Careless Love

For other uses, see Careless Love (disambiguation).

"Careless Love" is a traditional song, with several popular blues versions. It has been called a "nineteenth-century ballad and Dixieland standard".[1]

The death referenced in an old version was the son of a Kentucky governor.[2] Although published accounts have cited 1926 as the copyright date,[3] W. C. Handy copyrighted "Loveless Love" in 1921 under Pace & Handy Music Co.[4]

A recording by Bessie Smith titled "Careless Love Blues" was very popular in 1925.[5] The same year it was recorded by Papa Celestin and his Tuxedo Dixieland Jazz Band and released as a single by OKeh.[6] New Orleans cornetist Chris Kelly was famous for his emotional rendition of the piece.[7]

Many other artists have recorded "Careless Love" including Lonnie Johnson, Eartha Kitt, Dr. John, Brook Benton, Connie Francis, Dinah Washington, Snooks Eaglin, Fats Domino, Frankie Laine, Madeleine Peyroux, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Rosemary Clooney, Shirley Bassey, Ronnie Lane, Slim Whitman, Hugh Laurie and Van Morrison. Noh Sa-yeon released a Korean version of this song, "Nim Geurimja"(My Lover's Shadow) in 1983, which led to a few Korean singers covering that version.

  1. ^ Palmer, Robert (1979). A Tale of Two Cities: Memphis Rock and New Orleans Roll. Institute for Studies in American Music, Department of Music, School of Performing Arts, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. ISBN 978-0-914678-12-0.
  2. ^ Scarborough, Dorothy. "Coffee in the Gourd: The Blues As Folk-Songs, by Dorothy Scarborough". Sacred Texts. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  3. ^ Dance, Daryl Cumber, ed. (2002). From my people: 400 years of African American folklore (1st ed.). New York: Norton. p. 116. ISBN 0393047989. OCLC 47922828.
  4. ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries 1921 (1 ed.). United States Copyright Office. 1921. p. 204.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 396. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  6. ^ Newhart, Sally (2013). The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band: More Than a Century of a New Orleans Icon. Arcadia Publishing. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-62584-085-1.
  7. ^ Martin, Henry; Waters, Keith (2011). Jazz: The First 100 Years. Cengage Learning. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4390-8333-8.