"(Why Did I Tell You I Was Going To) Shanghai" is a popular song written by Bob Hilliard (lyricist) and Milton De Lugg (composer).

Recordings

It was recorded by

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

in 1951 and was a big hit for her. Other charting versions were recorded by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

and by the

Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is a former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National League (NL) ...

Quartet. The recording by Doris Day was released by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

as catalog number 39423, with the flip side "My Life's Desire". It first reached the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' chart on June 22, 1951, and lasted 17 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 9. Bing Crosby's version was recorded for

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

on June 8, 1951, with Dave Barbour and his Orchestra and it charted briefly in the ''Billboard'' listings at number 21 on September 8, 1951. A recording by the Billy Williams Quartet was released by

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

as catalog number 10998, with the flip side, "The Wondrous Word". It first reached the ''Billboard'' chart on August 10, 1951, and lasted six weeks on the chart, peaking at number 20.

References

1951 songs Songs with lyrics by Bob Hilliard Doris Day songs Billy Williams (singer) songs Songs written by Milton DeLugg {{pop-standard-stub