You Were on My Mind
Encyclopedia
"You Were On My Mind" is a song written by Sylvia Tyson
in 1964. It was originally performed by her and Ian Tyson
as the duo Ian & Sylvia and they recorded it for their 1964 album, Northern Journey. It was published in sheet form by M. Witmark & Sons
of New York City
in 1965.
The song was covered
in an up-tempo version, with slightly altered lyrics and melody, the following year by the California pop quintet We Five
. Their recording reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in September 1965 and topped the Billboard easy listening chart for five weeks. The performance by We Five is noteworthy for the gradual buildup in intensity, starting off somewhat flowing and gentle, increasing in intensity in the third stanza and remaining so through the fourth stanza. The fifth and final stanza starts off gently and concludes very intensely, ending with a series of guitar chords.
Other notable recordings include versions by:
Sylvia Tyson
Sylvia Tyson, CM , is a musician, performer, singer-songwriter and broadcaster. From 1959 to 1974, she was half of the popular folk duo Ian & Sylvia with Ian Tyson....
in 1964. It was originally performed by her and Ian Tyson
Ian Tyson
Ian Tyson CM, AOE is a Canadian singer-songwriter, best known for his song "Four Strong Winds". He was also one half of the duo Ian & Sylvia.-Career:Tyson was born to British immigrants in Victoria in 1933, and grew up in Duncan B.C...
as the duo Ian & Sylvia and they recorded it for their 1964 album, Northern Journey. It was published in sheet form by M. Witmark & Sons
M. Witmark & Sons
M. Witmark & Sons was a leading publisher of sheet music for the United States "Tin Pan Alley" music industry.The firm of Marcus Witmark & Sons was established in New York City in 1886...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1965.
The song was covered
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...
in an up-tempo version, with slightly altered lyrics and melody, the following year by the California pop quintet We Five
We Five
We Five was a 1960s folk rock musical group based in San Francisco, California. Their best-known hit was their 1965 remake of Ian and Sylvia's "You Were on My Mind", which reached #1 on the Cashbox chart, #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart...
. Their recording reached #3 on 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...
chart in September 1965 and topped the Billboard easy listening chart for five weeks. The performance by We Five is noteworthy for the gradual buildup in intensity, starting off somewhat flowing and gentle, increasing in intensity in the third stanza and remaining so through the fourth stanza. The fifth and final stanza starts off gently and concludes very intensely, ending with a series of guitar chords.
Other notable recordings include versions by:
- Barry McGuireBarry McGuireBarry McGuire is an American singer-songwriter best known for the hit song "Eve of Destruction", and later as a pioneering singer and songwriter of Contemporary Christian Music.-Early life:...
covered the song on his 1965 album, Eve of Destruction: his version was a hit in Italy (#19) in 1966 - Also in 1966 Equipe 84Equipe 84Equipe 84 were an Italian Beat band formed in 1964 in Modena. The name translates as Team 84, and it was originally suggested by a friend of the band, Pier Parri...
had a #2 hit in Italy with the rendering "Io ho in mente te" besting a rival version by Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"... - Joe DassinJoe DassinJoseph Ira Dassin , more commonly known as Joe Dassin, was an American singer-songwriter best known for his French songs of the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
recorded a French language version, called "Ça M'avance À Quoi" on his 1966 album A New York - Crispian St. PetersCrispian St. PetersCrispian St. Peters was an English pop singer-songwriter, best known for his work in the 1960s, particularly his 1966 hits, "The Pied Piper" and "You Were on My Mind."-Early career:...
, who had a number two hit with it in 1966 in the United Kingdom. The song was released in the United States in 1967 and went to #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. - Jay and the AmericansJay and the AmericansJay and the Americans was a pop music group popular in the 1960s. Their initial lineup consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane , Kenny Vance and Sandy Deanne , though their greatest success on the charts came after Traynor had been replaced as lead singer by Jay Black.-Early years:They were...
released a cover version on their 1970 album, Wax Museum, Vol. 1Wax Museum, Vol. 1Wax Museum, Vol. 1 is the eighth studio album by Jay and the Americans released on February 28, 1970. The album went to #105 on The Billboard 200. It reached #68 on the Cashbox charts...
. - Ivan Cattaneo remade "Io ho in mente te" for his 1983 album Bandiera Gialla
- Nanci GriffithNanci GriffithNanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
included the song in her album of covers Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)Other Voices, Too is a 1998 album by Nanci Griffith. Following on from the Grammy Award winning album Other Voices, Other Rooms, Other Voices, Too is a second album of cover songs penned by a wide variety of singer/songwriters...
in 1998 - Les FradkinLes FradkinLes Fradkin is a guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known for being a member of the original cast of the hit Broadway show Beatlemania...
covered it on his 2006 album Jangleholic - Susanna HoffsSusanna HoffsSusanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...