The song was first recorded by Dionne Warwick and was the B-side of Warwick's single "This Empty Place" in the spring of 1963; the track was also featured on Warwick's debut album Presenting Dionne Warwick. Warwick's rendition became a charting single in France, reaching #79 in 1963.

Dusty Springfield, who had heard the Warwick album track, recorded "Wishin' and Hopin'" in January 1964 at Olympic Studios. Personnel for the session included Bobby Graham on drums, Big Jim Sullivan on guitar, and the Breakaways vocal group. Ivor Raymonde arranged and conducted on the session for which Johnny Franz was the producer. The track was included on Springfield's solo album debuts in the UK: A Girl Called Dusty, and the US: Stay Awhile/I Only Want to Be with You.

In February 1964, Springfield met with Burt Bacharach in New York City to listen to other songs to consider recording. Bacharach recalls at that time: "I [think] I tried to talk her into releasing 'Wishin' and Hopin'' [as a single] because she had some ambivalence about it."

A New York disc jockey, Jack Lacy, began to play "Wishin' and Hopin'" following some encouragement from David and Bacharach, and Philips' US label issued it as a single in May 1964; "Wishin' and Hopin'" broke nationally that June entering the Top Ten in July to peak at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 (#4 in Cashbox).

...
Wikipedia