Confess (song)
Encyclopedia
Confess is a popular
song
written by Bennie Benjamin
and George David Weiss
.
The song figures in the early careers of two important female singers:
The Day/Clark recording was recorded on November 21, 1947, and issued by Columbia Records
as catalog number
38174, and first reached the Billboard chart on June 26, 1948, lasting 11 weeks and peaking at #16 on the chart.
The Page recording was recorded on December 3, 1947, and released by Mercury Records
as catalog number 5129, with the flip side “Twelve O'Clock Flight” (also later as catalog number 5511), and first reached the Billboard chart on July 2, 1948, lasting 10 weeks and peaking at #12.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written by Bennie Benjamin
Bennie Benjamin
Claude A. Benjamin was a songwriter, often teaming with George David Weiss. He was born on November 4, 1907 in Christiansted on the island of St. Croix . At the age of twenty, he moved to New York City. There, he studied the banjo and guitar with Hy Smith...
and George David Weiss
George David Weiss
George David Weiss was an American songwriter and former President of the Songwriters Guild of America.-Career:...
.
The song figures in the early careers of two important female singers:
- In 19471947 in music-Events:*August 7 – Carlo Bergonzi makes his professional debut as Schaunard in La Bohème at the Arena Argentina in Catania.*October – Enrico De Angelis leaves Quartetto Cetra to join the army...
, Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
was making a transition from a Big bandBig bandA big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
singer, most recently with Les BrownLes Brown (bandleader)Les Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University. He was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences...
, to a solo vocalist. Her first major record away from the band was a duet with Buddy Clark, with this song on one side and "Love SomebodyLove Somebody"Love Somebody" is a pop standard recorded by Doris Day. The song was written by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer and published in 1947.Doris Day and Buddy Clark recorded the song on November 21, 1947. It was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 38174, with the flip side "Confess"...
" on the other. The record became a two-sided hit, the first two of a string of hits for Day that made her one of the top female singers in popular music. - About the same time, Mercury RecordsMercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
was planning to record the song as a vehicle for Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
. They were persuaded instead to give the song to a young female singer, who had not, at the time, a single hit: Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
. Page's manager, Jack Rael, succeeded in getting Mercury to let her record the song, but because of a low budget, a second singer could not be hired, so Rael suggested that Page sing the second part as well. The novelty of her doing two voices on one record probably contributed to the song becoming a top twenty hit for her. This became not only the first of many hits for Patti Page, but the first song on which a singer did more than one track. For Patti Page, multi-tracking became a trademark of her style, while others, such as Les PaulLes PaulLester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
and Mary FordMary FordMary Ford , born Iris Colleen Summers, was an American vocalist and guitarist, comprising half of the husband-and-wife musical team Les Paul and Mary Ford. Between 1950 and 1954, the couple had 16 top-ten hits...
, as well as Jane TurzyJane TurzyJane Turzy was a Chicago, Illinois-born singer of traditional pop music.She succeeded in reaching the popularity charts only in 1951 with three recordings she made for Decca Records...
, took up this practice as well.
The Day/Clark recording was recorded on November 21, 1947, and issued by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
38174, and first reached the Billboard chart on June 26, 1948, lasting 11 weeks and peaking at #16 on the chart.
The Page recording was recorded on December 3, 1947, and released by Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
as catalog number 5129, with the flip side “Twelve O'Clock Flight” (also later as catalog number 5511), and first reached the Billboard chart on July 2, 1948, lasting 10 weeks and peaking at #12.
Other recordings
- Nat King ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
and the King Cole Trio, recorded on November 6, 1947, and released by Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
as catalog number ETB-391 - Jimmy DorseyJimmy DorseyJames "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
and his orchestra (released by MGM RecordsMGM RecordsMGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
as catalog number 10194, with the flip side “If I Were You”) - The Four TunesThe Four TunesThe Four Tunes were a leading black pop vocal quartet during the 1950s. The members at the peak of their fame were William "Pat" Best, Jimmy Gordon, Jimmie Nabbie, and Danny Owens.-Career:...
(released by Manor RecordsManor RecordsManor Records was a United States based record label of the 1940s.A small label founded in NYC by Irving Berman, Manor Records later moved its headquarters to New Jersey....
as catalog number 1131, with the flip side “Don't Know”) - Tony MartinTony Martin (entertainer)Tony Martin is an American actor and singer.-Career:Tony Martin was born on Christmas Day, 1913 as Alvin Morris in San Francisco, California to Jewish immigrant parents. He received a saxophone as a gift from his grandmother at the age of ten. In his grammar school glee club, he became an...
(recorded on November 20, 1947, released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-2812, with the flip side “Bride and Groom Polka”) - The Mills Brothers (recorded on December 23, 1947, released by Decca RecordsDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number 24409, with the flip side “Someone Cares”) - Jimmy Valentine orchestra (vocal: Barbara BrownBarbara BrownBarbara Brown may refer to:* Barbara Brown , researcher and popularizer of biofeedback and neurofeedback* Barbara Brown * Barbara Brown, lead singer of vocal group Barbara and the Browns...
) (released by Varsity Records as catalog number 106, with the flip side “Twelfth Street RagTwelfth Street Rag"Twelfth Street Rag" was composed by Euday L. Bowman in 1914. It is one of the most famous and best-selling rags of the ragtime era. It has been recorded by many artists, ranging from Louis Armstrong to Lester Young. Bowman worked as a pianist in some of the bordellos of Kansas City...
”)