''Only You'' is

Harry Connick Jr. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and former television host. As of 2019, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 best-selling ma ...

's 17th album from

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

, released in February 2004, consisting of versions of songs from the 1920s to the 1960s. A

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

nominated album, which has made the top ten album charts on both sides of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

and was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

in March 2004, and

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

in July 2004. ''Only You'' debuted at number 5 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling about 140,000 copies in its first week.Todd Martens
"Chesney's 'Sun' Rises To Top The Billboard 200"
Billboard.com, February 11, 2004. It also made the top ten of the UK album charts and the Australian top 40 charts.

Background

The initial idea for the album came from Donnie Ierner, the President of

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

who suggested that Connick produce an album of songs that the

baby boomer Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the demographic cohort preceded by the Silent Generation and followed by Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964 during the mid-20th century baby boom that ...

s grew up with. In May 2003, Harry Connick Jr entered Capitol Studios to make both ''

Harry for the Holidays ''Harry for the Holidays'' is American artist Harry Connick Jr.'s second Christmas album, released in 2003. The album features Connick and his 16 piece Big Band and a full section of chordophones. ''Harry for the Holidays'' was the best-selli ...

'' and ''Only You''. Whilst playing from the piano once used by

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...

, he led his big band through the selection of Christmas songs and 1950s and 1960s. On his website, Harry Connick Jr. explained that he wanted to perform songs with a real history to them. "Part of what I wanted to do on this record, "was to focus on songs that had their second success in the Fifties. "My Prayer" is a great example. I know that most people associate it with

the Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...

, but I knew the

Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American vocal pop group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style predated the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ...

' version from the Thirties as well. That's why I picked things like "My Blue Heaven" and "I Only Have Eyes for You," songs I remember hearing as a kid that have a real history."

Track listing

# " More" ( Riz Ortolani, Nino Oliviero, Norman Newell,

Marcello Ciorciolini Marcello Ciorciolini (16 January 1922 – 5 September 2011) was an Italian screenwriter, director, playwright, television and radio author and lyricist. Life and career Born in Rome, Ciorciolini began his career in 1950 as a radio writer, oft ...

) – 4:12 # " The Very Thought of You" (

Ray Noble Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 3 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United S ...

) – 3:39 # "

Save the Last Dance for Me "Save the Last Dance for Me" is a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, first recorded in 1960 by American musical group the Drifters with Ben E. King on lead vocals. It has since been covered by several artists, including the DeFranco ...

" (

Doc Pomus Jerome Solon Felder (June 27, 1925 – March 14, 1991), known professionally as Doc Pomus, was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-writer of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hal ...

Mort Shuman Mortimer Shuman (12 November 1938 – 2 November 1991) was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including " Viva Las Vegas". He also wrote and sang many songs in French, such as ...

) – 4:50 # " My Blue Heaven" ( Walter Donaldson, George A. Whiting) – 3:16 # " You Don't Know Me" (

Cindy Walker Cindy Walker (July 20, 1917 – March 23, 2006) was an American songwriter, country music singer, and dancer. She wrote many popular and enduring songs recorded by many artists. She adopted a craftsman-like approach to her songwriting, ofte ...

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' country music charts, second onl ...

) – 4:03 # " All These Things" (

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...

) – 4:41 # "

For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965. It was written and first recorded as a slow ballad, in 1965 by Connie Haines, but the ...

" ( Orlando Murden, Ronald Miller) – 3:57 # " Only You" ( Buck Ram, Ande Rand) – 4:44 # "

My Prayer "My Prayer" is a 1939 popular song with music by salon violinist Georges Boulanger and lyrics by Carlos Gomez Barrera and Jimmy Kennedy. It was originally written by Boulanger with the title ''Avant de mourir'' (Before dying) in 1926. Kennedy ad ...

" (

Jimmy Kennedy James Kennedy (20 July 1902 – 6 April 1984) was a British songwriter. He was predominantly a lyricist, putting words to existing music such as "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and "My Prayer" or co-writing with composers like Michael Carr (composer), ...

Georges Boulanger Georges Ernest Jean-Marie Boulanger (29 April 1837 – 30 September 1891), nicknamed Général Revanche ("General Revenge"), was a French general and politician. An enormously popular public figure during the second decade of the Third Repub ...

) – 4:10 # "Other Hours" (

) – 4:01 # "

I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin. The song was written for the 1934 film ''Dames (film), Dames'', in which it was performed by Dick Powell. Several other successful recordings of the song were m ...

" (

Al Dubin Alexander Dubin (June 10, 1891 – February 11, 1945) was an American lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren. Life Al Dubin came from a Russian Jewish family that immigrated to the United States from Sw ...

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

) – 4:13 # "Good Night My Love (Pleasant Dreams)" (

George Motola George Louis Motola (November 15, 1919 – February 15, 1991) was an American record producer, songwriter and sound engineer from the 1950s until his death. Early life and career Motola, whose last name is often misspelled as Mottola, was born in ...

John Marascalco John S. Marascalco (March 27, 1931 – July 5, 2020) was an American songwriter most noted for the songs he wrote for Little Richard. He was born in Grenada, Mississippi and died in Los Angeles, California. Career Marascalco co-wrote several o ...

) – 4:34 *

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

included a 5-track bonus CD with the album. The bonus CD is also available with Japan

import An importer is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. Import is part of the International Trade which involves buying and receivin ...

albums. #"

Try a Little Tenderness "Try a Little Tenderness" is a song written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, and Harry M. Woods. Early versions It was first recorded on December 8, 1932, by the Ray Noble Orchestra, with vocals by Val Rosing. Another version, also recorde ...

" (

Jimmy Campbell and Reg Connelly Jimmy Campbell (born James Alexander Campbell-Tyrie; 5 April 1903–19 August 1967) and Reg Connelly (born Reginald John Connelly; 22 October 1895–23 September 1963) were English songwriters and music publishers. Writing together in ...

, Harry M. Woods) #" Let's Just Kiss" (Harry Connick Jr.) #"Nowhere With Love" (Harry Connick Jr.) #"

Nature Boy "Nature Boy" is a song first recorded by American jazz singer Nat King Cole. It was released on March 29, 1948, as a single by Capitol Records, and later appeared on the 1961 album '' The Nat King Cole Story''. It was written by eden ahbez as ...

" ( Eden Ahbez) #"

Love Is Here to Stay "Love Is Here to Stay" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the movie ''The Goldwyn Follies'' (1938). History "Love Is Here to Stay" was first performed by Kenny Baker in ''The Goldw ...

" (

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the ...

) Notes *Track # 10, "Other Hours" is a Connick original, which he wrote for the 2001 musical '' Thou Shalt Not''. The song is also on his 2003 instrumental album '' Other Hours : Connick on Piano, Volume 1''. *

nomination Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to a public office, or the bestowing of an honor or award. A collection of nominees narrowed from the full list of candidates is a short list. Political office In ...

in 2005 in category Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album *The ''Only You'' tour with the big band, was playing in United States, Canada, Australia and Asia. *

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 600 retail stores across the United States. Barnes & Noble operates mainly through its B ...

included a promotional single, as a Valentine's Day gift, with the purchase of selected albums. The cover of the single had the words "My Heart Sings for You", but the song included was " Only You".

Music DVD

A music DVD ''Only You: In Concert'' was released in March 2004, after it had first aired as a ''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is produced by the PBS member statio ...

'' special on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

. Songs on the DVD (Live video) #"Save The Last Dance For Me" #"For Once in My Life" #"Good Night My Love (Pleasant Dreams)" #"It Might As Well Be Spring" #"

We Are In Love ''We Are in Love'' is an album by American artist Harry Connick Jr., released in 1990. The multi-platinum album features Connick on piano & vocal, Russell Malone on guitar, Shannon Powell on drums, Benjamin Jonah Wolfe on double bass, and Branf ...

" #"The Very Thought Of You" #" You Don't Know Me" #" Bourbon Street Parade" #"There Is Always One More Time" #" Sweet Georgia Brown" #"I Still Get Jealous" #"Other Hours" #" My Blue Heaven" #"

Only You (And You Alone) "Only You (And You Alone)" (often shortened to "Only You") is a doo wop song composed by Buck Ram, the manager of the Platters, the group that made the song famous in the US, the UK and Belgium. The Platters's lead vocals are by Tony Williams. ...

" #"I'm Walkin'" #"Come By Me" Connick won an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

for "Outstanding Music Direction" in the "Great Performances" category in September 2004, and received a Gold & Platinum "Music Video – Long Form" Award from the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

for his ''Only You: In Concert'' DVD, in November 2005.

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

Great Performances, ''Harry Connick Jr.: Only You'', PBS
including videoclips
''Only You'', including mediasamples, at harryconnickjr.com
{{Authority control 2004 albums Harry Connick Jr. albums Harry Connick Jr. video albums 2004 live albums 2000s live video albums 2004 video albums