Witchcraft (song)
Encyclopedia
"Witchcraft" is a popular
song
from 1957 composed by Cy Coleman
with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
. It was released as a single by Frank Sinatra
, and reached number twenty in the U.S., spending sixteen weeks on the charts.
Composed as an instrumental piece by Coleman for the revue Take Five, lyrics were added by Leigh, and "Witchcraft" was subsequently recorded by Sinatra in May 1957, in an arrangement by Nelson Riddle
.
Elvis Presley
sang this song in The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis
.
(1961). Sinatra re-recorded "Witchcraft" for 1963's Sinatra's Sinatra
, and finally recorded it as a duet with Anita Baker
for Duets
(1993).
"Witchcraft" has been recorded by many other artists, including Sarah Vaughan
, on her 1962 album You're Mine You
, Ella Fitzgerald
, on Ella Returns to Berlin
(1961), and Bill Evans
on Portrait in Jazz
(1959). Another version was featured in the 1993 movie Hocus Pocus.
, Frank Sinatra
was nominated for six Grammy awards, with Sinatra's recording of "Witchcraft" being nominated for the Record of the Year
, Song of the Year
, Best Vocal Performance, Male
, and Nelson Riddle
's arrangement nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement
. Sinatra had two albums nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year
, and won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover.
This song was also sung live by Peggy Lee .
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...
from 1957 composed by Cy Coleman
Cy Coleman
Cy Coleman was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist.-Life and career:He was born Seymour Kaufman on June 14, 1929, in New York City to Eastern European Jewish parents, and was raised in the Bronx. His mother, Ida was an apartment landlady and his father was a brickmason...
with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
Carolyn Leigh
Carolyn Leigh was an American lyricist for Broadway, movies, and popular songs. She is best known as the writer with partner Cy Coleman of the pop standards "Witchcraft" and "The Best Is Yet to Come."-Biography:...
. It was released as a single by 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...
, and reached number twenty in the U.S., spending sixteen weeks on the charts.
Composed as an instrumental piece by Coleman for the revue Take Five, lyrics were added by Leigh, and "Witchcraft" was subsequently recorded by Sinatra in May 1957, in an arrangement by Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
sang this song in The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis
Welcome Home Elvis was a 1960 television special on ABC starring Frank Sinatra and featuring Elvis Presley in his first televised appearance since coming home from his military service in Germany. The special was officially titled It's Nice to Go Traveling, but is more commonly known as Welcome...
.
Versions
Sinatra recorded "Witchcraft" three times in a studio setting. The first recording was in 1957, for his single release, and was later released on his compilation album All the WayAll the Way (Frank Sinatra album)
All the Way is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1961.The fourth Capitol compilation album of singles and B-sides from 1957 to 1960. Capitol released All the Way on Compact Disc briefly in 1988, before discontinuing it in the early 1990s...
(1961). Sinatra re-recorded "Witchcraft" for 1963's Sinatra's Sinatra
Sinatra's Sinatra
Sinatra's Sinatra is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1963.The album contained re-recorded versions of 12 songs Sinatra had previously released....
, and finally recorded it as a duet with Anita Baker
Anita Baker
Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....
for Duets
Duets (Frank Sinatra album)
Duets is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1993.Recorded near the end of Sinatra's career, it consists of duets between Sinatra and other guest star singers from various genres; Sinatra personally chose the performers...
(1993).
| Recording Date | Company | Format | Album | Track:Album | Album Date | Collaborators | Arranged by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-05-20 | Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
Studio | The Complete Capitol Singles Collection The Complete Capitol Singles Collection The Complete Capitol Singles Collection is a 1996 box set by the American singer Frank Sinatra.This four-disc set contains all the singles -- A-sides and B-sides—that Sinatra recorded for Capitol Records between 1953 and 1960 with the notable exception of "If You Are But A Dream" which was... |
3/13:3/5 | 1996-09-03 | Nelson Riddle Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s... |
|
| 1963-04-30 | Reprise Records Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:... |
Studio | Sinatra's Sinatra Sinatra's Sinatra Sinatra's Sinatra is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1963.The album contained re-recorded versions of 12 songs Sinatra had previously released.... |
5/12:1/1 | 1963 | Nelson Riddle Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s... |
|
| 1993-07-09 | Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
Electronic Duet | Duets Duets (Frank Sinatra album) Duets is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1993.Recorded near the end of Sinatra's career, it consists of duets between Sinatra and other guest star singers from various genres; Sinatra personally chose the performers... |
11/13:1/1 | 1993-07-09 | Anita Baker Anita Baker Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit.... |
Nelson Riddle Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s... |
"Witchcraft" has been recorded by many other artists, including Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
, on her 1962 album You're Mine You
You're Mine You
You're Mine You is a 1962 studio album by the American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, orchestrated and conducted by Quincy Jones.-Reception:...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, on Ella Returns to Berlin
Ella Returns to Berlin
Ella Returns to Berlin is a 1961 live album by Ella Fitzgerald, with a trio led by the pianist Lou Levy, and also featuring the Oscar Peterson trio....
(1961), and Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
on Portrait in Jazz
Portrait in Jazz
Portrait in Jazz is an album by American jazz pianist Bill Evans, released in 1960.-History:Eight months after his successful collaboration with Miles Davis on the album Kind of Blue, Evans recorded Portrait in Jazz with a new group that helped change the direction of modern jazz.Most noticeably,...
(1959). Another version was featured in the 1993 movie Hocus Pocus.
Grammys
At the 1st Grammy AwardsGrammy Awards of 1959
The inaugural Grammy Awards were held on May 4, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. Domenico Modugno, Henry Mancini, Ella Fitzgerald and Ross Bagdasarian, Sr...
, 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...
was nominated for six Grammy awards, with Sinatra's recording of "Witchcraft" being nominated for the Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
, Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
, Best Vocal Performance, Male
Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male
The Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male was awarded from 1959 to 1968. The award had several minor name changes:*From 1959 to 1960 the award was known as Best Vocal Performance, Male...
, and Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
's arrangement nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement
Grammy Award for Best Arrangement
The Grammy Award for Best Arrangement was awarded from 1959 to 1962.Since 1963 the award has been divided into two awards for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist & Best Instrumental Arrangement...
. Sinatra had two albums nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
, and won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover.
This song was also sung live by Peggy Lee .