Witchcraft (1957 song)
original song composed by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh; first recorded by Frank Sinatra
"Witchcraft" is a popular song from 1957 composed by Cy Coleman with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh.
Versions
Frank Sinatra recorded "Witchcraft" three times in a studio setting. The first recording was in 1957, for his single release, and was later released on his compilation album All the Way (1961). Sinatra re-recorded "Witchcraft" for 1963's Sinatra's Sinatra, and finally recorded it as a duet with Anita Baker for Duets (1993).
Chart performance
"Witchcraft" was released in the U.S. in 1957 as a single by Frank Sinatra. At its highest ranking it reached number six on the Hot 100 chart and stayed on the charts for sixteen weeks.
Other recordings
"Witchcraft" has been recorded by many other artists, including Chris Connor, as the title track of her 1959 album, Sarah Vaughan, on her 1962 album You're Mine You, Ella Fitzgerald, on Ella Returns to Berlin (1961), and Bill Evans on Portrait in Jazz (1959). Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1958 for use on his radio show and it was subsequently included in the CD Bing Sings the Sinatra Songbook (2011). It was included in The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye in 1961. Another version by Joe Malone was featured in the 1993 movie Hocus Pocus.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Witchcraft (1957 song)” is original song composed by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh; first recorded by Frank Sinatra. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Witchcraft, song and original, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “original song composed by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh; first recorded by Frank Sinatra” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4020538. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1957, 1961, 1963 and 1993.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Witchcraft (1957 song)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Witchcraft (1957 song) primary sources, Witchcraft (1957 song) archive and Witchcraft research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Witchcraft (1957 song)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.