A Fine Romance (song)
"A Fine Romance" is a popular song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, published in 1936.
| "A Fine Romance" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 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 | ||||
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| "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 | ||||
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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]
In the film Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), the song is performed by Virginia O'Brien.
In Hollywood, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald recorded their version of the song in the summer of 1957. In 1963, Fitzgerald included a solo rendition on her Verve Records album, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook, produced by Norman Granz.
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.
Notable recordings
- Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald – Ella and Louis Again (1957)
- Fred Astaire – The Astaire Story (1953)
- Count Basie and Joe Williams – The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (1956)
- Ann Hampton Callaway – To Ella with Love (1996)
- Bing Crosby and Dixie Lee Crosby with Victor Young & His Orchestra (recorded August 19, 1936)[9]
- Sammy Davis, Jr. and Carmen McRae – Boy Meets Girl (1957)
- Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1963)
- Jerry Hadley and Frederica Von Stade – Puttin' on the Ritz with Erich Kunzel / Cincinnati Pops (1995)
- Billie Holiday – 1936 single, The Quintessential Billie Holiday: Vol. II (1987)
- Lena Horne – Lena in Hollywood (1966)
- Stacey Kent – Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire (2000)
- Henry King and his Orchestra with vocals by Joe Sudy (1936)[10]
- Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé – Cozy (1961)
- Susannah McCorkle – How Do You Keep the Music Playing (1985)
- Sylvia McNair – Sure Thing: The Jerome Kern Songbook (1994)
- Marian McPartland – Lullaby of Birdland (1952)
- Johnny Mercer and Martha Tilton – 1946 single, The Song Is You: Capitol Sings Jerome Kern (1992)
- Marilyn Monroe[11] – Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend (2006)
- Frank Sinatra – Ring-a-Ding-Ding! (1961)
- Kiri Te Kanawa – Kiri Sings Kern (1993)
- Mel Tormé – Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire (1956)
- Margaret Whiting – Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1960)
References
- 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.
- "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 257. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- 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)