"I'm Leaving It Up to You" is a song written by and originally performed by Don Harris and Dewey Terry in 1957.Don & Dewey: Jungle Hop, Legends of Speciality Records, Speciality Records (1991), liner notes It was later popularized in 1963 by the American duo Dale and Grace, who took it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1974, Donny and Marie Osmond reached the top five on the US Hot 100 chart and peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart with their cover.
Dale and Grace version "I'm Leaving It Up to You" first became popular when recorded by the duo Dale and Grace in 1963. Their version became a #1 hit in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in late 1963, replacing "Deep Purple" by Nino Tempo & April Stevens but ending up one position lower than that record on the 1963 end-of-the-year chart.
The single also spent two weeks atop the easy listening chart. It was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Dale and Grace were in Dallas on the day of the murder. The duo was scheduled to perform that night as part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars (with Bobby Rydell, Jimmy Clanton, and Brian Hyland) and had waved to the president's motorcade from a vantage point near their hotel, moments before the assassination. As a consequence of the assassination, the Dallas Caravan of Stars concert was cancelled, as was the following night's concert in Oklahoma.
Chart performance
Weekly charts Chart (1963–64)PeakpositionCanada (CHUM Hit Parade)CHUM Hit Parade, December 9, 19632New Zealand Lever Hit paradehttps://web.archive.org/web/20210208152733/http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=Lever%20hit%20parades&qyear=1964&qmonth=Jan&qweek=09-Jan-1964#n_view_location 2US Billboard Hot 100 1US Billboard Easy Listening 1US Cash Box Top 1001
Year-end charts Chart (1963)RankUS Billboard Hot 10020 Chart (1964)RankUS Cash Box27
Donny and Marie Osmond version
In 1974, "I'm Leaving It Up to You" (released and noted as "I'm Leaving It (All) Up to You") again became a chart-topping hit in the US when brother and sister duo Donny and Marie Osmond covered it in September, it reached #4 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the easy listening chart. It also reached #2 in the UK. Their version became a gold record, as did the album from which the title track was taken.
Chart performance
Weekly charts Chart (1974)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)14Canada RPM Top Singles4Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 3Canada RPM Country 7France (IFOP)41Netherlands (Single Top 100)4UK 2US Billboard Hot 100 4US Billboard Easy Listening1US Billboard Country17US Cash Box Top 1007
Year-end charts Chart (1974)RankAustralia (Kent Music Report)98Canada RPM Top SinglesBac-lac.gc.ca62Netherlands21UK23US Billboard Hot 10081US Billboard Easy ListeningTop 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 197434US Cash Box74
Certifications
Other versions A Spanish version, written by Leslie Royal and Héctor Romero of Mexican group Los Jets de Nogales, was recorded by them in 1963 as "Decídelo tú", and by Mexican group Yndio in 1972, under the name "Sin tu amor", with the song's new name used as title for Yndio's album.
Johnny and Jonie Mosby's version reached #21 on Canada's Country Charts, June 20, 1970.
Freddy Fender's version reached #20 on Canada's Country Charts, December 16, 1978.
The Mavericks included it on their 2019 Play the Hits release of favorite covers.
See also List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1963 (U.S.) List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1963 (U.S.) List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1974 (U.S.)
References