"Cast Your Fate to the Wind" is a jazz instrumental composed and recorded by American pianist Vince Guaraldi. Carel Werber later wrote lyrics for the composition. It received the Grammy Award for Best Original Jazz Composition in 1963.Best Original Jazz Composition award winners Retrieved February 27, 2012.
The recording originally appeared on Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, an album credited to the Vince Guaraldi Trio and released by Fantasy Records on April 18, 1962.Vince Guaraldi Trio, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus Retrieved February 27, 2012.
Fantasy released "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" as the B-side of the bossa nova-influenced "Samba de Orpheus" single. Radio airplay helped the recording reach No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100"Cast Your Fate to the Wind" at Billboard.com and No. 9 on the Easy Listening chart. Following its commercial success, Fantasy retitled subsequent pressings of Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus as Cast Your Fate to the Wind.
Peanuts Peanuts executive producer Lee Mendelson cited "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" as the tune he heard on the radio that prompted him to commission Guaraldi to compose music cues for the 1963 documentary A Boy Named Charlie Brown, which was ultimately not broadcast due to a lack of sponsorship. The resulting album, Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown, proved to be popular enough to retain Guaraldi's services for A Charlie Brown Christmas. The collaboration between Guaraldi and the entire Peanuts franchise lasted until Guaraldi's death in 1976.Bang, Derrick. Liner notes for A Boy Named Charlie Brown: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017); Kritzerland, Inc. Retrieved 7 May 2020 "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" has been covered by many artists in a wide range of genres, including both male and female solo vocalists, pop, folk, and rock groups, as well as many instrumental performers.
Cover versions
Instrumental versions In 1965, the British easy listening group Sounds Orchestral redirected the tune away from the jazz-influenced midsection to more of a nightclub sound and concluded the tune with a short piano section. That version attained No. 5 in the UK, No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, No. 1 on the US Easy Listening chart, and No. 5 on the Canadian AC charts. A 1976 version by Roger Williams reached No. 46 on the Canadian AC charts in 1976.
Vocal versions Mel Torme was the first singer to perform a version of the song with lyrics, with an arrangement by Marty Paich. It was released in March 1963. In 1966, North Hollywood singer Shelby Flint released a version of the song which peaked at No. 61 on the Hot 100, No. 11 on the Easy Listening chart, and No. 92 in Canada.
In film The Sounds Orchestral version of the song was featured in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). The song was featured in The In Crowd (1988). Allen Toussaint's version is played during the credits for the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. Allen Toussaint's version was also played during the credits for the 2023 dark romantic comedy film Hit Man.
Charts Chart (1962)PeakpositionUS Billboard Hot 10022US Billboard Easy Listening9
Chart (1965)PeakpositionUS Billboard Easy Listening1
Personnel Vince Guaraldi Trio Vince Guaraldi – piano Colin Bailey – drums Monty Budwig – double bass
See also List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1965 (U.S.) List of jazz standards
References