Jo Stafford 'You Belong to Me' Tribute

Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917 July 16, 2008) was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s. Stafford was greatly admired for the purity of her voice and was considered one of the most versatile vocalists of the era. She was also viewed as a pioneer of modern musical parody, having won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1961 (with husband Paul Weston) for their album Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris. She was also the first female to have a No 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
Stafford was born in Coalinga, California to Grover Cleveland Stafford and Anna York Stafford, a distant cousin of Sergeant Alvin York. Originally, she wanted to become an opera singer and studied voice as a child. However, because of the economic Great Depression, she abandoned that idea and joined her sisters Christine and Pauline in a popular vocal group, "The Stafford Sisters", which performed on Los Angeles radio station KHJ.

In 1937 she worked behind the scenes with Fred Astaire on the soundtrack of A Damsel in Distress and created the arrangement and, with her sisters, the backing vocals for "Nice Work If You Can Get It". She claimed that her arrangement had to be adapted as Astaire had difficulty with some of the syncopation, in her words: "The man with the syncopated shoes couldn't do the syncopated notes".




See the pyramids along the Nile
And watch the sunrise on a tropic isle
But just remember darling all the while
You belong to me

See the marketplace in old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Just remember when a dream appears
You belong to me

I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too
And blue

Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it's wet with rain
Just remember till you're home again
You belong to me

I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too
And blue

Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it's wet with rain
But remember darling till you're home again
That you belong to me

The original version of the song was recorded by Sue Thompson on Mercury's country label. It was soon covered by Patti Page, whose version was issued by Mercury as catalog number 5899, with "I Went to Your Wedding" (a bigger Patti Page hit, reaching #1) on the flip side. It entered the Billboard chart on August 22, 1952, and lasted 12 weeks on the chart, peaking at #4.
A cover version by Jo Stafford became the most popular version. Issued by Columbia Records as catalog number 39811, it was Stafford's greatest hit, topping the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom (the first song by a female singer to top the UK chart). It first entered the US chart on August 1, 1952 and remained there for 24 weeks.In the UK, it appeared in the first ever UK chart of November 14, 1952 (then a top 12) and reached number 1 on January 16, 1953, being only the second record to top such chart,

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[063637981]

Jo Stafford was perfection and perfect breath control. Love listening to her.

[gerdenshed]

She certainly knocks spots off most of todays singers ;-)

Mark....

[tomgirl571]

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Jo Stafford <3 I grew up listening to her with my grandparents, and she is still my favorite female vocalist!

[gerdenshed]

Thank you Kelly ;-)

Mark...

[Wolfsky9]

I once read, Jo never thought of herself as an " entertainer", she was simply, a singer--indeed, THE singer's singer. My Mom would tell me that just listening to Jo was a close to vocal perfection as we may ever know; yet, she avoided the limelight, perferring, to " just sing". What a talent, &, what a gift her music is . Wolfsky9

[gerdenshed]

Thank you for your great comment my friend ;-)

Mark...

[fastonthedraw]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaamazing...!!!!

[063637981]

You have that right. She has perfect pitch, also. I miss hearing this type of vocalist. You don't have to scream to get your point across. A little of that goes a long way!! Doris Day and Sarah Vaughan were other terrific singer and favorites of mine.

[Wolfsky9]

Singing as good as it will ever get, GBY 4-Ever, Miss Jo. Wolfsky9

[Wolfsky9]

I was 6 y/o, Fall of '52, & I remember hearing Jo sing this on the radio --Station 1280, KTLN, In Denver, like it was yesterday. Guess it made an impression. Wolfsky9, 65 y/o in 12 days.

[Wolfsky9]

To this day, this masterpiece reminds me of the late 40's, & early 50's, with the very best voices in all of American Pop music, Lady Ella & Miss Jo, & Mr Nat Cole. I was 6 y/o, in the Fall of '52, & this song brings back those times better than any other--Jo & Paul, We Love you 4-Ever, RIP. Wolfsky9

[Wolfsky9]

Without question, the incredible success of Jo's version of this wondeful song so clearly illistrates just how crucial arrangement & orchestration is. Paul Weston made this song to fit Jo'[s voice perfectly, adding his own Big Band arrangement--the rest is music history. To Paul & Jo --we miss you, but know, your music is forever.  Wolfsky9

[Wolfsky9]

Dad & Mom, this one's for you with love. Your #1 Son, Mike.  Wolfsky9

[GlenndersonMr]

What a voice......I have a 78 of her singing "Shrimp Boats" that was my father's..Love it.

[tychaton08]

Superbe!

[255kittykatty]

just found out this was number 1 in the charts when i was born!!!! i love it !!

[predlycon]

this is the best of all the renditions, by far. stafford's really got a one-of-a-kind voice, and the instrumental arrangement is sublime. i'm curious how sue thompson's original sounds like though. i'd like to compare. anyone would be kind enough to post it?

[Coucoutchicou]

Wow, wow and wow! What a voice, what technique and controlled feeling...! Yes, I read too that she had the perfect pitch - altho' she herself used to play it down. Thanks for posting this song.