You Don't Know What Love Is

"You Don't Know What Love Is" is a popular song of the Great American Songbook, written by Don Raye (lyrics) and Gene de Paul (music) for the Abbott and Costello film Keep 'Em Flying (1941), in which it was sung by Carol Bruce. The song was deleted from the film prior to release. The song was later included in Behind the Eight Ball (1942), starring the Ritz Brothers. "You Don't Know What Love Is" was again sung by Carol Bruce; it was her third and final film until the 1980s.

After Miles Davis recorded an instrumental version of the song in 1954, it became a jazz standard, with Dinah Washington releasing the definitive vocal version a year later. Other noteworthy recordings were made by Billie Holiday and Sonny Rollins.

Other versions

• Louis Armstrong
• Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings and Plays (1955)
• Art Blakey - Art Blakey!!!!! Jazz Messengers!!!!! (1961)
• John Coltrane - Ballads (1962)
• Larry Coryell - Lady Coryell (1968)
• Elvis Costello - Piano Jazz: McPartland/Costello (2005)
• Miles Davis - Walkin' (1954)
• Eric Dolphy - Last Date (1964)
• Booker Ervin - Heavy! (1968)
• Ella Fitzgerald - (1941)
• Marvin Gaye - The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye (1961)
• Benny Goodman
• Al Haig - Al Haig Today (1964)
• Roy Hargrove - Approaching Standards (1994)
• Earl Hines with Billy Eckstine - (1941)
• Billie Holiday
• Freddie Hubbard - Outpost (1981)
• Chrissie Hynde, of the Pretenders (2019)
• Ahmad Jamal - Poinciana (1958)
• Harry James
• Etta Jones - So Warm (1961)
• Thad Jones
• Eric Kloss - Grits & Gravy (1966)
• Lee Konitz - Motion (reissue) (1961)
• Gloria Lynne - I Wish You Love (1964)
• Warne Marsh - Warne Marsh Trios (1975)
• Anita O'Day - An Evening With Anita O'Day (1955)
• Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (1956)
• Charlie Rouse - Yeah! (1961)
• Nina Simone - Tribute to Billie Holiday (2008)
• June Tabor - Some Other Time (1989)
• Lennie Tristano - The New Tristano (1961)
• Dinah Washington - For Those In Love (1955)
• Cassandra Wilson - Blue Light 'til Dawn (1993)
• Tony Bennett and Bill Evans - The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings (2009
• George Benson - Tenderly (1989)
• John Martyn with the Guy Barker International Quintet in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999); also featured on Martyn's album Glasgow Walker
• Jacky Terrasson and Stéphane Belmondo - Mother (2016)

Further reading

• Hischak, Thomas S. The Tin Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia, Greenwood Press, 2002. ISBN 0313319928

References

1. I Want to Know What Love Is
2. You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)
3. You Don't Know What Love Means
4. The White Stripes discography
5. Lady in Satin
6. What You Don't Know (Exposé album)
7. The White Stripes
8. I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
9. I Know What You Did Last Summer
10. You Don't Know Jack (franchise)
11. What You Know Bout Love
12. Susan Jacks
13. Red (Daniel Merriweather song)
14. Behind the eight ball
15. You Don't Know Jack (1995 video game)
16. You Don't Know What You've Got (Blink-182 song)
17. Spirits (Nothing More album)
18. Icky Thump
19. American Quilt
20. I Don't Know What the World Is Coming To