Tonight You Belong to Me
"Tonight You Belong to Me" is an American popular song, written in 1926 by lyricist Billy Rose and composer Lee David. The first ever recording was made by Irving Kaufman in 1926 on Banner Records.[5] In 1927 Gene Austin recorded it and the song became a major hit. Another popular recording during this time was by Roger Wolfe Kahn and his Orchestra.
| "To-Night You Belong To Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Gene Austin | ||||
| B-side | "It Made You Happy When You Made Me Cry" | |||
| Published | 1926 by C & J David Music Company, Anne-Rachel Music Corporation,[1] Mills Music Inc.[2] | |||
| Released | January 14, 1927[3] | |||
| Recorded | December 1, 1926[4] | |||
| Studio | Victor Studios, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz, Pop Vocal | |||
| Label | Victor 20371 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Rose, Lee David | |||
| Gene Austin singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Tonight You Belong to Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Patience and Prudence | ||||
| B-side | "A Smile and a Ribbon" | |||
| Released | July 1956 | |||
| Genre | Traditional pop | |||
| Length | 1:50 | |||
| Label | Liberty | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Rose, Lee David | |||
| Producer(s) | Mark McIntyre | |||
| Patience and Prudence singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was revived by Frankie Laine in 1952, and recorded again in 1956 by Patience and Prudence, whose version reached #4 on the Billboard charts; they recorded it again in 1964.[6] It was also recorded in 1956 by Lawrence Welk with The Lennon Sisters, and by the duo of Karen Chandler and Jimmy Wakely. In 1964 "Tonight You Belong to Me" was recorded by George Maharis in a sweet swing style on the Epic label.
In 1977, "Tonight You Belong to Me" was recorded by American country music artist Dottie West. It was released as a single, peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in August 1977. The song was then issued on West's 1977 studio album When It's Just You and Me.[7]
The American rock band NRBQ covered the song on their 1983 album “Grooves in Orbit.”
Commercial usage
The Patience and Prudence version was used by eBay as a commercial theme. It was featured in a 2012 TV commercial for Scandinavian Airlines. This version was also featured in the ending credits of the 2004 film Birth.
The song was sung as a duet by Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters in the 1979 film The Jerk, with accompaniment on ukulele and cornet.
The song was covered by Eddie Vedder and Chan Marshall (of Cat Power) on Vedder's second solo album, Ukulele Songs (2011).
In 2011, the Patience and Prudence rendition was featured in four episodes of American Horror Story: the pilot episode; the first-season finale, "Afterbirth"; the eighth-season premiere, "The End"; and its sixth episode "Return to Murder House".
The song is featured in a 2013 TV commercial and internet for Milka named "Le dernier carré"[8]
The song was sung by Sutton Foster and Hunter Foster in episode fourteen ("The Astronaut and the Ballerina") of 'Bunheads' (2013).
In 2018, the Patience and Prudence version was featured in episode six, entitled "Amour Fou", of Netflix's series, You.
In the 2019 film Blackbird, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, and Mia Wasikowska sing it, and their version later plays over the credits.
In 2020, the Patience and Prudence version was featured in episode five, entitled "Strange Case", of HBO's series, Lovecraft Country.
In 2023, the Patience and Prudence version was sampled by Metro Boomin and James Blake in "Hummingbird", featured on the soundtrack of the film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
In 2023, the Patience and Prudence version was played outside the Stitches scare maze at Thorpe Park's Fright Nights event.
References
- "Anne-Rachel Music". Discogs. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- "Original versions of Tonight You Belong to Me written by Lee David, Billy Rose | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- "Cover versions of To-night You Belong to Me by Gene Austin | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- 78 Record: Gene Austin - To-Night You Belong To Me (1927), retrieved 2021-08-06
- Don Tyler (2 April 2007). Hit Songs 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era. ISBN 9780786429462 – via Amazon.com.
- Patience and Prudence: A Sister Act Remembered
- "Dottie West Chart History: Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- "Milka". Archived from the original on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2013-08-31.