"Old Cape Cod" is a song written by Claire Rothrock,
Milton Yakus
Milton Yakus (December 25, 1917 – November 6, 1980) was an American songwriter of popular music. He was married to Martha Yakus, and was the father of recording engineer Shelly Yakus, born in 1945HARTMAN, KENT "Goodnight L.A.: The Rise an ...
and Allan Jeffrey that was published in
1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
. The single, as recorded by
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...
, became a
gold record
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile meta ...
, having sold more than a million copies. Hailed by Cape Cod natives as the "unofficial
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
Anthem, if ever there was one,"
the song has been credited with "putting the Cape on the map" and helping to establish Cape Cod as a major tourist destination.
Background
The song extols the virtues of
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
as a leisure destination with each verse ending with the line "You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod." The nucleus of the song was a poem written by
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
-area housewife Claire Rothrock, for whom Cape Cod was a favorite vacation spot. "Old Cape Cod" and its
derivative
In mathematics, the derivative of a function of a real variable measures the sensitivity to change of the function value (output value) with respect to a change in its argument (input value). Derivatives are a fundamental tool of calculus. F ...
s would be Rothrock's sole evident songwriting credit. She brought her poem to Ace Studios, a Boston recording studio owned by
Milton Yakus
Milton Yakus (December 25, 1917 – November 6, 1980) was an American songwriter of popular music. He was married to Martha Yakus, and was the father of recording engineer Shelly Yakus, born in 1945HARTMAN, KENT "Goodnight L.A.: The Rise an ...
, who adapted the poem into the song's lyrics. His associate Allan Jeffrey wrote the music and a
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
recording was made at Ace.
Patti Page version
Recording and impact
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...
had previously had a hit with the Milton Yakus composition "
Go on with the Wedding" in 1956. However, according to Page, Claire Rothrock brought "Old Cape Cod" directly to her, approaching Page at a Boston nightclub where the singer was performing. Page says of the song: "I just fell in love with it." She recorded "Old Cape Cod" during a day trip to New York City, enabling her return to Boston in time for that evening's nightclub performance. The song was intended to be the
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
of her next single, "
Wondering".
The "Wondering"/"Old Cape Cod" single was released by
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
on April 23, 1957 as catalog number 71101. Both tracks debuted on the
''Billboard'' magazine charts for the week ending June 3, and "Old Cape Cod" quickly became the dominant track, peaking at number three on ''Billboard''
's Most Played by Jockeys chart, number eight on the Best Sellers In Stores chart and number seven on the
Top 100 composite chart for 1957. "Old Cape Cod" spent 18 weeks on the
Cash Box magazine
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
Best Selling Singles list, peaking at number eight and holding there for three consecutive weeks. The song was a hit in Australia, peaking at number 14.
Legacy
Page had never visited Cape Cod until after the song had been released and became a hit. She later recalled her first visit to the Cape, saying:
Her last visit to Cape Cod was in February 2010, when she attended a ceremony held in her honor at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
Massachusetts state senator
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...
Robert O'Leary
Robert A. O'Leary is a former member of the Massachusetts Senate ( D- Barnstable) who served from 2001 to 2011. He was a candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary for Massachusetts's 10th congressional district.
Early life and career
O'Leary ...
remarked:
Symbolizing Page's "contributions in the promotion of Cape Cod through the years and with her music", the ceremony culminated with the O'Leary's dedication and the unveiling of a new street sign, as the road leading to the Chamber of Commerce was renamed Patti Page Way.
Following Page's death on January 1, 2013, the Chamber of Commerce credited the song's success with helping to establish Cape Cod as a major tourist destination:
The song was referenced by
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...
in the lyrics of "
Disney Girls", his nostalgic song about growing up in the 1950s: "Patti Page and summer days on old Cape Cod."
Other versions
*"Old Cape Cod" was the subject of a 1990 lawsuit after a
sound-alike
A sound-alike is a recording intended to imitate the sound of a popular record, the style of a popular recording artist, or a current musical trend; the term also refers to the artists who perform on such recordings. In the voice-over world, it m ...
song appeared in a 1989 commercial for
American Savings Bank
American Savings Bank is Hawaii's third-largest financial institution, with assets of $6.7 billion. A subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE: HE), it is headed by Chairman Constance Lau.
American Savings Bank dates back to Septemb ...
. Page sued the advertising agency, alleging that the commercial implied that Page endorsed the bank.
*
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 ...
performed "Old Cape Cod" on his
CBS Radio program in 1957, and the recording was released after his death. Also in 1957,
Michael Holliday
Norman Alexander Milne, known professionally as Michael Holliday (26 November 1924 – 29 October 1963) was a British singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
He had a number of chart hits in the UK, including two number one si ...
covered the song for the U.K. market. His version, which featured the
Norrie Paramor
Norman William Paramor (15 May 1914 – 9 September 1979), known professionally as Norrie Paramor, was a British record producer, composer, arranger, pianist, bandleader, and orchestral conductor. He is best known for his work with Cliff Ri ...
Orchestra, failed to chart. The
Norman Petty
Norman Petty (May 25, 1927 – August 15, 1984) was an American musician, record producer, publisher, radio station owner, and considered to be one of the founding fathers of early rock & roll.
Biography
Petty was born in the small town of Clo ...
Trio also recorded the song in 1957, a version that was originally featured on the ''Top 12 Vol 4'' multi-artist compilation album and subsequently on ''Songs of New England'', a 1962 multi-artist compilation album.
*In 1960,
Susan Barrett recorded "Old Cape Cod" for her ''A Little Travelin' Music'' album. The track was included on the 1994 multi-artist compilation ''Capitol Sings Coast to Coast''. Also in 1960,
instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
ist
Billy Vaughn included the song on his soundtrack album for ''
The Sundowners'' and as the B-side of the title track's single release, which reached #51.
*
Jerry Vale
Jerry Vale (born Gennaro Louis Vitaliano; July 8, 1930 – May 18, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter and actor. During the 1950s and 1960s, he reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, including a cover ...
's 1963 version
bubbled under the Hot 100, peaking at #118. It was included on his 1964 album ''Have You Looked Into Your Heart''. Also in 1963,
Bobby Rydell remade "Old Cape Cod" for his ''Wild (Wood) Days'' album.
*In 1965 the
Four Freshmen
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
recorded a version "Old Cape Cod" as the B-side for their theme for the film ''
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
''Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes'' is a 1965 British period comedy film that satirizes the early years of aviation. Directed and co-written by Ken Annakin, the film ...
''. Neither side became a hit, but "Old Cape Cod" did reach #33 on the
Easy Listening chart. Also in 1965, recordings of "Old Cape Cod" were made by
Robert Goulet for his album ''Summer Sounds'' and by
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 ...
for her album ''In My Style''.
*
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American singer and television host who enjoyed success in the country and western, pop, and gospel musical genres. Noted for h ...
recorded the song for his 1968 album release ''Tennessee Ernie Ford's World of Pop and Country Hits''. That same year,
Dottie West
Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...
recorded the song for her album ''
Feminine Fancy
''Feminine Fancy'' is a studio album by American country music artist Dottie West. It was released in December 1968 and was produced by Chet Atkins. The album was West's tenth studio recording and third to be released in 1968. It was the third albu ...
''.
*
Bette Midler
Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...
recorded the song for her 1972 debut album ''
The Divine Miss M
''The Divine Miss M'' is the debut studio album by American singer and actress Bette Midler, released in 1972 on the Atlantic Records label. The title of the album refers to Midler's famous stage persona. The album was co-produced by Barry Man ...
'', although the track, which was produced by Midler with
Joel Dorn Joel Dorn (April 7, 1942 – December 17, 2007) was an American jazz and R&B music producer and record label entrepreneur. He worked at Atlantic Records, and later founded the 32 Jazz, Label M, and Hyena Records labels. He called himself "T ...
, first appeared on 1976's ''
Songs for the New Depression
''Songs for the New Depression'' is the third studio album by the American singer Bette Midler, released in early 1976 on the Atlantic Records label. The album was released on CD for the first time in 1990. A remastered version of the album was ...
'' and reached #36 on the adult contemporary chart.
*
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian singer. Her albums, consisting primarily of pop, country, and adult contemporary music, have sold over 55 million copies worldwide during her over 40-year career.
Murray was the fir ...
remade the song for ''
Croonin'
''Croonin is a studio album by Canadian country vocalist Anne Murray. It was released by EMI Music Canada and SBK Records on November 2, 1993. The album peaked at number 1 on the '' RPM'' Country Albums chart. Heartland Records put out a ''Croonin ...
'', a 1993 album consisting of hit songs from the 1950s.
*An instrumental version of "Old Cape Cod" was featured on the 1998 album ''Matinee Idylls'', recorded by Dean Cassell and Milt Reder of Super Genius under the name Four Piece Suit.
*
Mary Duff
Mary Duff is an Irish country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an ...
recorded the song for her 2006 album release ''Time After Time''; the song was the first title in a Patti Page
medley that also featured "
With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming" and "Allegheny Moon."
*In 2007,
the Puppini Sisters
The Puppini Sisters are an English close harmony vocal trio composed of Italian-born singer Marcella Puppini and English singers Kate Mullins and Emma Smith. Although the three are not related, the name was chosen in tribute to the Andrews Sister ...
recorded the song for their album ''The Rise & Fall of Ruby Woo''.
Other artists who have recorded "Old Cape Cod" include:
*
Beegie Adair
Bobbe Gorin "Beegie" Adair ( Long, December 11, 1937 – January 23, 2022) was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. In a career that spanned 60 years, she played on more than 100 recordings. More than a third of her recordings were with the B ...
*
Thumbs Carllile
Kenneth Ray Carllile (April 2, 1931–July 31, 1987), better known as Thumbs Carllile (Carlisle in some collections), was an American country music guitarist and songwriter known for his innovative zither-like fingerstyle playing, sitting wit ...
*
Wild Bill Davison
William Edward Davison (January 5, 1906 – November 14, 1989), nicknamed "Wild Bill", was an American jazz cornetist. He emerged in the 1920s through his work playing alongside Muggsy Spanier and Frank Teschemacher in a cover band where they ...
*
Don Lanphere
Donald Gale Lanphere (June 26, 1928 – October 9, 2003) was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist, known for his 1940s and 1950s work, and recordings with Fats Navarro (in 1948), Woody Herman (1949), Claude Thornhill, Sonny Dunham, Bil ...
*
John Prine
John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...
*
Jimmie Rodgers
James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...
*In 2008, a mid-tempo version was recorded by "Buffalo Crooner" Mark Weber.
*A Danish rendering of "Old Cape Cod," entitled "Der er bedst hos dig," was recorded by Ivan Meldgaard & the
Four Jacks (
da) in 1958. In 1967
Shirley Théroux (
fr) recorded "Old Cape Cod" with French lyrics for her self-titled album, and the track appeared as the B-side of her single "Un homme est dans ma vie."
*A sample of Patti Page's recording formed the basis of
Groove Armada
Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles "At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of w ...
's 1997 UK hit "
At the River
"At the River" is a song by British duo Groove Armada. It was released as a single in 1997 on 7-inch vinyl, limited to 500 copies. The song appeared on the duo's debut album '' Northern Star'' and again on their second album, ''Vertigo'', relea ...
". The lines "If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air / Quaint little villages here and there," sung in Page's multi-tracked close harmony, are repeated with the addition of synthesizer bass, slowed-down drums and a bluesy trombone solo to produce a
chill-out
Chill-out (shortened as chill; also typeset as chillout or chill out) is a loosely defined form of popular music characterized by slow tempos and relaxed moods. The definition of "chill-out music" has evolved throughout the decades, and generally ...
track.
*
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
finalist and
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
native
Siobhan Magnus released a version in February 2013 honoring Page, who had died earlier in the year, and donating 50% of sales to the
United Way
United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016.
United Way organizations raise funds ...
.
Soundtrack appearances
*"Old Cape Cod" was featured
in the 1990 film ''
Die Hard 2
''Die Hard 2'' (also known by its tagline ''Die Harder'')The film's onscreen title is ''Die Hard 2'', as also given at the initial home-video release'official website The film's original advertising used "Die Harder" as a tagline, and many rele ...
'', playing on a
phonograph record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
in a character's airport basement apartment.
*The song plays on the radio in the
Donna Deitch
Donna Deitch (born June 8, 1945, San Francisco, California) is an American film and television director, producer, and writer best known for her 1985 film ''Desert Hearts''. The movie was the first feature film to depict a lesbian love story in ...
film
Desert Hearts
''Desert Hearts'' is a 1985 American romantic drama film directed by Donna Deitch. The screenplay, written by Natalie Cooper, is an adaptation of the 1964 lesbian novel '' Desert of the Heart'' by Jane Rule. Set in Reno, Nevada in 1959, it ...
(1985) when the main character, played by
Helen Shaver
Helen Shaver (born February 24, 1951) is a Canadian actress and film and television director. She has received Emmy and Saturn Award nominations, among other honours.
Early life
Shaver was born and raised, with five sisters, in St. Thomas, Ont ...
, moves to a new apartment in
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
in the late 1950s.
*In 2006, the song appeared in the
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...
movie ''
A Good Year
''A Good Year'' is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. The film stars Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Didier Bourdon, Abbie Cornish, Tom Hollander, Freddie Highmore and Albert Finney. The film is loosely based ...
'', starring
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
and
Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard (; born 30 September 1975) is a French actress, film producer, singer, and environmentalist who is widely known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters in both European and Hollywood productions.
She has received ...
.
*On August 8, 2010, the song appeared on AMC's ''
Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...
'' Season 4 episode "The Good News."
*In 2021 the song was featured in the ‘Red Tide’ portion of American Horror Stories 10th season, “Double Feature.”
References
External links
Photo and video of Patti Page at ceremony to dedicate "Patti Page Way"
{{Authority control
1957 singles
Songs written by Milton Yakus
Patti Page songs
Jerry Vale songs
Bette Midler songs
Anne Murray songs
Dottie West songs
Songs about beaches
Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Cape Cod and the Islands
Songs about the United States