"You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" is a popular song from 1913 composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. It was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway revueThe Honeymoon Express (1913), and used in the 1973 revival of the musical Irene.
One of the earliest singers to record the song was Al Jolson. His rendition was recorded on June 4, 1913. It was released as Columbia A-1374 and was an international hit.[2] In Britain, Columbia had to order 25,000 copies from the U.S. to satisfy unprecedented demand for a gramophone record.[3] American performers working in West End shows, like Grace La Rue and Willie Solar, quickly recorded versions there to capitalize on the phenomenon. Another successful recording in 1913 was by William J. Halley. Al Jolson recorded the song again on March 20, 1946, released as Decca 23613. Jolson also performed the song for the soundtrack of the 1946 film The Jolson Story.[4]
In 1937, Roger Edens wrote additional lyrics to the song for Judy Garland. The new lyrics cast Garland in the role of a teenage fan of Clark Gable. Garland sang the song to Gable at a birthday party thrown for him by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). MGM executives were so charmed by her rendition that she and the song were added to the film Broadway Melody of 1938. Garland recorded the "Gable" version on September 24, 1937. It was released as Decca 1463. MGM released the song as a b-side in 1939, opposite Garland's recording of "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz.[5]
Recordings and other renditions
Mezzo-soprano Grace La Rue recorded the song in London with an unnamed orchestra conducted by Kennedy Russell for His Master's Voice on August 22, 1913 and issued on record number 03343. Four months later the American double-talk comic and eccentric singer Willie Solar (1891–1956) recorded a novelty version exaggerating Jolson for the same UK label.
Bing Crosby recorded the song with The Merry Macs on July 23, 1940 for Decca Records[6] and it charted briefly, reaching the No. 25 spot in the charts.
Harry James and His Orchestra hit big in late 1941 and early 1942 with a million-selling instrumental version of the song as a trumpet solo featuring James. It was released as the B-side of "A Sinner Kissed an Angel" but proved to be the much bigger hit, peaking at no. 5 on Billboard's National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records chart in late November 1941 during an 18-week run (including ten non-consecutive weeks in the Top Ten).[7] In 2010 the recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. "You Made Me Love You" remains one of Harry James's signature recordings.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins recorded the song for a single in 1957 "You Made Me Love You" / "Darling, Please Forgive Me" [OKeh 7084]. It later appeared on his 1957 debut album At Home with Screamin' Jay Hawkins.
George Burns and some of the Muppets performed a humorous version of this song, where Gonzo especially gets a kick out of the line "didn't want to do it".
This song is featured in an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show ("Lou and That Woman"; Season 5, Episode 4; aired October 5, 1974).
On The Carol Burnett Show (Season 10, Episode 15, aired January 15, 1977), audience member Terry McCann sang the song with Carol Burnett during the show's questions and answers segment.[9]
Olivia Newton-John sings the song in the 1980 film Xanadu, as a vocal on a record presented as a Glenn Miller band performance. The song is largely background to Danny and Sonny talking, and does not appear on the film's soundtrack album, but it does appear as the B-side of her single "Suddenly".
In the 1980 film Somewhere in Time, when Christopher Reeve's character time travels back to the year 1912, he arrives in a hotel room where a woman occupant is (anachronistically) humming the song.
Mayim Bialik performed the song in an episode of Blossom ("Ruby"; Season 3, Episode 14; aired December 21, 1992).
In a Boy Meets World episode ("The Fugitive"; Season 1, Episode 17; aired February 25, 1994), Amy Matthews (Betsy Randle) briefly sings this song while vacuuming her sons' room.
In an episode of the Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats, Tommy Pickles (voiced by E.G. Daily) sang a slightly altered version of the song to his brother, Dil ("Pedal Pusher/Music"; Season 6, Episode 13; aired March 6, 1999).
In an episode of Family Guy, Lois Griffin sings this song in Peter's basement bar ("Mind Over Murder"; Season 1, Episode 4, aired April 25, 1999).
Cookie Monster (Voiced by Frank Oz) performed a slightly re-written version of the song in a Sesame Street insert, writing a love letter to his favorite cookie.
