"The Gypsy" was originally introduced in the
United Kingdom by Billy Reid's orchestra and
vocalist Dorothy Squires, who was also his partner. In the
United States, the song was recorded by
Bill Kenny &
The Ink Spots,
Dinah Shore, and
Sammy Kaye's orchestra, and was a hit for all three. • The recording by
The Ink Spots featuring
Bill Kenny was released by
Decca Records as catalog number 18817. It first reached the
Billboard chart on May 2, 1946 and lasted 18 weeks on the listings, peaking at No. 1, and was also number one on the
R&B charts for three non-consecutive weeks. • The song was also recorded by
Guy Lombardo featuring the female cabaret star
Hildegarde singing. It was released by Decca Records as catalog number 23511 in March, 1946. This version was regarded as a musical "flop", however. • The recording by
Dinah Shore was released by
Columbia Records as catalog number 36964. It first reached the
Billboard charts on May 2, 1946 and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 2. This recording was a two-sided hit, with the flip side, "
Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)," reaching No. 3 the same year. • The recording by
Sammy Kaye was released by
RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-1844. It first reached the
Billboard chart on May 9, 1946 and lasted 10 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 4. == Other recordings ==