I Go to Pieces
Encyclopedia
"I Go to Pieces" is the title of a song written by Del Shannon
which became a Top Ten hit for Peter and Gordon in 1965.
" and its B-side: "This is All I Have to Give"; however Shannon was unable to cut a satisfactory vocal of "I Go to Pieces" before the three hours booked for the session ran out.
"I Go to Pieces" passed to Peter and Gordon when that duo and Del Shannon shared the bill for a tour of Australia in the second half of 1964. Shannon played the Lloyd Brown recording of "I Go to Pieces" for the Searchers
who were also on the tour and who Shannon hoped would want to record the song themselves. The Searchers were not interested in "I Go to Pieces" but Peter and Gordon heard the record and recognizing the song's potential to become a Merseybeat
-style hit asked Shannon to let them record it. Peter and Gordon recorded "I Go to Pieces" at Abbey Road Studios
with John Burgess producing; as well as Peter and Gordon themselves playing guitars the session featured Vic Flick
on twelve string guitar.
" craze was at its height in 1964-65. Released in the US in December 1964, "I Go to Pieces" entered the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100
that February. The title track of Peter and Gordon's third US album release, "I Go to Pieces" was cited in 1999 by Gordon Waller as his favorite of the duo's songs. Peter and Gordon's first three singles had all been Lennon/McCartney
compositions; "I Go to Pieces" began a series of four single releases by the duo which were covers
of American songs.
"I Go to Pieces" also gave Peter and Gordon a hit in Australia where as a double A-side with "Love Me Baby" the single reached #26.
Del Shannon did himself record "I Go to Pieces" at Bell Sound Studio NYC in March 1965; basing his version on the arrangement utilized by Peter and Gordon, Shannon's version of his own composition was effectively one of a number of covers
of recent hits which comprised his album One Thousand Six Hundred Sixty One Seconds with Del Shannon. Shannon also sang on the remake of "I Go to Pieces" on the 1981 album Night Fades Away by Nils Lofgren
.
Peter and Gordon reformed after a gap of 37 years to perform "I Go to Pieces" at the Mike Smith Tribute Concert at BB King's House of Blues in New York City on August 2, 2005.
; this version - produced by group member Michael Lloyd with Mike Curb
- reached #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was hit in the Netherlands at #17. In Australia this version reached #62.
In 1979 Rachel Sweet
recorded "I Go to Pieces", that track and "Sad Song" being recorded to augment Sweet's 1978 UK album release Fool Around
for its US release. The new tracks were both produced by David Mackay
and Barrie Guard; Sweet had wanted to work with Mackay on the basis of his work with Bonnie Tyler
. "I Go to Pieces" was issued as the lead single for the US release of Fool Around in August 1979: the track did not chart in the US but did reach #39 in Australia.
In 1988, Nashville hit songwriter Dean Dillon had a #39 Billboard Country chart hit with "I Go To Pieces". That same year, Bobby Vinton released another Country version of the song on his "Bobby Vinton" album on Curb Records.
An a cappella
version of "I Go to Pieces" was a C&W chart
hit (#31) in 1990 for Southern Pacific
.
"I Go to Pieces" has also been recorded by Guys Next Door
and Colleen Peterson
. A rendering in Italian as "Il mare non racconta mai" was a 1967 single release by Camaleonti.
Del Shannon
Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
which became a Top Ten hit for Peter and Gordon in 1965.
Background and writing
Del Shannon had written "I Go to Pieces" for an R&B singer named Lloyd Brown whom Shannon discovered at a Michigan nightclub but Shannon was unable to successfully 'shop'(?) Brown's recorded version which he (ie. Shannon) himself produced and arranged. Shannon did attempt to himself record "I Go to Pieces" in the August 1964 session at Mira Sound Studios NYC which yielded Shannon's single "Do You Wanna DanceDo You Wanna Dance?
"Do You Wanna Dance?" is a song written by Bobby Freeman , and recorded by him in 1958. It is also popular in a version performed by the Beach Boys, which was released in 1965, and in a version recorded by Bette Midler in 1972...
" and its B-side: "This is All I Have to Give"; however Shannon was unable to cut a satisfactory vocal of "I Go to Pieces" before the three hours booked for the session ran out.
"I Go to Pieces" passed to Peter and Gordon when that duo and Del Shannon shared the bill for a tour of Australia in the second half of 1964. Shannon played the Lloyd Brown recording of "I Go to Pieces" for the Searchers
The Searchers (band)
The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
who were also on the tour and who Shannon hoped would want to record the song themselves. The Searchers were not interested in "I Go to Pieces" but Peter and Gordon heard the record and recognizing the song's potential to become a Merseybeat
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
-style hit asked Shannon to let them record it. Peter and Gordon recorded "I Go to Pieces" at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
with John Burgess producing; as well as Peter and Gordon themselves playing guitars the session featured Vic Flick
Vic Flick
Victor Harold Flick is an English guitarist, most famous for playing the guitar riff in the "James Bond Theme".-Biography:...
on twelve string guitar.
Peter & Gordon
Released in the UK on 20 November 1964, "I Go to Pieces" became the second consecutive Peter and Gordon single to miss the UK Top 50 but like the preceding "Nobody I Know", despite missing the UK charts it became a hit in the US where the "British InvasionBritish Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
" craze was at its height in 1964-65. Released in the US in December 1964, "I Go to Pieces" entered the Top Ten of 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...
that February. The title track of Peter and Gordon's third US album release, "I Go to Pieces" was cited in 1999 by Gordon Waller as his favorite of the duo's songs. Peter and Gordon's first three singles had all been Lennon/McCartney
Lennon/McCartney
The Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations in history...
compositions; "I Go to Pieces" began a series of four single releases by the duo which were covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of American songs.
"I Go to Pieces" also gave Peter and Gordon a hit in Australia where as a double A-side with "Love Me Baby" the single reached #26.
Del Shannon did himself record "I Go to Pieces" at Bell Sound Studio NYC in March 1965; basing his version on the arrangement utilized by Peter and Gordon, Shannon's version of his own composition was effectively one of a number of covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of recent hits which comprised his album One Thousand Six Hundred Sixty One Seconds with Del Shannon. Shannon also sang on the remake of "I Go to Pieces" on the 1981 album Night Fades Away by Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
.
Peter and Gordon reformed after a gap of 37 years to perform "I Go to Pieces" at the Mike Smith Tribute Concert at BB King's House of Blues in New York City on August 2, 2005.
Covers
"I Go to Pieces" was recorded in 1975 by Cotton Lloyd and ChristianChris Christian
Chris Christian is a songwriter, record producer, and a record label executive. His songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Olivia Newton-John, Natalie Cole, Sheena Easton, The Pointer Sisters, Al Jarreau, The Carpenters, Amy Grant, Patti Austin, Dionne Warwick, Amy Grant, The Imperials, B.J...
; this version - produced by group member Michael Lloyd with Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
- reached #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was hit in the Netherlands at #17. In Australia this version reached #62.
In 1979 Rachel Sweet
Rachel Sweet
Rachel Sweet is an American singer, television writer and actress.-Biography:After beginning her singing career at the age of three, when she won an electric garage door opener in a singing contest, she began recording commercials at the age of six, toured with Mickey Rooney, and performed in Las...
recorded "I Go to Pieces", that track and "Sad Song" being recorded to augment Sweet's 1978 UK album release Fool Around
Fool Around
Fool Around is Rachel Sweet's debut album. It was released when she was 16.This album was originally released in England as Stiff Records SEEZ 12 with a somewhat different set of tracks from what appeared on the American release and all other releases since.-Track listing :All tracks composed by...
for its US release. The new tracks were both produced by David Mackay
David Mackay (producer)
David Mackay is an Australian record producer/arranger and musical director. He was born in Sydney, Australia and began his music career at the age of 15 in a production of Bye Bye Birdie for J.C. Williamson Theatre Company...
and Barrie Guard; Sweet had wanted to work with Mackay on the basis of his work with Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
. "I Go to Pieces" was issued as the lead single for the US release of Fool Around in August 1979: the track did not chart in the US but did reach #39 in Australia.
In 1988, Nashville hit songwriter Dean Dillon had a #39 Billboard Country chart hit with "I Go To Pieces". That same year, Bobby Vinton released another Country version of the song on his "Bobby Vinton" album on Curb Records.
An a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version of "I Go to Pieces" was a C&W chart
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
hit (#31) in 1990 for Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific (band)
Southern Pacific was an American country rock band that ran from 1983 to 1991. They are best known for hits such as "Any Way the Wind Blows" , which was used in the soundtrack for the film Pink Cadillac starring Clint Eastwood and Bernadette Peters, and "New Shade of Blue"...
.
"I Go to Pieces" has also been recorded by Guys Next Door
Guys Next Door
Guys Next Door was an American television series aired on NBC in the 1990-1991 season as part of its Saturday lineup.The show starred Patrick J. Dancy, Eddie Garcia, Bobby Leslie, Damon Sharpe and Christopher Wolf....
and Colleen Peterson
Colleen Peterson
Colleen Susan Peterson was a Canadian country and folk singer, who performed both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Quartette.-Career:...
. A rendering in Italian as "Il mare non racconta mai" was a 1967 single release by Camaleonti.