Wikipedia

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The song was recorded by Dusty Springfield and it reached No. 3 on the UK chart in 1964.

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
Solid centre variant of the UK single
Single by Dusty Springfield
from the album Dusty
B-side"My Colouring Book"
ReleasedJune 1964
Genre
Length3:01
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)Burt Bacharach and Hal David
Producer(s)Johnny Franz
Dusty Springfield singles chronology
"All Cried Out"
(1964) 		"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
(1964) 		"Guess Who"
(1964)

Composition

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The song's life began in 1962 when Bacharach and David were songwriters at the New York songwriting factory the Brill Building.[2]

Original version

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"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" was first recorded by Chuck Jackson in 1962.[2] This version was shelved and remained unreleased until it appeared on a 1984 compilation on the Kent record label called Mr. Emotion. According to the sleeve notes of that album, Jackson's vocals were substituted for Tommy Hunt's while the original backing track was retained.

The 1962 release by Tommy Hunt, which featured Hunt singing over the original Chuck Jackson backing track, listed Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as producers. It was released as single Scepter 1236 (B-side "And I Never Knew") in May 1962, but did not chart. The song served as the title track for Hunt's sole album release on Scepter released in April 1963. The U.K. success of Dusty Springfield's June 1964 cover version led to Scepter's re-releasing the Tommy Hunt recording, at which time it reached the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in Billboard with a number 119 peak.

Dusty Springfield version

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Dusty Springfield recorded "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" in a session at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London with production credited to Philips Records owner Johnny Franz - although Springfield later stated her solo Philips tracks were self-produced - and arranged by Ivor Raymonde who conducted his orchestra; personnel on the session included Big Jim Sullivan on guitar and Bobby Graham on drums. Springfield, whose first solo recordings had included covers of the Bacharach/David compositions "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Wishin' and Hopin'" - had brought back "I Just Don't Know..." from an overnight trip to New York City where she met up with Bacharach in February 1964.

The third UK single release of Springfield's solo career - following the "Brill Building" Sound-alikes "I Only Want to Be With You" and "Stay Awhile" - "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was Springfield's first UK single release to display her signature vocal style; rising to number 3 in the summer of 1964 the track remained Springfield's highest UK Singles Chart hit until she reached number 1 in 1966 with "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", which was Springfield's only UK solo hit to chart higher than "I Just Don't Know...".

A concurrent US release of Springfield's "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was preempted by the presence of Springfield's "Wishin' and Hopin'" in the US Top Ten over the summer of 1964. Springfield's "I Just Don't Know..." received a belated US release in October 1965 featured on a single with Springfield's current UK hit "Some of Your Lovin'"; that month Springfield made a promotional junket to the US which included performances of both of the single's tracks on the TV shows Hullabaloo and Shindig but neither side reached the Billboard Hot 100.

Charts

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Chart (1964) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[3] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[4] 5
Dutch Singles Chart[5] 5
New Zealand Charts[6] 3
UK Singles Chart[7] 3

Dionne Warwick version

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"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
 
Side A of the US single
Single by Dionne Warwick
from the album Here Where There Is Love
B-side"In Between the Heartaches"
Released1966
Recorded1966
StudioBell Sound (New York City)
Genre
Length2:50
LabelScepter
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Burt Bacharach
  • Hal David
Dionne Warwick singles chronology
"Trains and Boats and Planes"
(1966) 		"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
(1966) 		"The Beginning of Loneliness" / "Another Night"
(1966)

Dionne Warwick recorded "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" at Bell Sound Studios in August 1966 with Burt Bacharach producing; released that September the track is from her third album, Here Where There Is Love on Scepter Records. The song was a moderate success reaching number 26 on the US Hot 100 and number 20 on US Hot R&B with its strongest evident regional success in Detroit going Top Ten there.

Warwick released three consecutive Bacharach/David songs as singles: "Message to Michael", "Trains and Boats and Planes", and "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself". Warwick's next Top 40 single, "Alfie", was also a Bacharach/David song; three of the four songs appeared on Warwick's 1967 album Here Where There Is Love.[8][original research?]

Track listing

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  • US 7" Vinyl Single
A: "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" – 2:50
B: "In Between the Heartaches" – 2:50

Notes

  • "In Between the Heartaches" - Published By – Blue Seas Music, Inc. / JAC Music Co., Inc. (ASCAP)
    "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" - Published By – Quartet Music Inc. (BMI) Belinda (Canada Litd.)[9]

Charts

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Chart (1966) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 36
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 26
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[12] 20
US Cashbox Top 100[13] 24

Marcia Hines version

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"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
Single by Marcia Hines
from the album Shining
B-side"Trilogy"
Released1976
Genre
Length3:08
LabelWizard Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Robie Porter
Marcia Hines singles chronology
"From the Inside"
(1975) 		"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
(1976) 		""Don't Let the Grass Grow" / "You Gotta Let Go""
(1976)

Marcia Hines recorded a version of the track and released it as the lead single from her second studio album, Shining (1976). The B-side "Trilogy" was included on her debut studio album, Marcia Shines (1975).

Track listing

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7-inch Single (ZS-153)

Weekly charts

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Chart (1975–76) Position
Australian Kent Music Report[14] 10

Year-end charts

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Chart (1976) Position
Australian (Kent Music Report)[14][15] 23

See also

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The White Stripes version

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"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
 
Single by the White Stripes
from the album Elephant
B-side"Who's to Say..."
Released1 September 2003 (2003-09-01)
Recorded7–13 November 2001[16][17]
StudioMaida Vale Studios
GenrePunk rock[1]
Length2:46
LabelV2, XL
Songwriter(s)Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Producer(s)Jack White
The White Stripes singles chronology
"Seven Nation Army"
(2003) 		"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
(2003) 		"The Hardest Button to Button"
(2003)
Music video
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" on YouTube

In September 2003, "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" was released as a single by American alternative rock band the White Stripes. It was the second single released from their album Elephant, reaching the top 40 in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

The black-and-white music video, directed by Sofia Coppola, cinematographed by Lance Acord and choreographed by Robin Conrad, features Kate Moss pole dancing in black underwear.[18][19]

Track listings

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UK CD single[20]

  1. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
  2. "Who's to Say..."
  3. "I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman" (live on the John Peel Show)

UK 7-inch single[21]

A. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"
B. "Who's to Say..."

UK DVD single[22]

  1. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (audio)
  2. "Lafayette Blues" (audio)
  3. "Black Math" (filmed at the Masonic Temple, Detroit)

Charts

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Chart (2003) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[23] 54
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 92
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[25] 34
Scotland (OCC)[26] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[27] 13
UK Indie (OCC)[28] 2
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[29] 25

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 1 September 2003
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • DVD
 XL [30]
United States 19 January 2004 Active rock radio V2 [31]

Bibliography

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  • Serene Dominic. Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans. Schirmer Trade, New York 2003. ISBN 0-8256-7280-5

References

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  1. ^ a b Reece, Craig (2015). "Dusty Springfield - "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 142.
  2. ^ a b Cheal, David (20 March 2015). "The Life of a Song: 'I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself'". Ft.com. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  3. ^ Ryan (bulion), Gary (15 June 2008). "Chart Positions Pre 1989 – Dusty Springfield". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  4. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  5. ^ "dutchcharts.nl - Discografie Dusty Springfield". © 2006-2011 Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  6. ^ Dusty Springfield - Flavour of New Zealand. Flavour of New Zealand
  7. ^ Dusty Springfield - UK Charts History. Official Charts
  8. ^ Dionne Warwick - Here Where There Is Love Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 23 December 2022
  9. ^ "I Just Don't Know"/"In Between the Heartaches" (7" Vinyl, Single) at Discogs
  10. ^ RPM Archives. Dionne Warwick's Canada Singles History. Archived 16 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Billboard Chart History. Dionne Warwick's Hot 100 History.
  12. ^ Billboard Chart History. Dionne Warwick's R&B Singles History.
  13. ^ "Cash Box Top Singles". Cashboxmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Australian Chart Books". Australianchartbooks.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  15. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1976". Kent Music Report. 27 December 1976. Retrieved 11 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  16. ^ Blackwell, Ben (2023). Elephant UHQR (booklet). Third Man Records.
  17. ^ |user=The White Stripes |postid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng%3D%3D |date=18 March 2023
  18. ^ Lynn Hirschberg (31 August 2003). "The Coppola Smart Mob". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  19. ^ Sofia Coppola and Stephen Dorff (19 November 2010). "Sofia Coppola and Stephen Dorff". Interview. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  20. ^ I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself (UK CD single liner notes). The White Stripes. XL Recordings. 2003. XLS 166 CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The White Stripes. XL Recordings. 2003. XLS 166.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ^ I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself (UK DVD single liner notes). The White Stripes. XL Recordings. 2003. XLS 166 DVD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ^ "Issue 709" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  24. ^ "The White Stripes – I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  25. ^ "The White Stripes – I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  27. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  28. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  29. ^ "The White Stripes Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  30. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 30 August 2003. p. 23. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  31. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1538. 16 January 2004. p. 24. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
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