"Red Sails in the Sunset" is a popular song. Published in

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

, its music was written by Hugh Williams ( pseudonym for Wilhelm Grosz) with lyrics by prolific songwriter Jimmy Kennedy. The song was inspired by the "red sails" of ''Kitty of Coleraine'', a yacht Kennedy often saw off the northern coast of Northern Ireland and by his adopted town Portstewart, a seaside resort in

County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...

. The title of the song provides the inspiration for the Red Sails Festival held annually in Portstewart, Northern Ireland. Kennedy wrote the song while staying in Portstewart. The song was used in the Broadway production of ''Provincetown Follies'' which ran from November 3 until December 19, 1935, at the Provincetown Playhouse. Popular versions in 1935 were 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 ...

, Guy Lombardo, Mantovani and Jack Jackson. Another early version was recorded by Al Bowlly with Ray Noble and his Orchestra on September 18, 1935.

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

also had a hit with the song in 1936. The song was revived by Nat King Cole in

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

. This version was released by

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 ...

as catalog number 1468. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on July 13, 1951, and lasted 2 weeks on the chart, peaking at #24. Another version was released in 1954 on MGM 11977 by Sam "The Man" Taylor and His Orchestra, with Sam on tenor saxophone. An instrumental version of the song became the signature tune of the Philippine radio drama series ''Dear Kuya Cesar'', broadcast on DZMM radio ( ABS-CBN) in the sixties and hosted by

Cesar Lacbu Nucum Cesar Lacbu Nucum (May 15, 1938 – May 17, 2007), better known as Kuya Cesar, was a Filipino radio personality. He was also known as "Speed Bagal". Early life Cesar Lacbu Nucum was born on May 15, 1938 at Pansinao in Candaba, Pampanga. He is th ...

, a.k.a. Kuya Cesar. The song was also the signature tune of

Suzette Tarri Ada Barbara Harriett Tarry (2 January 1881 – 10 October 1955), known by her stage name Suzette Tarri, was an English comedian and singer, popular on radio as well as on stage in the 1930s and 1940s. Biography She was born in Hoxton, London ...

, a British actress and comedian popular on stage and radio in the 1930s and 1940s.

Recorded versions

recorded November 12, 1935 for Decca Records with Victor Young and His Orchestra. ···· * Jack Jackson (

) * Guy Lombardo (recorded October 11, 1935 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 ...

585) * Leslie (Hutch) Hutchinson (Parlophone R 233 September 1935) *

Anona Winn Anona Winn (born Anona Edna Wilkins, 5 January 1904 – 2 February 1994) was an Australian-born actress, broadcaster and singer, who spent most of her career in the UK. Career Born in Sydney, she studied at the Redland College For Girls in Sydn ...

(featured with enormous success per sheet music 1935) * Henry "Red" Allen 11/8/1935 Vocalion 3097 * Al Bowlly acc. by orchestra directed by Ray Noble 1935 * Vera Lynn (

) * Mantovani (

) * Tony Martin (EP ABC-Paramount 90842 / 25 cm 10" ABC-Paramount 1501) *

(

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

) *

Albert Ammons Albert Clifton Ammons (March 1, 1907 – December 2, 1949) was an American pianist and player of boogie-woogie, a blues style popular from the late 1930s to the mid-1940s. Life and career Ammons was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were pi ...

(

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

) * Nat King Cole (

) *

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 ...

(1955 in " The Patti Page Show") * Vaughn Monroe (

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 ...

) *Rou Yun (柔雲) (1956 in Mandarin Chinese under title name of 夕陽紅帆 &

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

lyrics by Szeto Ming 司徒明) * Tab Hunter (

) *

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American singer from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." His greatest fame was due to ...

(1957) * Paul Anka (

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

) *

Emile Ford Michael Emile Telford Miller (16 October 1937 – 11 April 2016), known professionally as Emile Ford, was a musician and singer born in Saint Lucia, British Windward Islands. He was popular in the United Kingdom in the late 1950s and early ...

(

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

) * The Platters (

) – top 40 hit – reaching No. 36. *

The Jarmels The Jarmels was an American doo wop rhythm and blues group formed in 1959 in Richmond, Virginia best known for their only 1961 hit, " A Little Bit of Soap". Career The start of their big break came in 1960 when they were at a local (Richmond) ...

(

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

) * The Beatles ( officially unreleased, 1962) * Dinah Washington (

) * The Three Sounds (

) * Earl Grant (

) * Fats Domino (

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

); Domino's rendition would be the last top 40 hit of his career, reaching No. 35 * Connie Francis (1963) * The Searchers (1964, Swedish Radio Sessions 1964–1967) *

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

(instrumental) on his 1964 album ''

Stevie at the Beach ''Stevie at the Beach'' is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder released on the Tamla (Motown) label on June 23, 1964. With the exception of the mild hit, "Hey Harmonica Man", it was a concept album of sorts, focus ...

'' *

Takeshi Terauchi , also known as Terry, was a Japanese instrumental rock guitarist. His preferred guitar was a black Mosrite with a white pickguard. His guitar sound was characterized by frenetic picking, heavy use of tremolo picking and frequent use of his gu ...

& Bunnys (instrumental) on their 1967 album ''The World Is Waiting For Terry'' *

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

c. 1968 *

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 ...

(1969) *

The Five Keys The Five Keys were an American rhythm and blues vocal group who were instrumental in shaping this genre in the 1950s. They were formed with the original name of Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, US, in the late 1940s, and initially consi ...

* Jimmy McGriff (1971) * Johnny Lee (No. 22 country hit in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

) *

Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers Crazy Cavan 'n' the Rhythm Rockers (also known as Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers, Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers, Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers) were a Welsh rockabilly band associated with the Teddy Boy scene. The band formed in 1970, and ...

(

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

) *

Frank Patterson Frank Patterson (5 October 1938 – 10 June 2000) was an internationally renowned Irish tenor following in the tradition of singers such as Count John McCormack and Josef Locke. He was known as "Ireland's Golden Tenor". Early life Patterson wa ...

* Slim Dusty (

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

) *

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

(

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

) * Engelbert Humperdinck (

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

)

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1935 songs 1935 singles Songs with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy Songs with music by Wilhelm Grosz Louis Armstrong songs Jimmy Velvit songs Johnny Lee (singer) songs Al Bowlly songs Guy Lombardo songs Bing Crosby songs Nat King Cole songs