I Sold My Heart to the Junkman

In 1962, the Chicago-based girl group the Starlets were riding high with their top forty single, "Better Tell Him No". That year, while on tour, they were convinced by Newtown Records president Harold Robinson to appear in a recording schedule where they recorded two songs. One of these songs was "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman". After recording the songs, Robinson released the song on his label but instead of crediting the Starlets, credited a Philadelphia-based girl group named The Ordettes, who had changed their name to The Blue Belles - after a threat from another record label owner, the name was altered to Patti LaBelle and Her Blue Belles.^[2]

After the Blue-Belles made their first television appearance on American Bandstand in April 1962, the popularity of the song increased and became a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.^[3]

Despite the controversy with The Starlets, the song became a 'million-selling' record as a result of the promotion done by Newtown Records and performances by The Blue-Belles.^[4][5]

It is unknown as to whether Robinson erased the original lead vocal from the song and added in Patti LaBelle's lead vocal, or whether the Starlets themselves were replaced by session singers. Nevertheless, the Starlets' manager sued Robinson for ownership of the recording, with the girls each winning $5,000 from the suit.^[6] Despite this, however, it is still not clear as to how the record was released.

Ironically when the Blue Belles recorded their own version shortly before promoting it, both the Starlets and Blue Belles' versions were strikingly similar. The Starlets did not fully recover from the "Junkman" scandal and after a half-year of new recordings, disbanded in 1963.^[6] Meanwhile, the newly christened Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles went on to national fame that year with their hit, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)".^[2]

Gene Ammons covered "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" on his 1961 release, Up Tight!.^[12] In 1962, Lyn Cornell released her cover of the song with Jack Good's production.^[13] Despite gaining airplay on the BBC Light Programme, it did not match her earlier UK Singles Chart appearance with "Never on Sunday".^[14]

Bette Midler covered the song on her 1998 album, Bathhouse Betty.^[15] The New York Dolls cover it on their 2011 release, Dancing Backward in High Heels.^[16] Los Angeles retro-funk band Orgone covered it in 2017.^[17]