discography (Revised/second ed.). Blandford Press. pp. 4–10. ISBN 0-7137-2065-4.
- John C. Winn, Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1957-1965, 2017, Three Rivers Press. Page 110 ISBN 978-0307452382
- "Sweet Georgia Brown / Nobody's Child, Polydor NH 52906". The Beatles Collection. February 4, 2012.
- "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
- "Scots entertainers awarded MBEs". BBC News. December 31, 2004.
- "Search for "Nobody's Child"". AllMusic. January 10, 2020.