"Heartaches" is a popular song with music by Al Hoffman and
lyrics by John Klenner. The song was published in 1931.
The biggest recorded version of the song was by the Ted
Weems Orchestra, with Elmo Tanner whistling. The recording was
made in 1933 but subsequently revived (not in a new recording,
but in the original 1933 recorded version) fourteen years
later. This recording was jointly released by Decca Records as
catalog number 25017 and by RCA Victor Records as catalog
number 20-2175. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best
Seller chart on February 21, 1947 and lasted 16 weeks on the
chart, peaking at #1.
The recording by Harry James was released by Columbia
Records as catalog number 37305. It first reached the Billboard
magazine Best Seller chart on April 18, 1947 and lasted 3 weeks
on the chart, peaking at #8. This was his last charting
hit.
A radically altered arrangement of "Heartaches" also became
popular in 1961 as a version by The Marcels was released as a
followup to their U.S. hit "Blue Moon". Although the Marcels'
"Heartaches" single failed to match the #1 position on the U.S.
singles charts achieved by "Blue Moon", "Heartaches" reached
the Top 10 (peaking at #7) and eventually sold over one million
copies worldwide. In addition to a vocal hook similar to that
of "Blue Moon", the Marcels added to the introduction of the
recording of "Heartaches" the group saying, then singing,
"Watch out! Here we go again..."
In 1963, Allan Sherman produced a parody version titled
"Headaches," a commentary on television aspirin commercials. In
the middle of the whistled part, a kid named Tom Greenleigh
shrieks, "Mommy, can't you keep Daddy's car out of the
driveway?!"