| 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.
The song's life began in 1962 when Bacharach and David were songwriters at the New York songwriting factory the Brill Building.[2]
"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 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.
| Chart (1964) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart[3] | 16 | |
| Dutch Singles Chart[4] | 5 | |
| New Zealand Charts[5] | 3 | |
| UK Singles Chart[6] | 3 |
| 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: |
|
| 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.
A: "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" – 2:50
B: "In Between the Heartaches" – 2:50
Notes
| 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 |
| 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).
7-inch Single (ZS-153)
| 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]
UK CD single[19]
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]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 September 2003 | XL | [22] | ||
| United States | 19 January 2004 | Active rock radio | V2 | [23] |