I have decided to embark on a series based on the Dusty Sprinfield song ‘Wishin’ and Hopin’ which contains series of actions which might provide some fruitful topics for our researches. The opening lines of the song are ‘Wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’ , plannin’ and dreamin’…’ . Ignoring the lamentable contractions of the words, here are the subjects of our next few posts.
Wishin’ and Hopin’” is a song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, which was a Top 10 hit for Dusty Springfield in 1964. In February 1964, Springfield met with Burt Bacharach in New York City to listen to other songs to consider recording. Bacharach recalls at that time: “I [think] I tried to talk her into releasing ‘Wishin’ and Hopin” [as a single] because she had some ambivalence about it.” A New York disc jockey, Jack Lacy, began to play “Wishin’ and Hopin'” following some encouragement from David and Bacharach, and Philips’ US label issued it as a single in May 1964; “Wishin’ and Hopin'” broke nationally that June entering the Top Ten in July to peak at #6 on the Billboard and #4 Easy Listening, #4 in Cashbox. It also got to #1 on The American Bandstand top ten in July 1964.
“When You Wish Upon a Star” is a song written by Leigh Harline music, and Ned Washington lyrics for Walt Disney’s 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. The original version was sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, and is heard over the opening credits and in the final scene of the film. The song has since become the representative song of The Walt Disney Company and used as such in the production logos at the beginning of many Disney films. It won the 1940 Academy Award for Best Original Song thus becoming the first Disney song to win an Oscar.
“I Wish It Would Rain” is a 1967 song recorded by the Temptations for the Motown label and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song is one of the most melancholy in the Temptations repertoire, with lead singer David Ruffin delivering, in a pained voice, the story of a heartbroken man who wants to hide his sorrow. His woman has just left him, and he wishes that it would start raining, to hide the tears falling down his face because “a man ain’t supposed to cry”. “I Wish It Would Rain” peaked for three weeks in February and March 1968 at No. 4 on the Billboard pop singles chart and at the No. 1 on the R&B singles chart.
“Wishing Well” is a song by the English band Free. It was written by the entire group about their close friend Bevan T. Woodhouse. It was released in December 1972 as a single, reaching No. 7 in the UK. The single was re-released in 1985 and reached No. 96 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is featured on the band’s sixth and final studio album, Heartbreaker. It was their final hit single before the group disbanded in 1973, with Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke going on to form Bad Company.
“Wish You Were Here” is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. It was released as the title track of their 1975 album Wish You Were Here. David Gilmour and Roger Waters collaborated to write the music, and Gilmour sang the lead vocal. In 2021, the song was ranked No. 302 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest 500 Songs of All Time. The song is popular on Classic Rock radio stations. For example, it was voted the #20 best song of all time by listeners of NYC’s Q104.3 in 2020.
“I Wish” is a song by American singer Steve Wonder. It was released in late 1976 as the lead single from his eighteenth album Songs in the Key of Life. Written and produced by Wonder, the song focuses on his childhood from the 1950s into the early 1960s about how he wished he could go back and relive it. The single hit number one on the Billboard and soul singles chart. At the 19th Grammy Awards, Stevie Wonder won the Best R&B Vocal Performance for this song.
“Wishing on a Star” is a slow ballad written by former Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitford. It was first recorded as a single by Rose Royce in 1977 and has since been recorded by a numerous other artists, including Seal, Jay-Z and Beyonce. The lyrics concern a woman longing for the return of an ex-lover so that they can resume their relationship. The original version of “Wishing on a Star” peaked at number 52 on the Billboard.
