The Wheel of Hurt
Encyclopedia
"The Wheel of Hurt" is the title of a popular song from 1966 (see 1966 in music
). The song was written by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder.
Two versions of "The Wheel of Hurt" were released in late 1966 at virtually the same time. One version was sung by Italian American
singer Al Martino
, and this was a modest hit, peaking at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and at #12 on the Billboard
Easy Listening chart in late 1966.
The second version of "The Wheel of Hurt" was by the American performer Margaret Whiting
, a noted singer who had over 40 charting hit singles
in the U.S. between 1946 and 1954. Released from her album of the same name, "The Wheel of Hurt" was Whiting's attempt at a comeback; in an interview with Billboard magazine from 1966, Whiting told Claude Hall that she "wanted to have a hit record again. Bobby Darin
and Frank Sinatra
proved it could be done." "The Wheel of Hurt" was Whiting's final song to hit the Top 40 on the Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at #26. The song also spent four weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart in November 1966.
Other artists have recorded "The Wheel of Hurt", including country music
singer Eddy Arnold
.
1966 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work it Out".*January 8 – Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who...
). The song was written by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder.
Two versions of "The Wheel of Hurt" were released in late 1966 at virtually the same time. One version was sung by Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
singer Al Martino
Al Martino
Al Martino was an American singer and actor. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid 1970s, being described as "one of the great Italian American pop crooners", and also became well known as an actor, particularly for his role as singer Johnny Fontane in The...
, and this was a modest hit, peaking at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and at #12 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Easy Listening chart in late 1966.
The second version of "The Wheel of Hurt" was by the American performer Margaret Whiting
Margaret Whiting
Margaret Whiting was a singer of American popular music and country music who first made her reputation during the 1940s and 1950s.-Youth:...
, a noted singer who had over 40 charting hit singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the U.S. between 1946 and 1954. Released from her album of the same name, "The Wheel of Hurt" was Whiting's attempt at a comeback; in an interview with Billboard magazine from 1966, Whiting told Claude Hall that she "wanted to have a hit record again. Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis 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...
proved it could be done." "The Wheel of Hurt" was Whiting's final song to hit the Top 40 on the Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at #26. The song also spent four weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart in November 1966.
Other artists have recorded "The Wheel of Hurt", including country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
.