Written by: Fats Waller, Andy Razaf
Recorded: 28 November; 4 December 1969; 24 February 1970
Producer: George Martin
Engineers: Phil McDonald, Geoff Emerick
Released: 27 March 1970 (UK), 24 April 1970 (US)
Available on:
Sentimental Journey
Personnel
Ringo Starr: vocals
The George Martin Orchestra: instrumentation
‘Blue, Turning Grey Over You’ is the seventh song on Sentimental Journey, Ringo Starr’s debut solo album.
The music was written in 1929 by Fats Waller, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Waller recorded it for Victor Records on 9 June 1937, although it was already a jazz standard. It was recorded in 1930 and 1955 by Louis Armstrong, and at various times by Lee Morse, Harry James, Frankie Laine, Kenny Ball, Billie Holiday and others.
In the studio
Starr recorded a demo of ‘Blue, Turning Grey Over You’ at EMI’s Studio Two on 28 November 1969, to allow arranger Oliver Nelson a chance to write the orchestral score.
It was recorded properly in the same studio on 4 December. The instruments included trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, bass guitar and drums.
The backing track was recorded in nine takes between 9.30am and 1pm. Once completed, Starr overdubbed his lead vocals from 1-2.30pm. The song was then mixed into stereo, with work finishing at 4pm.
Two months later, on 24 February 1970, Starr added a second lead vocal part. ‘Blue Turning Grey Over You’ was then mixed into stereo, replacing the 4 December mix. It took seven attempts to complete the mixing during the final session, with the final master version being an edit of four different mixes.
Lyrics
What will I do at sundown
What will I do at dawn
What will I do at noontime
Now that I’ve found you gone?
What will I do for sunshine
With nothing but the rain?
How can I smile
Find life worthwhile
With a heart that’s filled with pain?
My, how I miss
Your tender kiss
And the wonderful things you would do
I run my hands
Through silvery strands
’Cause I’m blue, turning grey over you
Well, you used to be
So good to me
That’s when I was a novelty
Now you have new thrills in view
Found someone new
Left me blue, turning grey over you
I said, how can I smile
Find life worthwhile
With a heart that’s filled with pain?
You used to be
So good to me
That’s when I was a novelty
Well now you have found some new thrills to view
And some new buddy friends
And I don’t know what to do
Because I’m blue, turning grey over you
Yeah, come on, hit me daddy, hit me
Let me hear it one time!
Oh yeah
Ba-sa-sa-sa-sa-sa-sa-sa-so-so-so-so
Ba-sa-sa-sa-sa-dootsie-dootise-doo
I just lost myself there, child, ha ha ha!
