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I Can't Stop Loving You

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Wikipedia article




"'I Can't Stop Loving You'" is a popular song written and composed by country singer, songwriter, and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it on December 3, 1957, for RCA Victor Records. It was released in 1958 as the B-side of "Oh, Lonesome Me", becoming a double-sided country hit single. At the time of Gibson's death in 2003, the song had been recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles, whose recording reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

Composition



Gibson wrote both "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Oh, Lonesome Me" on June 7, 1957, in Knoxville, Tennessee. "I sat down to write a lost love ballad," Gibson said in Dorothy Horstman's 1975 book 'Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy.' "After writing several lines to the song, I looked back and saw the line 'I can't stop loving you.' I said, 'That would be a good title,' so I went ahead and rewrote it in its present form."

Charts

'Note': This original recording was released as "I Can't Stop Lovin' You".

Ray Charles single



The song was covered by Ray Charles in 1962, featured on Charles' 'Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music', and released as a single. Charles' version reached number one on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 in 1962, for five weeks. This version went to number one on the U.S. R&B and Adult Contemporary charts. 'Billboard' ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1962.Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1962 Charles reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1962, staying for two weeks. In Sweden it was the first number one single on the sales chart Kvllstoppen on July 10, 1962.

The Ray Charles version is noted for his saying the words before the last five lines of the song on the final chorus: "Sing the song, children". Choral backing was provided by The Randy Van Horne Singers. It was ranked No. 164 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and No. 49 on CMT's "100 Greatest Songs in Country Music".

This recording was featured in 'Metropolis (2001 film)', where it can be heard during the explosion of the skyscraper Ziggurat shortly after the climax.

Charts



All-time charts



Other versions



The song has been recorded by many other artists. Some recordings are titled as "I Can't Stop Lovin' You" (with or without an apostrophe).

*1958: Kitty Wells on her album 'Kitty Wells' Golden Favorites'; No. 3 on the 'Billboard magazine' country chart

*1961: Roy Orbison on his album 'Sings Lonely and Blue'; charted in the Variety magazine Top 100 Listings

*1962: Ray Charles featured on Charles' 'Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music', and released as a single.

*1962: Count Basie's recording, a Quincy Jones arrangement, won the 1962 Grammy Award for "Best Instrumental Arrangement".

*1962: Ray Anthony recorded the song for the album 'Ray Anthony Plays Worried Mind'

*1963: Johnny Tillotson on his album 'Talk Back Trembling Lips' (MGM Records E 4188)

*1963: Paul Anka on his album 'Songs I Wish I'd Written' (RCA Victor LSP-2744)

*1964: Faron Young on his album 'Country Dance Favorites' (Mercury Records - SR 60931)

*1964: Frank Sinatra recorded the song for his album 'It Might As Well Be Swing', his second collaboration with Count Basie and his orchestra

*1964: Jim Reeves on his last album 'The Jim Reeves Way' which was released in 1965

*1964: Ike & Tina Turner covered the song in 1964; released on their album 'Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show' in January 1965.

*1965: Duke Ellington recorded the song for his album 'Ellington '66'

*1965: Andy Williams on his album 'Andy Williams' Dear Heart'

*1966: Pavel Novak, Czech singer

*1967: Ronnie Dove on his LP 'Cry'

*1969: Elvis Presley performed the song live from 1969 till his final tours in 1977, first recording it on the RCA release 'Elvis in Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada'

*1969: Jerry Lee Lewis recorded it on the album 'Sings the Country Music Hall of Fame Hits, Vol. 2'

*Guy & Ralna included a recording of the song on their 1973 album 'Country Songs We Love to Sing'; the duo also performed the song numerous times on 'The Lawrence Welk Show,' on which they were regulars.

*1974: Donna Hightower recorded in Spain it on her Columbia album "I'm In Love with Love" (also released as "I'm in Love with You" and "The One I Cried")

*1974: Dolly Parton and Chet Atkins performed the song (to Atkins' guitar accompaniment) on 'The Porter Wagoner Show' in 1974.

*1972: Conway Twitty on his album of the same name; reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart

*1977: Sammi Smith covered the song for her 'Mixed Emotions' album. The song also reached No. 27 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart.

*1978: Mary K. Miller reached No. 28 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart.

*1981: Rez Band recorded a cover as their closing track on the platinum selling Mommy Don't Love Daddy Anymore, hitting the Christian Rock charts.

*1981: Millie Jackson recorded an upbeat, disco-influenced version for her 'Just a Lil' Bit Country' album. The song was also released as a single in the U.S. and charted #62 R&B.

*1991: Van Morrison on his album 'Hymns to the Silence'; also appears on a limited edition album 'Live at Austin City Limits Festival' (2006)

*2002: Anne Murray on her album 'Country Croonin'

*2005: Martina McBride on her album 'Timeless'

*2014: Bryan Adams recorded a version for his album 'Tracks of My Years'

References



Category:1958 singles

Category:1962 singles

Category:1972 singles

Category:1991 singles

Category:Songs written by Don Gibson

Category:Don Gibson songs

Category:Kitty Wells songs

Category:Roy Orbison songs

Category:Ray Charles songs

Category:Johnny Tillotson songs

Category:Jim Reeves songs

Category:Frank Sinatra songs

Category:Duke Ellington songs

Category:Elvis Presley songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Owen Bradley

Category:Number-one singles in Australia

Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles

Category:Cashbox number-one singles

Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients

Category:ABC Records singles

Category:Decca Records singles

Category:Polydor Records singles

Category:RCA Victor singles

Category:Torch songs

Category:1957 songs

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