"A Fine Romance" is a popular song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, published in 1936.
| "A Fine Romance" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Song by Fred Astaire | ||||
| B-side | "The Waltz in Swing Time" | |||
| Published | 1936 by Chappell & Co.[1][2] | |||
| Released | August 1936 | |||
| Recorded | July 28, 1936 | |||
| Studio | Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | Jazz, Pop Vocal | |||
| Label | Brunswick 7716 | |||
| Composer(s) | Jerome Kern | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Dorothy Fields[3] | |||
| Fred Astaire singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "A Fine Romance" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Billie Holiday and her Orchestra | ||||
| B-side | "I Can't Pretend" | |||
| Released | 1936 | |||
| Recorded | September 29, 1936 | |||
| Genre | Jazz blues | |||
| Length | 2.53 | |||
| Label | Vocalion 3333[4] | |||
| Billie Holiday and her Orchestra singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was written for the musical film, Swing Time, where it was co-introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Astaire recorded a solo version of the song on July 28, 1936 for Brunswick records (catalog 7716)[5] and it topped the charts of the day for five weeks.[6] Billie Holiday recorded the song for Vocalion Records on September 29, 1936[7] and this too reached the charts of the day as did versions by Henry King and Guy Lombardo.[8]
Other notable recordings
edit- Henry King and his Orchestra with vocals by Joe Sudy (1936)[9]
- Bing Crosby and Dixie Lee Crosby with Victor Young & His Orchestra (recorded August 19, 1936)[10]
- Marian McPartland – Lullaby of Birdland (1952)[11]
- Fred Astaire – The Astaire Story (1953)[12]
- Count Basie and Joe Williams – The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (1956)[13]
- Mel Tormé – Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire (1956)[14]
- Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald – Ella and Louis Again (1957)[15]
- Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae – Boy Meets Girl (1957)[16]
- Margaret Whiting – Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1960)[17]
- Frank Sinatra – Ring-a-Ding-Ding! (1961)[18]
- Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé – Cozy (1961)[19]
- Ella Fitzgerald included a solo rendition on her Verve Records album, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook, produced by Norman Granz. (1963)[20]
- Lena Horne – Lena in Hollywood (1966)[21]
- Susannah McCorkle – How Do You Keep the Music Playing (1985)[22]
- Kiri Te Kanawa – Kiri Sings Kern (1993)[23]
- Johnny Mercer and Martha Tilton – 1946 single, The Song Is You: Capitol Sings Jerome Kern (1994)[24]
- Sylvia McNair – Sure Thing: The Jerome Kern Songbook (1994)[25]
- Jerry Hadley and Frederica Von Stade – Puttin' on the Ritz with Erich Kunzel / Cincinnati Pops (1995)[26]
- Ann Hampton Callaway – To Ella with Love (1996)[27]
- Billie Holiday – 1936 single, A Fine Romance (1997)[28]
- Stacey Kent – Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire (2000)[29]
- Marilyn Monroe– Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend (2006)[30]
Popular culture
edit- In the film Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), the song is performed by Virginia O'Brien.
- In a version sung by Judi Dench it also became the theme song of A Fine Romance, a British television series starring Dench and her husband Michael Williams.
- A recording by Lena Horne features in the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). The song also features in the stage musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical.
References
edit- ^ A Fine Romance. 1936-01-01.
- ^ Knoell, Tiffany (2015-06-27), 1936 - A Fine Romance, retrieved 2021-08-04
- ^ "ACE Repertory". www.ascap.com. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- ^ Billie Holiday And Her Orchestra – A Fine Romance / I Can't Pretend (1936, Shellac), retrieved 2021-08-04
- ^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 37. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 498. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 257. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ RCA Records Recording date: September 3, 1954 Label: RCA Records, Italy 1974 LP: Marilyn Monroe – La Voce, Le Musiche E I Films Number: TPL1 of 7025 (e)
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