"My Greatest Mistake" was one of some 1,250,000 songs under an ASCAP license. In 1940, ASCAP attempted to double its fees to broadcasters for the airing of licensed songs. For ten months – January 1, 1941, to October 29, 1941 – radio broadcasters, namely NBC and CBS, banned all music licensed by ASCAP. Given the timing of the launch of "My Greatest Mistake," the ASCAP boycott, according to O'Brien, stunted the momentum of the song's rise in popularity for 13 recordings that were released before the boycott.
I've done a lot of things that we're right
and though they brought regret
There's only one thing that I'm sorry for
And that's the day we met
My greatest mistake was falling in love
Falling in love with you
My greatest mistake was dreaming of you
And thinking my dreams would come true
It was easy to see
You never loved me
Though I hoped and I prayed
Someday it could be
My greatest mistake
My greatest heartache
Was falling in love with you
Darlin', you know my greatest mistake was falling in love
And I mean falling in love with a beautiful gal like you, mmm
You know I made another mistake, just dreaming of you
And being foolish enough to think that all my dreams was bound to come true
You know, shoulda been easy for me to see
That, honey child, you never loved me
Course, I hoped and I prayed
That maybe someday, it could be
My greatest mistake
My greatest heartache
Was falling in love with you
Notes and references
Notes
^Mike Todd, a theatrical producer and impresario, ran the four largest and most popular attractions at the 1939 New York World's Fair, three of which were cabarets. The first, he took over George Jessel's Old New York and transformed it into Gay New Orleans – a three-acre park; the second he converted the Hall of Music into the Streets of Paris; the third he created the Old Time Op'ry House on the midway; the fourth, he built the Dancing Campus, reportedly the world's biggest outdoor dance arena, featuring big bands nightly with a floor large enough for 12,000 dancing patrons.
Recording personnel
^Larry Clinton Band: June 24, 1940, New York: Larry Clinton (trumpet, tuba, trombone, arranger, leader); Bob Alexy (né Robert James Alexy; 1910–1985), Ivor Lloyd (né Ivor Mark Lloyd; 1911–1988), Jack Palmer (né Joseph J. Palmieri; 1912–2000) (trumpets); George Mazza, Al George (né Alfred A. George; 1910–1977), Jimmy Curry (trombones); Steve Benoric (1912–1976), Ben Feman (né Benjamin C. Feman; 1908–1994) (clarinets, alto saxes); Frank Ludwig (né Francis Ludwig Reudelhuber; 1915–1988), Don Hammond (né William Don Hammond; 1914–1964) (clarinets, tenor saxes); Bill Straub (piano); George Rose (né George August Rose; 1909–1978) (guitar); Hank Wayland (double bass); Charlie Blake (drums); Terry Allen (vocalist)
^Frankie Masters Band (partial list): Frankie Masters (director, trombone); "Bud" Shiffman (later "Buddy Shaw;" né Herman Shiffman; 1912–2010) (lead alto sax); Vincent Claude Ferrini (1914–2013) (alto sax); Carl C. Bean (1909–1969) (tenor sax); Howard John Barkell (1903–1971) (bari sax, piano, guitar, drums, bass); Marion Francis (vocals); The Masters Voices (vocals)
^Duke Ellington Band: September 10, 1940, NBC Blue broadcast, Hotel Sherman, Panther Room: (same personnel as Ellington's July 24, 1940, session at RCA-Victor Studio 2 in New York)
^Ben Webster with the Ralph Burns Orchestra: September 9, 1955, New York: Danny Bank (flute, clarinet); Albert Epstein (1921–2016; clarinet, English horn, bass clarinet); Ben Webster (tenor sax); Hank Jones (piano); Harold Coletta, Martin Donegan, Leo Kruczek (1908–1977), Harry Lookofsky, Gene Orloff, Tosha Samaroff (aka Zama Dworman; né Salmon Dworman; 1906–2005), Paul Winter (violins); Burt Fisch (viola); Abe Borodkin, George Ricci (brother of Ruggiero Ricci), Lucien Schmit (cellos); Chet Amsterdam (né Chester G. Amsterdam; 1926–2010), Wendell Marshall (bass); Osie Johnson (drums); Ralph Burns (arranger; conductor)
