Ted Weems and His Orchestra - Heartaches (1938)

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Whistling by Elmo Tanner. Ted Weems first recorded this song in 1933 for Victor records. This version was recorded in 1938 for the Decca label, and a reissue of the recording charted at #1 in 1947. How did this happen? According to Billboard articles from the time, in late 1946, Decca records was cleaning out one of their distribution offices and found 600 or 700 copies of an old pressing of Weems' "Heartaches". Instead of throwing them out, they decided to send them to disk jockeys instead. One jockey, Kurt Webster, played it and the response was tremendous, with phone callers requesting to hear it again and again. Other jockeys started playing it, and Decca pressed new copies of the 1938 disk. Victor records, which also had their own Weems recording of the song (recorded in 1933) decided to re-release their version as well. Thus, one of the biggest hits of 1947 was created. Some listeners will recall a doo-wop remake of "Heartaches" which charted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the Marcels in 1961.

Written by Al Hoffman & John Klenner.

B-side of the Decca single is "Oh! Monah".