"My Coloring Book" is a song written by

Fred Ebb Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004) was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Riv ...

and

John Kander John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927) is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb (with lyricist Fred Ebb), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including ''Ca ...

. First performed by Sandy Stewart in 1962 on the television program ''

The Perry Como Kraft Music Hall Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signin ...

'', she was one of the first artists to record the work in 1962 when it was released as a single. She also included the song on her 1963 album which was also named ''My Coloring Book''. Stewart's single charted in the top 20, and so did another 1962 single version of the song recorded by

Kitty Kallen Kitty Kallen (born Katie Kallen; May 25, 1921 – January 7, 2016) was an American popular singer whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, to include the Swing era of the Big Band years, the post-World War II pop scene and the early ...

. Stewart's recording of the song was nominated for the 1963 Grammy Award for Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female and Kander and Ebb were nominated for the 1963

Grammy Award for Song of the Year The Grammy Award for Song of the Year is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. The Song of the Year award is one of the four most prestigious categories at ...

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

also recorded the song as a single in 1962, but it was a financial flop. She made a different recording of the work on her 1963 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 day ...

'', which was a critical success and has enjoyed enduring popularity. Many other artists have recorded and performed the song in succeeding decades, most recently

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

in 2014. While not originally written for one of their musicals, the song was included in the

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

musical revue ''And the World Goes ‘Round: The Songs of Kander and Ebb'' in 1991.

Composition and early performance and recording history

Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musicals, which include ''Cab ...

originally wrote the song "My Coloring Book" for

Kaye Ballard Kaye Ballard (November 20, 1925 – January 21, 2019) was an American actress, comedian, and singer. Early life Ballard was born Catherine Gloria Balotta in Cleveland, Ohio, one of four children born to Italian immigrant parents, Lena (née Nac ...

who was a close friends of the song writing duo. Ballard brought the song to the producers of the television show ''

'' with whom she was a regular performer. Kander and Ebb performed the song for

Nick Vanoff Nick Vanoff (October 25, 1929 – March 20, 1991) was a dancer, producer and philanthropist. Early life Vanoff was born in the village of Banitsa, Greece.Eleanor BlauNick Vanoff, 61, Former Dancer Who Became Successful Producer ''The New York ...

, one of the producers of the show, who liked the song but felt the material needed a singer other than Ballard. The producers were not open to having Ballard sing the song because they felt she was a comedian and not a singer who could effectively deliver more serious material. The producers of ''The Perry Como Kraft Music Hall'' had Sandy Stewart perform the premiere of the song on the October 31, 1962 broadcast of the television program. The critical and public response to this performance was enthusiastic, with more than 20,000 fan letters coming in for Stewart about her performance.

Tommy Valando Thomas F. Valando (March 1, 1916 – February 14, 1995) was a Broadway producer and owner of a New York City music publishing company, Tommy Valando Publishing Group, Inc. Valando played a role in the emergence of BMI songwriters on the Broad ...

published the song with Sunbeam Music, a division of

Broadcast Music, Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...

, for sheet music sales at this time. Record labels and performing artists quickly lobbied Kander and Ebb for the right to record and perform the song, resulting in multiple different single recording releases in 1962. Charles Sinclair in ''

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 ...

'' wrote

"One of the sharpest record duels in recent weeks is shaping up over the season's prettiest new ballad — a timely John Kander-Fred Ebb tune called "My Coloring Book." No less than four single versions of it reached BMW for review last week, and more are reported in the works.

The first four

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

of "My Coloring Book" were all released simultaneously in the last week of November and first week of December 1962 by singers Sandy Stewart,

George Chakiris George Chakiris (born September 16, 1932) is an American actor. He is best known for his appearance in the 1961 film version of ''West Side Story'' as Bernardo Nunez, the leader of the Sharks gang, for which he won both the Academy Award for Be ...

, and

. Stewart's single of the work, made for

Colpix Records Colpix Records was the first recording company for Columbia Pictures–Screen Gems. Colpix got its name from combining Columbia (Col) and Pictures (Pix). CBS, which owned Columbia Records, then sued Columbia Pictures for trademark infringement ov ...

, was paired with "I Heard You Cry Last Night" as a b-side. Record sales of her single were boosted considerably by several more performances of the song on television, including ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...

'' and ''

The Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 a ...

''. In January 1963 she released her album, ''My Coloring Book'', named after the song. Stewart's version was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female in 1963. She also included the song on her 1963 album which was titled after the song. Chakiris's single was paired with the song "I've Got Your Number" as a b side and was made with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

. Kallen's single was made for

RCA Victor Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

and included "Here to Us" as a b-side. Kallen's single sold very well, and by January 12, 1963, her version and Stewart's version were closely matched on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' 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), radio play, and online streaming ...

with Kallen placing 13th and Stewart placing 14th on the chart. Streisand heard Stewart perform ''My Coloring Book'' on

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

's show, and she called

the day after to ask them if she could record the song. They agreed. Her version was arranged and conducted by Robert Mersey, the song was released as

's second single release in November 1962, as a double single with "

Lover, Come Back To Me "Lover, Come Back to Me" is a popular song composed by Sigmund Romberg with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for the Broadway show ''The New Moon'', where the song was introduced by Evelyn Herbert and Robert Halliday (as Robert Misson). The song was ...

". Produced by

Mike Berniker Michael Berniker (June 30, 1935 – July 25, 2008) was an American record producer who was recognized with nine Grammy Awards over the course of his career for his work on albums with such performers as Perry Como, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Jo ...

, and recorded before Streisand's first album sessions, the single was sent to radio. This release did not sell well, and the 1962 recordings of "My Coloring Book" by Sandy Stewart and

both were more financially profitable that Streisand's version. This 1962 version was re-released as a single in March 1965 as part of the "Hall of Fame" series with the 1962 recording of "

Happy Days Are Here Again "Happy Days Are Here Again" is a 1929 song with music by Milton Ager and lyrics by Jack Yellen. The song is a standard that has been interpreted by various artists. It appeared in the 1930 film '' Chasing Rainbows'' and was the campaign song for ...

". Streisand later re-recorded the song for her critically successful second album, ''

''.

List of recordings

recorded it in 1962 *

recorded it in 1963 on his album ''Songs I Love''. *

Kate Smith Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American contralto. Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith is well known for her renditions of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" & "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain". ...

recorded it on her 1963 album ''The Sweetest Sounds''. *

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

released a version on his 1963 album, ''

Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests ''Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests'' is the eleventh album, studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams and was released in April 1963 by Columbia Records following his first season as host of his variety series, ''The Andy Will ...

''. *

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...

recorded the song for her 1963 album ''

All Alone Am I "All Alone Am I" is a song from 1962 popularized by the American singer Brenda Lee. The song was originally composed by the Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis and recorded in Greek by Tzeni Karezi for the soundtrack of the film ''To nisi ton genneon' ...

''. *

Julie London Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums ...

included the song on her 1963 album '' The End of the World'' *

Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis Si ...

recorded it for her 1963 album '' Skeeter Davis Sings The End of the World''. *

recorded the song as a single with "I've Got Your Number" as B side in 1963. *

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...

recorded the song for her 1964 debut album ''

A Girl Called Dusty ''A Girl Called Dusty'' is the debut studio album by English singer Dusty Springfield. It was released on 17 April 1964 in the United Kingdom by Philips Records. The album peaked at No. 6 on the UK Album Charts and No.5 on NME charts in May 196 ...

''. *

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

recorded the song for her 1964 album '' Vaughan with Voices''. *

Jane Morgan Jane Morgan (born Florence Catherine Currier; May 3, 1924) is an American former singer of traditional pop. Morgan initially found success in France and the UK before achieving recognition in the US, receiving six gold records. She was a frequen ...

recorded it for her 1965 album ''In My Style''. *

Ethel Ennis Ethel Llewellyn Ennis (November 28, 1932 – February 17, 2019) was an American jazz musician whose career spanned seven decades. Ennis spent the majority of her life in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, where she was affectionately known as t ...

recorded it for her 1965 album ''My Kind of Waltztime''. *

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

recorded it for his 1965 album '' Love is Forever''. *

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

recorded the song in 1964, and it was released on her album '' Soft and Beautiful'' in 1969. *

The King's Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 19 ...

recorded it for their 1972 album ''The King's Singers Collection''; reissued on the 2005 CD, ''Colouring Book''. *The

Anita Kerr Anita Jean Kerr (née Grilli, October 13, 1927 – October 10, 2022) was an American singer, arranger, composer, conductor, pianist, and music producer. She recorded and performed with her vocal harmony groups in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Eur ...

Singers recorded the song in 1973 for the LP of the same title on the Apex label. *

Mel Carter Mel Carter (born April 22, 1939, Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American singer and actor. He is best known for his 1965 million-selling recording, "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me". Biography At age 16 Carter studied singing with vocalist Little Jimmy Sc ...

Recorded the song in 1976 as a single and reached (#47 Adult Contemporary chart) *It was featured in the 1991 Kander and Ebb musical revue '' And The World Goes 'Round''. *

Agnetha Fältskog Agneta Åse Fältskog (born 5 April 1950), known as Agnetha Fältskog (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and musician. She first achieved success in Sweden with the release of her 1968 self-titled debut album. She later achieved internatio ...

recorded the song for her album ''

My Colouring Book ''My Colouring Book'' is the eleventh studio album released by Swedish singer-songwriter Agnetha Fältskog. It is her fourth album recorded in English and was her first album release for 17 years, and was well received by ABBA fans, as well as t ...

'' (2004). *

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

recorded the song for her album ''Coming Home'' (2014).

References

{{Authority control 1962 in American music Songs with lyrics by Fred Ebb Songs with music by John Kander Barbra Streisand songs Andy Williams songs