The Andrews Sisters—”I Wanna Be Loved” (1950)

On March 30, 1950, the Andrews Sisters -- Patty, LaVerne and Maxene — assembled in the Decca recording studios in Los Angeles to record “I Wanna Be Loved.” They were accompanied by the orchestra and choir of Gordon Jenkins, who also made the arrangement.

Though the trio is mostly remembered as a close harmony group that kept the homefront spirits up during World War II, Patty Andrews (1918-2013) was a first-rank solo vocalist too. Patty Andrews joined her sisters LaVerne (1911-1967) and Maxene (1916-1995) as a singer when she was only seven years old. The three girls were born in Minnesota as the daughters of a Norwegian mother and a Greek father with the original family name Andreas, which was later changed to Andrews. According to Billboard, The Andrews Sisters have recorded more than 400 songs and sold over 80 million records.

This recording of “I Wanna Be Loved” was the trio’s final #1 hit in the United States, and their version inspired singers like Dinah Washington to record similar versions of this jazz ballad for romance’s unfortunates. The song, written by three New Yorkers, was originally published in 1933, with the music composed by Johnny Green (1908-1989) and the lyrics were by Edward Heyman (1907-1981) and Billy Rose (1899-1966).