Memories Are Made of This
Encyclopedia
"Memories Are Made of This" is a popular
song
written by Terry Gilkyson
, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller
in 1955
.
. It reached #1 on the Billboard chart for six weeks in 1956
, and became his biggest hit. He was backed by The Easy Riders
(who consisted of Gilkyson, Dehr, and Miller), who wrote it.
On the flipside of the 45 and 78 recording was "Change of Heart" written by John Rox. The record had been hard to find
until it appeared on the 8-CD box set Memories are Made of This from Bear Family Music.
The secondary hit version at the time was by Gale Storm
, US Billboard #5. A third charted version was by Mindy Carson
, at #53. Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders recorded it for an album but did not attempt a hit single.
After the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
, the song was adapted into the "Honvágy-dal" ('The Song of Homesickness') and used as an unofficial anthem for refugees scattered around the world. Recorded by Ida Boros, it became a cultural phenomenon and a sign of protest against the communist government.
The song charted once more in 1966 by the Drifters, a minor, #48, hit for them. It was recorded by Anne Murray for her Croonin'
album in 1993, but it was only released as a bonus track on the special Croonin album put out by Heartland Records.
In Germany, titled Heimweh ("Homesickness") and performed by Freddy Quinn
and with lyrics by Ernst Bader and Dieter Rasch, the song was 14 weeks at number one, the most successful song of 1956. Worldwide it sold more than 8 million, thus exceeding sales of the Dean Martin version.
German versions:
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 Terry Gilkyson
Terry Gilkyson
Hamilton H. Gilkyson III , better known as Terry Gilkyson, was an American folk singer, composer, and lyricist.-Biography:...
, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller
Frank Miller (singer)
Frank Miller is a singer and songwriter. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.With Terry Gilkyson and Richard Dehr, he wrote the song "Marianne." As a group called The Easy Riders, Dehr and Miller accompanied Gilkyson on the best-selling recording of the song in 1956.Subsequently, Frank Miller, Jerry...
in 1955
1955 in music
-Events:*January 1 – RCA Victor announces a marketing plan called "Operation TNT." The label drops the list price on LPs from $5.95 to $3.98, EPs from $4.95 to $2.98, 45 EPs from $1.58 to $1.49 and 45's from $1.16 to $.89...
.
History
The most popular version of the song was recorded by Dean MartinDean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
. It reached #1 on the Billboard chart for six weeks in 1956
1956 in music
-Events:*January 26 – Buddy Holly's first recording sessions for Decca Records take place in Nashville, Tennessee*Roy Orbison signs with Sun Records*January 27 – Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" is released...
, and became his biggest hit. He was backed by The Easy Riders
The Easy Riders (American band)
The Easy Riders were an American folk music band, that operated from 1956 to 1959, consisting of Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller. Their career was guided by Mitch Miller, who had them under contract for Columbia Records....
(who consisted of Gilkyson, Dehr, and Miller), who wrote it.
On the flipside of the 45 and 78 recording was "Change of Heart" written by John Rox. The record had been hard to find
until it appeared on the 8-CD box set Memories are Made of This from Bear Family Music.
The secondary hit version at the time was by Gale Storm
Gale Storm
Gale Storm was an American actress and singer who starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show.-Early life:...
, US Billboard #5. A third charted version was by Mindy Carson
Mindy Carson
Mindy Carson , an American traditional pop vocalist, was heard often on radio during the 1940s and 1950s.She was born in New York City. In 1946, still in her teens, she won an audition to the radio program, Stairway to the Stars. This gave her a chance to perform with Paul Whiteman's band and...
, at #53. Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders recorded it for an album but did not attempt a hit single.
After the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
, the song was adapted into the "Honvágy-dal" ('The Song of Homesickness') and used as an unofficial anthem for refugees scattered around the world. Recorded by Ida Boros, it became a cultural phenomenon and a sign of protest against the communist government.
The song charted once more in 1966 by the Drifters, a minor, #48, hit for them. It was recorded by Anne Murray for her Croonin'
Croonin'
-Chart performance:...
album in 1993, but it was only released as a bonus track on the special Croonin album put out by Heartland Records.
In Germany, titled Heimweh ("Homesickness") and performed by Freddy Quinn
Freddy Quinn
Freddy Quinn is an Austrian singer and actor whose popularity within the German-speaking world soared in the late 1950s and 1960s. Similar to Hans Albers two generations before him, Quinn adopted the persona of the rootless wanderer who goes to sea but longs for a home, family and friends...
and with lyrics by Ernst Bader and Dieter Rasch, the song was 14 weeks at number one, the most successful song of 1956. Worldwide it sold more than 8 million, thus exceeding sales of the Dean Martin version.
Other notable recordings
- Dave King (1956)
- Petula ClarkPetula ClarkPetula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
(1956) - Ray ConniffRay ConniffJoseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
(1961) - Jim ReevesJim ReevesJames Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound...
(1963) - Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
(1963) - Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
(1964) - Little RichardLittle RichardRichard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
(1964) - The DriftersThe DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
(1966) - Statler BrothersStatler BrothersThe Statler Brothers were an American country music vocal group founded in 1955 in Staunton, Virginia.Originally performing gospel music at local churches, the group billed themselves as The Four Star Quartet, and later The Kingsmen...
(1981) - FuzzFuzz (musician)James Robert Lombard, OBE , professionally known by his stage name Fuzz, is an English singer-songwriter, musician, actor, record producer and composer noted for being the frontman of the band Inferno....
(1983) - Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
(1996) - Kirlian CameraKirlian Camera (band)Kirlian Camera is an Italian group playing mostly electronic darkwave music.- History :The group was founded in 1980 by Angelo Bergamini, and was a pioneering act of the Italian synthpop scene, eventually being the first Italian group to be signed to Virgin Records.Between 1982 and 1984, Bergamini...
Erinnerung (2006)
German versions:
- Erste Allgemeine VerunsicherungErste Allgemeine VerunsicherungThe EAV is an Austrian band that got together in 1977....
Alk-Parade (1991) - Element of CrimeElement of CrimeElement of Crime is a German rock band that plays melancholic chanson-, pop- and rockmusic with guitar, bass, drums and voice/trumpet.- Band-History :...
Heimweh (2004) Soundtrack The EdukatorsThe EdukatorsThe Edukators is a German-Austrian film made by the Austrian director Hans Weingartner and released in 2004. Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, it stars Daniel Brühl, Stipe Erceg and Julia Jentsch.... - Stephan RemmlerStephan RemmlerStephan Remmler is one of three members of the German band Trio. He performed most of the vocals for the band's songs...
und die Schatzsucher Heimweh (1991) - ZK, later Die Toten HosenDie Toten HosenDie Toten Hosen is a German punk band from Düsseldorf. They have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany.The band's name literally means "The Dead Pants" in English, although the phrase "tote Hose" is a German expression meaning "nothing going on" or "boring"...
Heimweh (1980) - Freddy QuinnFreddy QuinnFreddy Quinn is an Austrian singer and actor whose popularity within the German-speaking world soared in the late 1950s and 1960s. Similar to Hans Albers two generations before him, Quinn adopted the persona of the rootless wanderer who goes to sea but longs for a home, family and friends...
Heimweh (Dort wo die Blumen blüh'n) (1956)