"Lover, Come Back to Me" is a popular song composed by

Sigmund Romberg Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his Musical theatre, musicals and operettas, particularly ''The Student Prince'' (1924), ''The Desert Song'' (1926) and ''The New Moo ...

with lyrics by

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

for the Broadway show '' The New Moon'', where the song was introduced by Evelyn Herbert and Robert Halliday (as Robert Misson). The song was published in 1928.

Film versions

The song was performed by

Lawrence Tibbett Lawrence Mervil Tibbett (November 16, 1896 – July 15, 1960) was an American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone with large, deep, and dark-timbred voice. His dynamic range (in ...

and

Grace Moore Mary Willie Grace Moore (December 5, 1898January 26, 1947) was an American operatic lyric soprano and actress in musical theatre and film.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', January 29, 1947, page 48. She was nicknamed the "Tennessee N ...

in ''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

'', the 1930 film adaptation of ''The New Moon'', and by

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American soprano and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 film) ...

and

Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs ...

in the 1940 adaptation, also titled ''

''.

Barbra Streisand version

Arranged and conducted by George Williams, the song was released as

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

's second single in November 1962 as a double single with " My Coloring Book". Produced by Mike Berniker, and recorded before Streisand's first album sessions, the single was sent to radio. In 1963, Streisand re-recorded the song for her second album ''

The Second Barbra Streisand Album ''The Second Barbra Streisand Album'' is the title of Barbra Streisand's second solo studio album. It was released in August 1963, just six months after the release of her debut album, '' The Barbra Streisand Album'', and was recorded in four d ...

'', which appeared on the compilation '' The Essential Barbra Streisand''. In her first television special, ''My Name is Barbra'', she performed a bitterly jubilant version of the song. In 2000, she performed the song on her Timeless Tour and a live recording was included on the live album '' Timeless: Live in Concert'' and the DVD.

Billie Holiday versions

* "Lover, Come Back to Me" (1944 version) * "Lover, Come Back To Me" (1952 Clef Records)

Streisand versions

* "Lover, Come Back To Me" (1962 version) * "Lover, Come Back To Me" (1963 Version) / (album version) - 2:18 * "Lover, Come Back To Me" (live from ''Timeless: Live in Concert'', 2000) * "Medley: Hooray For Love / After You've Gone / By Myself / S'Wonderful / (I Like New York In June) How About You? / Lover, Come Back To Me / You And The Night And The Music / It All Depends On You" (Live from '' The Judy Garland Show'') - 4:34

Other notable recordings

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

( Miss Wonderful 1944-1955 released 2009) * Arden-Ohman Orchestra ( Victor, 1929).

Joel Whitburn Joel Carver Whitburn (November 29, 1939 – June 14, 2022) was an American author and music historian, responsible for setting up the Record Research, Inc. series of books on record chart placings. Early life Joel Carver Whitburn was born in W ...

estimates this recording would have charted at No. 6 if the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...

had existed. *

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...

and his Orchestra ( Columbia, 1929). Joel Whitburn estimates this recording would have charted at No. 3 if the

had existed. * Perry Askam (Victor, 1930). Joel Whitburn estimates this recording would have charted at No. 20 if the Billboard Hot 100 had existed. *

Mildred Bailey Mildred Bailey (born Mildred Rinker; February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a Native American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady", and "Mrs. Swing". She recorded the songs " For Sentime ...

– recorded for Vocalion Records in 1938. *

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...

– a single in 1953 which reached the ''Billboard'' charts peaking at No. 16. * Barbara Cook – ''Oscar Winners: The Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II'' (1997) *

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...

- '' Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile'' (1966) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

– '' Sweet and Hot'' (1955) *

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

- '' Trav'lin' Light'' (1961) *

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...

and

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...

- ''Chester & Lester'' - (RCA Victor, 1976) *

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani people, Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Belgium, Belgian-born Romani jazz guitarist and composer in France. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe ...

with

Larry Adler Lawrence Cecil Adler (February 10, 1914 – August 6, 2001) was an American harmonica player and film composer. Known for playing major works, he played compositions by George Gershwin, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Malcolm Arnold, Darius Milhaud ...

- recorded together the song twice in May 1938 *

Mel Torme Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Primarily performing rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music, she achieved her first ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' hit aged 12 i ...

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American jazz musician, most known as an alto saxophonist. He occasionally performed and recorded on tenor saxophone, clarinet (his first instrument) and bass clarinet. Active ...

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), known professionally as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter whose music transcended rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres in the 1950s and 1960s, with ...

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

, Joe Williams, Brian Ferry

Usage

* The Annette Hanshaw rendition of this song was also used in the animated movie, '' Sita Sings The Blues''.

References

External links

Lover Come Back to Me at jazzstandards.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lover, Come Back To Me 1928 songs 1920s jazz standards 1959 singles Songs with music by Sigmund Romberg Songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Barbra Streisand songs Ella Fitzgerald songs Mildred Bailey songs Nat King Cole songs Billie Holiday songs Ed Townsend songs Capitol Records singles Columbia Records singles Jazz compositions in F major Jeanette MacDonald songs