Since I Don't Have You
1958 song by the Skyliners
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Since I Don't Have You" is a song written and composed by Jackie Taylor, James Beaumont, Janet Vogel, Joseph Rock, Joe Verscharen, Lennie Martin, and Wally Lester. It was first a 1958 hit single for the doo-wop group the Skyliners on the US Billboard Hot 100. Country music singer Ronnie Milsap had a hit with the song in 1991. American hard rock band Guns N' Roses also had some success in 1994 with their version of the song which reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
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| "Since I Don't Have You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
One of pressings of the US single | ||||
| Single by the Skyliners | ||||
| B-side | "One Night, One Night" | |||
| Released | December 1958 | |||
| Recorded | 1958 | |||
| Genre | Doo-wop | |||
| Length | 2:40 | |||
| Label | Calico | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Joseph Rock | |||
| The Skyliners singles chronology | ||||
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The Skyliners version
Background
Taken from their self-titled album and released in late 1958, the single reached number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number seven on the Cash Box Top 100.[1] It was also a top five hit on the 1959 R&B chart.
Charts
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Don McLean version
| "Since I Don't Have You" | ||||
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| Single by Don McLean | ||||
| from the album Chain Lightning | ||||
| B-side | "Your Cheatin' Heart" | |||
| Released | April 1981 | |||
| Genre | Easy listening | |||
| Length | 2:32 | |||
| Label | Millennium | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Larry Butler | |||
| Don McLean singles chronology | ||||
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Don McLean's 1981 rendition reached number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart.[5] In Canada, it peaked at number two on its AC chart.[6]
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 45 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[7] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 23 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 6 |
| US Country (Billboard) | 68 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 28 |
Ronnie Milsap version
| "Since I Don't Have You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Ronnie Milsap | ||||
| from the album Back to the Grindstone | ||||
| B-side | "I Ain't Gonna Cry No More" | |||
| Released | July 13, 1991 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Ronnie Milsap singles chronology | ||||
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Background
Country music artist Ronnie Milsap's version was a number six hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1991.[9] The single was taken from his album Back to the Grindstone, released on RCA Nashville. It was produced by Milsap, Rob Galbraith, and Richard Landis.
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Guns N' Roses version
| "Since I Don't Have You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard artwork (commercial US/UK cassette single pictured) | ||||
| Single by Guns N' Roses | ||||
| from the album "The Spaghetti Incident?" | ||||
| B-side | "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" (LP version) | |||
| Released | February 1994 | |||
| Length | 4:20 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Producer | Guns N' Roses | |||
| Guns N' Roses singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Since I Don't Have You" on YouTube | ||||
Background
The song was covered by rock band Guns N' Roses for their fifth studio album, "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993), and was released as the album's second single. It was released in early 1994, reaching No. 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and entering the top 10 in the UK. The music video features actor Gary Oldman – then a popular casting choice for Hollywood villains[15] – as a smiling demon who is constantly mocking singer Axl Rose. The video was the last to feature original members Duff McKagan and Slash as well as drummer Matt Sorum and rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke.
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Here to compete with the successful "Estranged" (taken from the Use Your Illusion opus) is this swaying cover of the Skyliners' pop classic. Guns N' Roses, with its own inimitable slash'n'burn delivery, leaves its marks all over it. All would be fine if only Axl could just once refrain from launching his voice into earsplitting, upper-octave shrilling. But hey, that's what makes 'em Guns N' Roses, right?"[16]
Personnel
- W. Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards
- Slash – lead guitar
- Duff McKagan – bass
- Matt Sorum – drums
- Dizzy Reed – piano
- Gilby Clarke – acoustic guitar
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1993–1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[17] | 47 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18] | 20 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[19] | 35 |
| Europe (European Hit Radio)[20] | 23 |
| France (SNEP)[21] | 28 |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[22] | 1 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[23] | 16 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[24] | 48 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[25] | 26 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[26] | 40 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[27] | 10 |
| UK Airplay (Music Week)[28] | 11 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[29] | 69 |
Year-end charts
Release history
Other notable versions
- In 1964, Chuck Jackson went to No. 47 on the Hot 100 with his recording.[36]
- Lou Christie reached No. 71 in Canada with his version, December 12, 1966.[37]
- Jay and the Americans remade "Since I Don't Have You" for their April 1969 Sands of Time album release,[38] their rendition serving as B-side for their Top Ten single "This Magic Moment" released November 1968.[39]
- The Vogues remade "Since I Don't Have You" for their 1968 album release Memories: the track would also be included on the 1970 album release The Vogues Sing the Good Old Songs and Other Hits from which it was issued as a fourth single in December 1970 to reach #8 on the Billboard Easy Listening hit ranking, marking the Vogues last Top Ten appearance on a national chart.[40]
- Patti LaBelle recorded an R&B/gospel-tinged version on her solo debut album, Patti LaBelle (1977), after leaving the group LaBelle.
- The 1978 Alan Freed biopic American Hot Wax contains a brief fictionalized account of the song's origin, performed by Laraine Newman.
- Art Garfunkel reached No. 38 on the UK singles chart in July 1979 with his cover, while peaking at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the adult contemporary chart in the US.[41]
- Dorothy Moore's 1979 Definitely Dorothy album release included the medley "Since I Don't Have You"/"Since I Fell for You".[42]
- Peter Weller sang the first part of the song to his future love interest in the movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984).
- Barbra Streisand recorded a version of the song for her 1974 album ButterFly.
- Taiwanese singer Fong Fei-fei recorded the Chinese version of the song in 1982.
- In 1965, The British rock group Manfred Mann recorded the song and was placed on their 2nd studio album Mann Made.
- In 2018 Joe Hawley of Tally Hall recorded the song as a single for his YouTube and Bandcamp pages
- it also made an appearance in the 1973 movie American Graffiti.