Don't Smoke in Bed (song)

"Don't Smoke in Bed" is a jazz song originally composed and recorded by Willard Robison[1] and later associated with a recording by Nina Simone released on her 1958 debut album Little Girl Blue.[2]

The song had been first recorded by Peggy Lee in 1947 with Dave Barbour and His Orchestra and released on her album Rendezvous with Peggy Lee (1948).[3] The liner notes to Peggy Lee: The Singles Collection suggest that the song was mostly written by Lee and Barbour from a few lines by Robison as they were concerned that Robison would not live long enough to finish the song, and wanted to gift him with a valuable copyright to provide for his daughter after his passing. In the event, Robison lived another 20 years.

Other artists who have recorded the song include Corry Brokken (Corry's Bed-Time Story, 1958), Connie Russell (Don't Smoke in Bed, 1959), Julie London (Around Midnight, 1960), Rod McKuen (Stranger in Town, 1961), Jack Teagarden (Think Well of Me , 1962), Teresa Brewer (Moments to Remember, 1964), Mary Coughlan (Under the Influence, 1987), Elkie Brooks (Round Midnight, 1993), Holly Cole (Don't Smoke in Bed, 1993), Patti Smith (Ain't Nuthin' But a She Thing, 1995), Carly Simon (Film Noir, 1997), k.d. lang (Drag, 1997), Janet Seidel (Don't Smoke in Bed - Songs in the Key of Peggy Lee, 2002), Rita Coolidge (And So Is Love , 2005), and Xiu Xiu (Nina, 2013), Coppe' feat. Nikakoi From the Album Milk, produced by Nikakoi October 6, 2017.[3]

In 2017 Marlene Dietrich's version from her Warsaw concerts was released by Polskie Radio on CD and digital download.