Secret Love

Album: Greatest Hits (1953)
Charted: 1 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This was used in the film Calamity Jane, in which Doris Day played the title lead opposite the late Howard Keel. It won the 1953 Academy Award winner for Best Song.
  • Doris Day recorded this in less than 15 minutes. The liner notes from her A Day at the Movies compilation tell how she rode her bicycle to the studio, did one take (that was with the full live orchestra in those days) and the musical director was "grinning from ear to ear." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Dill - Alexandria, VA

Comments: 10

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1954 {February 11th} Slim Whitman's covered version of "Secret Love" peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's 'Most-Played Country and Western Records By Jockeys' chart, the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Slowly" by Webb Pierce...
    The remainder of the Most-Played Records' Top 10 on February 11th, 1954:
    At #3. "I Really Don't Want To Know" by Eddy Arnold
    #4. "I Love You" by Jim Reeves and Ginny Wright
    #5. "Let Me Be The One" by Hank Locklin
    #6. "Bimbo" by Jim Reeves
    #7. "You Better Not Do That" by Tommy Collins
    #8. "Changing Partners" by Webb Pierce
    #8. "There Stands The Glass" by Webb Pierce
    #10. "Wake Up, Irene" by Hank Thompson
    Between 1949 and 1981 the Tampa, Florida native had thirty nine charted records, eleven made the Top 10 with his two biggest hits both peaking at #2, the above "Secret Love" and "Indian Love Call" in October of 1952 ...
    Slim Whitman, born Otis Dewey Whitman Jr., passed away at the age of 90 on June 19th, 2013...
    May he R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyDoris Day, born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, passed away at the age of 97 on May 13th, 2019 in Carmel Valley, California...
    She had five #1 records; "Sentimental Journey", with Les Brown, {for 9 weeks in 1945}, "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time", with Les Brown, {for 7 weeks in 1945}, "Love Somebody", with Buddy Clark, {for 5 weeks in 1948}, "A Guy Is A Guy" {for 1 week in 1952}, and "Secret Love" {for 4 weeks in 1954}...
    And just missed having three more #1 records when her "It's Magic" {1948}, "Again" {1949}, and "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" {1956} all peaked at position #2...
    Ms. Day was referred to in two #1 records on Billboard's Top 100 chart, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! {1984} and "We Didn't Start The Fire " by Billy Joel {1989}...
    And her name was also mentioned in four uncharted records, "La De Da" by Ringo Starr {1999}, 'Dig It" by the Beatles {1970}, "Dirty Epic" by Underworld {1994}, and "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" from the musical 'Grease' {1978}...
    May she R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 29, 1966, Billy Stewart performed his covered version of "Secret Love" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
    At the time the song was at #49 on Billboard's Top 100 chart {see next post below}...
    Between 1962 and 1969 Mr. Stewart had twelve records on the Top 100 chart, one made the Top 10, "Summertime", it peaked right at #10 {for 2 weeks} on August 21st, 1966.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 9th 1966, "Secret Love" by Billy Stewart entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #73; and five weeks later on November 13th, 1966 it peaked at #29 {for 2 weeks} and spent 8 weeks on the Top 100...
    It reached #11 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    The record that preceded it on the Top 100 was his biggest hit, "Summertime", it peaked at #10 and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks {reached #7 on the R&B Singles chart}…
    Sadly, Mr. Stewart passed away on January 17th, 1970 at the young age of 32 {auto accident}...
    May he R.I.P.
  • Dill from Alexandria, VaThe movie lipsynch really looks like the director was looking at his watch the whole time, shot it about as fast as they could. Should have been set at sunset or at night, with western scenery, not in some dumpy canyon around the corner from the studio.
  • Mark from Dublin, Irelandcliff richards version in the sixties the best by far
  • Mark from Lancaster, OhThe other side of the single is (spelled somewhat phonetically) "Whip Crackaway," also from _Calamity Jane_. It's as perky as Ms Day herself.
  • Ekristheh from Halath, United StatesLesbians at the time had their own take on this pleasant song. The documentary "The Celluloid Closet" reveals that there were several such songs at the time, with slightly ambiguous lyrics that could be interpreted as an encouraging message for gays.
  • Clarke from Pittsburgh, PaDoris Day is riding a horse in the movie as the song ends. You can hear the "clip-clop" rhythm in the middle of the song, as well as the end.
  • Dill from Alexandria, VaThe liner notes on "A Day at the Movies," say that Doris Day rode her bicycle to the studio, got up to the microphone backed with the live orchestra as they did then, and sang this song one time. The musical director was "grinning from ear to ear." You have to listen to the vocals. None of the famous singers of today could put together that delivery with a hundred digital edits. This is really an astounding recording.
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