Love Letters – Ketty Lester

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Love Letters” is a 1945 popular song with lyrics by Edward Heyman and music by Victor Young. The song appeared, without lyrics, in the movie of the same name performed by Dick Haymes, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1945 but lost out to “It Might as Well Be Spring”.

Ketty Lester version

“Love Letters”
Single by Ketty Lester
B-side I’m a Fool to Want You
Released 1962
Genre Pop
Label Era
Songwriter(s)
Ketty Lester singles chronology
Queen For A Day
(1962)
Love Letters
(1962)
But Not For Me
(1962)

In 1961, Era Records released Ketty Lester’s single “I’m a Fool to Want You” b/w “Love Letters”. Radio listeners and disc jockeys preferred the B-side, and Lester’s recording of “Love Letters”, which featured Lincoln Mayorga‘s sparse piano arrangement and Earl Palmer on drums, rose to no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 early in 1962.

The record also reached no. 2 on the R&B chart and no. 4 in the UK Singles Chart, selling over 1 million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. In 1991, it was ranked 176th in the RIAA-compiled list of Songs of the Century.

Charts

Chart (1962) Peak
position
Australia Kent Music Report 10 
Ireland IRMA
New Zealand RIANZ
UK Singles Chart
USA Billboard Hot 100
USA Hot R&B

Alison Moyet version

“Love Letters”
Alison Moyet Love Letters 1987 single cover.jpg
Single by Alison Moyet
B-side This House
Released 1987
Length 2:50
Label CBS
Songwriter(s) Edward Heyman
Victor Young
Producer(s) Alison Moyet
Steve Brown
Alison Moyet singles chronology
Sleep Like Breathing
(1987)
Love Letters
(1987)
It Won’t Be Long
(1991)

In 1987, Alison Moyet released her own version of the song as a non-album single. It reached no. 4 in the UK and remained in the charts for twelve weeks.

Alison Moyet – Love Letters (Performance Version)

A music video was filmed to promote the single and featured Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Speaking to The Quietus in 2013, Moyet revealed she recorded “Love Letters” as she knew it would be a hit: “Love Letters” and “Weak in the Presence of Beauty” – neither song I enjoy now – they’re both my fault. I found them. That was when I was feeling smart, thinking that I knew what a hit was.” She also told the BBC in 2004: “After my versions of “Love Letters” and “That Ole Devil Called Love” did well, there was definite pressure for me to become some sort of jazz diva.”

Upon release, Music & Media described Moyet’s version as “moody” and “sparsely-backed”. Zodiac Mindwarp, as guest reviewer for Smash Hits, felt the song was “very well done” but reminiscent of Simply Red.

Charts

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Belgian Singles Chart (V) 24
Dutch Singles Chart 40
Ireland IRMA 6
New Zealand RIANZ 39
South African Charts 11
UK Singles Chart 4

Covers

Nat King Cole

NAT KING COLE – LOVE LETTERS 1957
Dick Haymes – Love Letters (1945)
Love Letters Straight from Your Heart

Elvis Presley

Love Letters – Elvis Presley

Elton John and Bonnie Raitt

Love Letters – Elton John & Bonnie Raitt

Diana Krall

Love Letters
Love Letters
Love Letters (Julie London album) cover.jpg
Studio album by Julie London
Released 1962
Genre Traditional pop
Label Liberty
Producer Snuff Garrett
Julie London chronology
Sophisticated Lady
(1962)
Love Letters
(1962)
Love on the Rocks
(1963)

Love Letters is an LP album by Julie London, released by Liberty Records under catalog number LRP-3231 as a monophonic recording and catalog number LST-7231 in stereo in 1962.

~ LOVE LETTERS ~
Love Letters
Loveletters1.jpg

Promotional poster
Directed by William Dieterle
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Written by Ayn Rand
Starring Jennifer Jones
Joseph Cotten
Ann Richards
Cecil Kellaway
Gladys Cooper
Anita Louise
Music by Victor Young
Cinematography Lee Garmes
Edited by Anne Bauchens
Production
company
Hal Wallis Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date

October 26, 1945

Running time
101 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Love Letters is a 1945 American film noir. The screenplay was adapted by Ayn Rand from the novel Pity My Simplicity by Christopher Massie. It was directed by William Dieterle and stars Jennifer JonesJoseph CottenAnn RichardsCecil KellawayGladys Cooper and Anita Louise. The plot tells the story of a man falling in love with an amnesiac woman with two personalities who is supposed to have killed his soldier friend.

The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including a Best Actress in a Leading Role for Jones.

Reception

Although critical reviews were mostly negative, Love Letters succeeded at the box office. New York Times reviewer Bosley Crowther berated it as “sentimental twaddle”, calling Jones’ performance “fatuous”, Rand’s writing “a mucky muddle”, and Dieterle’s direction “mushy and pretentious”.

Accolades

The film was nominated in several categories at the 18th Academy Awards:

In 2002, the American Film Institute nominated this film for AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions.

Watch the movie “Love Letters

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