You Don't Know Me

Album: Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music (1962)
Charted: 9 2
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Songfacts®:

  • Texas songwriter Cindy Walker wrote this with Eddy Arnold, who recorded it in 1956. Walker and Arnold were very successful Country songwriters.
  • This became a hit when Charles recorded it. It was the second hit from the album, after "I Can't Stop Loving You."
  • Jerry Vale recorded this in 1956 and hit #14 in the US with his version. The B-side was "Born to Lose," a song originally recorded by Ted Daffan's Texans in 1943. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 3
  • Mickey Gilley recorded this in 1981. His version did very well on the Country charts.
  • The 2007 X Factor winner Leon Jackson covered this for his debut album Right Now. He explained to the Daily Record October 10, 2008: "This was the song that changed my fortunes on The X Factor. I think this is the song that made me. On the show it was the night Simon Cowell sat up and took notice of me. I'm glad I've now got the chance to make this album and show people why I won X Factor."
  • This was the very first song that the winner of the fifth season of America's Got Talent, Michael Grimm, performed for the judges on audition day. He subsequently recorded a cover for his major label debut album.

Comments: 20

  • Eric from Hershey PaThe Jann Arden version in the 1997 film, My Best Friend's Wedding was very good. It got me remembering the Ray Charles version. I went out and bought a 45 of his for my jukebox.
  • Frank from RiHard to beat Michael Grimm’s version of this song
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 1st 1960, Lenny Welch began a week's engagement at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in New York City...
    At the time his covered version of "You Don't Know Me" was at #79 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; just over a month later on May 9th, 1960 it would peak at #45 {See the next post below}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 26th 1960, Lenny Welch performed his debut charted record, "You Don't Know Me", on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    Three days later on February 29th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #95; and ten weeks later on May 9th it peaked at #45 {for 1 week} and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
    Between 1960 and 1972 he had nine Top 100 records; with one reaching the Top 10, "Since I Fell for You" at #4 for 2 weeks on December 22nd, 1963...
    Mr. Welch will celebrate his 77th birthday in three months on May 15th {2015}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 22nd 1962, "You Don't Know Me" by Ray Charles entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #56; and on September 2nd, 1962 it peaked at #2 (for 1 week) and spent 11 weeks on the Top 100...
    And on August 19th, 1962 it reached #1 (for 3 weeks) on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
    The record's B-side, "Careless Love", also made the Top 100, it peaked at #60 and stayed on the chart for 4 weeks...
    The original version of the song by Eddy Arnold peaked at #10 in 1956 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart...
    Elvis' version reached #44 in 1967 on the Top 100, it was the record's B-side, and the A-side, "Big Boss Man", peaked at #38...
    In 1981 Mickey Gilley's covered version reached #1 (for 1 week) on September 13th on the Country Singles chart (#55 on the Top 100)...
    The week that Mr. Charles' version was at #2 on the Top 100, the #1 record was "Sheila" by Tommy Roe.
  • Jake from Birmingham, Alcarly, you are right about carole bayer sager but it's another song by the same name, written in 1981 with Burt Bacharach. The Ray Charles, Elvis, Rick Manuel versions are the Eddy Arnold / Cindy Walker 1956 song.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyThis song was Jerry Vale's highest charted record, he had nine Top 100 records!!! {He was born Gennaro Luigi Vitaliano on 07-08-1932 in The Bronx, NY}
  • Babs from Baltimore, MdPeter Cincotti also recorded this song beautifully on his album entitled "On The Moon".
  • Christy from Morristown, TnRichard Manuel sung his heart out on this one and he was so good at laying it out for all to hear! This song is my song because it is about knowing and loving someome who only considers you to be a friend and they do not know about your feelings for them. Each and every time I hear Richard sing it, my heart breaks!
  • Brent from Cow Hollow, BrazilThe best version I know is, by far, sung by the late RICHARD MANUEL in the early 80s when THE BAND reformed and toured without Robertson. There is a video in YouTube. Stupefying, really.
  • Carol from Hampshire, EnglandLin Duffy an unsigned Singer/Songwriter has very recently won D & M Music's "Talent Search" contest with her entry of an orginal arrangement of 'You Don't Know Me'.
    Check it out it nice to hear a fresh new version of this song.

    http://www.stardiskco.com/horizons.html
    http://www.linduffy.com/


  • Sara from Silver Spring, MdOh and Elvis recorded this too, thank you very much!
  • Sara from Silver Spring, MdThe Bacharach-Sager version is a different tune
    (what is it with all the popups on this site!)
    Kenny Loggins recorded this on his debut album perhaps because he was an Elvis fan. And Loggins' close friend and sometimes rival Mike McDonald now sings it in his concerts!
  • Larry from Ajax On, CanadaBill Murray and Andy McDowell danced to this beautiful song in the gazebo in a memorable scene from Groundhog Day. The unbearably sad lyric unfolds with an economy of words, giving it great power. Ray Charles' yearning vocal of the song's beautiful melody makes this arrangement a classic.
  • Sean from Philadelphia, PaThe anthem of unrequited love, without a doubt. No other song I know of sums it up as well. Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" is close, but it has a much more hopeful tone. Forget about how it's been recorded - this is straight blues. Charles' inflections range from downtrodden to loudly aching, and everyone that's experienced the tale he's laying out aches right along with him. An amazing, heartbreaking song.
  • Alan from Maidstone Kent Uk, EnglandSeems to sum up the aching heart of un-requited love, which we all at some time feel. Oh! the agony of youth. I was lucky, I met my girl when she was sixteen and I was seventeen. Though we had the usual row as youngsters do, and split up for little while, I never had another. She died two years ago after 63 years of marraige.
  • Carly from Bluffdale, Utthis is actually written by Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach.
  • Kicia from Nyc, United Statesthis song is now sung by Michael Buble you can find it on his album "It's Time" very beautiful version
  • Nicole from Apple Valley, MnDiana Krall sings with Ray Charles in version of this song on "Genuis Loves Company" (2004).
  • Randy from Beaumont, Tx"Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" was a huge gamble for Nashville... a black blues singer doing country music?? They all thought it was gonna bomb, instead opened the door for all "crossovers" to come
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