"(It Will Have to Do) Until the Real Thing Comes Along" is a popular song first published in 1936.

Background

In 1931,

Alberta Nichols Alberta Nichols (December 3, 1898 – February 4, 1957) was a popular songwriter of the 1930s and 1940s. Together with her husband, lyricist Mann Holiner, they composed over 100 songs, of which their most famous were "Until the Real Thing Comes A ...

wrote the music and Mann Holiner wrote the words for a song titled "Till the Real Thing Comes Along" which was featured in a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

titled ''Rhapsody in Black''. The review, produced by

Lew Leslie Lew Leslie (born Lewis Lessinsky; April 15, 1888 – March 10, 1963) was an American writer and producer of Broadway shows. Leslie got his start in show business in vaudeville in his early twenties. Although white, he was the first major imp ...

, was similar to the famous '' Blackbirds'' reviews of the late 1920s and 1930s, and featured

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her not ...

, who introduced "Till the Real Thing Comes Along". The song was not a hit in its original incarnation, though a sheet music edition was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. in 1931. In 1936, the song was substantially rewritten by composer

Saul Chaplin Saul Chaplin (February 19, 1912 – November 15, 1997) was an American composer and musical director. He was born Saul Kaplan in Brooklyn, New York. He had worked on stage, screen and television since the days of Tin Pan Alley. In film, he won t ...

, lyricist

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premier ...

, and saxophonist L.E. Freeman. A completely new

verse Verse may refer to: Poetry * Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry * Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza * Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme * Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...

replaced the original verse, a new melody replaced the original melody of the refrain, and a mostly new set of lyrics replaced the original lyric of the refrain. What was retained from the 1931 composition was the recurring lyric motif of the song's title. In its original form, this motif was "If that isn't love, I guess it'll do / Till the real thing comes along". In the 1936 song, it was revised slightly to "If that isn't love, it will have to do / Until the real thing comes along." Additionally, part of one line in the refrain ("I'd sigh for you, cry for you") was retained, though the conclusion of that line was rewritten from "I'd lay myself down and die for you" to "I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you". The re-written song was published by Chappell & Co. and quickly became a hit, with recordings in 1936 by Andy Kirk and His 12 Clouds of Joy,

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

Jan Garber Jan Garber (born Jacob Charles Garber, November 5, 1894 – October 5, 1977) was an American violinist and jazz bandleader. Biography Garber was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He had his own band by the time he was 21. He became known as "The ...

& His Orchestra (vocal by Russell Brown) and by

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& His Orchestra (vocal by

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).. While at least one early sheet music edition of the 1936 song omitted Nichols and Holiner from the credits, ASCAP and most sheet music editions list five writers (Nichols, Holiner, Chaplin, Cahn, and Freeman).

Notable recordings

(8/1/1936) Victor matrix BS-102402, per DAHR website. *

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feat. Bill Kenny, this reached No. 24 in the Billboard charts in 1941. *

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

(1942) Columbia Record 78rpm; re-issued on the Columbia release ''Lady Day: the Best of Billie Holiday'' (2001) *

The Ravens ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

(1947) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, 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, phrasing, timing, in ...

and

Ellis Larkins Ellis Larkins (May 15, 1923 – September 30, 2002) was an American jazz pianist born in Baltimore, Maryland, known for his two recordings with Ella Fitzgerald: the albums ''Ella Sings Gershwin'' (1950) and '' Songs in a Mellow Mood'' (1954). He ...

on the Decca album release ''

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'' (1954), re-released as part of the album, ''

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'' (1994). *

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and

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...

- on their album ''

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'' (1956) *

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- ''

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'' (1956) *

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- included in the album ''This Is June Christy'' (1956). *

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

- on his album ''

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'' (1960) *

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- on his album ''

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'' (1960) *

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

- on his album ''

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'' (1962). *

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 ...

for her album ''

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'' (1962). *

Judy Henske Judith Anne "Judy" Henske (December 20, 1936 – April 27, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter, dubbed "the Queen of the Beatniks" by producer Jack Nitzsche. Initially performing in folk clubs in the early 1960s, her performances and r ...

for her album ''High Flying Bird'' (1963). *

Ernie K-Doe Ernest Kador Jr. (February 22, 1933 – July 5, 2001), known by the stage name Ernie K-Doe, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer best known for his 1961 hit single "Mother-in-Law", which went to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' pop chart in the U ...

(1967) *

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- ''

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'' (1974) *

James Booker James Carroll Booker III (December 17, 1939 – November 8, 1983) was a New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Booker's unique style combined rhythm and blues with jazz standards. Musician Dr. J ...

- ''Junco Partner'' (1976) *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

- ''

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'' (1984) *

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- material together from sessions dating between 1958 and 1962 in the ''

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'' (1988). *

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- '' As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II'' (2003) *

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- ''Before The Rain'' (2011) *

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- ''French Fries and Champagne'' (2016) *A French version was adapted by

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and performed by

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. *It was also performed in French by the famous group "The Neighbours" during a concert in Le New Cactus in

Kigali Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali has been Rwa ...

, Rwanda.

References

Songs with lyrics by Sammy Cahn Songs written by Saul Chaplin Carmen McRae songs 1936 songs 1930s jazz compositions {{Pop-standard-stub