I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself explained

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
Cover:Just dont know what to do dusty springfield UK vinyl solid centre.png
Caption:Solid centre variant of the UK single
Type:single
Artist:Dusty Springfield
Album:Dusty
B-Side:My Colouring Book
Released:June 1964
Genre:
Length:3:01
Label:Philips
Producer:Johnny Franz
Prev Title:All Cried Out
Prev Year:1964
Next Title:Guess Who
Next Year:1964

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David.

Composition

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

"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

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

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

Dionne Warwick version

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
Type:single
Artist:Dionne Warwick
Album:Here Where There Is Love
B-Side:In Between the Heartaches
Released:1966
Recorded:1966
Studio:Bell Sound (New York City)
Genre:
Length:2:50
Label:Scepter
Producer:
  • Burt Bacharach
  • Hal David
Prev Title:Trains and Boats and Planes
Prev Year:1966
Next Title:The Beginning of Loneliness
Next Title2:Another Night
Next Year: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.

Track listing

A: "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" – 2:50

B: "In Between the Heartaches" – 2:50

Notes

Charts

Chart (1966)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 36
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 26
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[10] 20
US Cashbox Top 100[11] 24

Marcia Hines version

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
Type:single
Artist:Marcia Hines
Album:Shining
B-Side:Trilogy
Released:1976
Genre:
Length:3:08
Label:Wizard Records
Producer:Robie Porter
Prev Title:From the Inside
Prev Year:1975
Next Title:"Don't Let the Grass Grow
Next Title2:You Gotta Let Go"
Next Year: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

7-inch Single (ZS-153)

See also

The White Stripes version

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
Cover:The White Stripes – I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself.jpg
Type:single
Artist:the White Stripes
Album:Elephant
B-Side:Who's to Say...
Recorded:7–13 November 2001[14] [15]
Studio:Maida Vale Studios
Genre:Punk rock[16]
Length:2:46
Label:V2, XL
Producer:Jack White
Prev Title:Seven Nation Army
Prev Year:2003
Next Title:The Hardest Button to Button
Next Year:2003

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.[17] [18]

Track listings

UK CD single[19]

  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[20]

A. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"

B. "Who's to Say..."

UK DVD single[21]

  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)

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United Kingdom1 September 2003XL[22]
United States19 January 2004Active rock radioV2[23]

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Reece, Craig. Robert . Dimery . 2015 . 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. Dusty Springfield - "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself. Universe. New York. 142.
  2. Web site: The Life of a Song: 'I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself'. David. Cheal. 20 March 2015. Ft.com. 7 June 2021.
  3. Web site: Chart Positions Pre 1989 – Dusty Springfield. Ryan (bulion). Gary. Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). 15 June 2008. 3 July 2012 .
  4. Web site: dutchcharts.nl - Discografie Dusty Springfield. © 2006-2011 Hung Medien. 19 November 2011.
  5. http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qartistid=37#n_view_location Dusty Springfield - Flavour of New Zealand
  6. https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/ Dusty Springfield - UK Charts History
  7. https://www.discogs.com/Dionne-Warwick-I-Just-Dont-Know-What-To-Do-With-Myself-In-Between-The-Heartaches/release/1774460 "I Just Don't Know"/"In Between the Heartaches" (7" Vinyl, Single)
  8. RPM Archives. Dionne Warwick's Canada Singles History.
  9. http://www.billboard.com/artist/300972/dionne-warwick/chart Billboard Chart History
  10. http://www.billboard.com/artist/300972/dionne-warwick/chart?f=367 Billboard Chart History
  11. Web site: Cash Box Top Singles. Cashboxmagazine.com. 7 June 2021.
  12. Web site: Australian Chart Books. https://archive.today/20160305064644/http://www.austchartbook.com.au/. dead. 5 March 2016. Australianchartbooks.com.au. 7 June 2021.
  13. Web site: National Top 100 Singles for 1976. . 131 . . December 27, 1976 . January 11, 2022 .
  14. Elephant UHQR . Blackwell . Ben . 2023 . booklet . Third Man Records.
  15. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp70Al3OT-u/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng%3D%3D |user=The White Stripes |postid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng%3D%3D |date=18 March 2023
  16. Book: Reece, Craig. Robert . Dimery . 2015 . 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. Dusty Springfield - "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself. Universe. New York. 142.
  17. Web site: The Coppola Smart Mob. The New York Times. 19 December 2017. Lynn Hirschberg. 31 August 2003.
  18. Web site: Sofia Coppola and Stephen Dorff. Interview. 19 December 2017. Sofia Coppola and Stephen Dorff. 19 November 2010.
  19. I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself. The White Stripes. 2003. UK CD single liner notes. XL Recordings. XLS 166 CD.
  20. I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself. The White Stripes. 2003. UK 7-inch single sleeve. XL Recordings. XLS 166.
  21. I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself. The White Stripes. 2003. UK DVD single liner notes. XL Recordings. XLS 166 DVD.
  22. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 23. 30 August 2003. 8 September 2021.
  23. Going for Adds. Radio & Records. 1538. 24. 16 January 2004. 8 September 2021.