(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons


" for Sentimental Reasons" is a popular song written by Ivory "Deek" Watson, founding member of the Ink Spots, also founding member of The Brown Dots and William "Pat" Best, founding member of the Four Tunes.

Song Background

The credits and Leeds Publishing Company list Watson as a co-writer. That should be the end of any controversy. However, later, Best claimed, without any proof whatsoever, that Watson had nothing to do with the creation of the song, but Watson maintained in his late 1960s autobiography that he and Best wrote the song together, lyrics and music respectively. Best was a member of Watson's group, the Brown Dots. The song was published in 1945 and released by Watson's quartet with Joe King as lead vocalist on the Manor Records label. Best who was always at odds with Watson, and began recording behind Watson's back with another band, after the publishing clearly listed the two names as composer and lyricist, had claimed that he'd originally written the lyrics for a little girl as a 12 year old boy, simply does not hold water, since a 12 year old would have no idea about being sentimental, as if two kids could have had a long history. Best and fans of Best had a list of petty complaints and accusations about and against Watson, which would seem to point to there being friction between the two Brown Dots members, rather than there being any validity to such things.

Hit versions

The biggest-selling version by The King Cole Trio was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 304. It first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on November 22, 1946 and lasted 12 weeks on the chart, peaking at number one.