"Don't Blame Me" is a popular song with music by

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, J ...

and lyrics by

Dorothy Fields Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote more than 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include " The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (193 ...

. The song was part of the 1932 show ''Clowns in Clover'' and was published in 1933. Popular versions that year were recorded by:

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 no ...

(US No. 6),

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was a Canadian and American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racing, hydroplane racer whose unique "sweet jazz" style remained popular with audiences for nearly five decade ...

, and Charles Agnew.

Later recordings

*It was a No. 21 hit for

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 ...

in 1948. *The song received two significant "rock era" remakes: a ballad version by the Everly Brothers in 1961 which reached No. 20 on ''

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 advertis ...

'', and an up-tempo version by Frank Ifield which reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart on 15 February 1964, as well as in New Zealand. In the U.S., Ifield's version reached No. 128.

Other recordings

* Charles Agnew and his Hotel Stevens Orchestra (1933). ''The New Yorker'' magazine reviewed this recording as "richly played." *

with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra – 1933 *

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive Swing music, swing pianist", Wilson's piano style was gentle, elegant, and virtuosic. His style was high ...

– 1937 * Nat "King" Cole October 1938, July 1944,The King Cole Trio: The MacGregor Years, 1941-1945, Music & Arts Project of America November 21, 1944, May 19, 1945, July 14, 1955 *

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

's earliest known recording of the song was broadcast Monday, May 3, 1943 from New York City as part of ''Columbia Presents Perry Como''. He recorded the song as part of a Chesterfield Supper Club program in 1945 or 1946 that was rebroadcast by the AFRS as ''AFRS Supper Club #283''. *

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

with

– 1944 * Peggy Lee - 1945 * Charlie Parker - 1947 * Andy Russell with Dean Elliott and His Orchestra - ''Love Notes From Andy Russell'' (1948) *

Shep Fields Shep Fields (born Saul Feldman, September 12, 1910 – February 23, 1981) was an American bandleader who led the Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm orchestra during the 1930s. His distinctive Rippling Rhythm sound was featured on big band remo ...

with his New Music Orchestra – (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

, 1948) * J. J. Johnson – 1949 *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

recorded the song in 1956 for use on his

radio show A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production, or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio netw ...

. It was included in the box set ''The Bing Crosby CBS Radio Recordings (1954–56)'' issued by

Mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

in 2009. *

Johnnie Ray John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927 – February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Highly popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor to what became rock and roll, for his jazz and blu ...

Johnnie Ray with The Buddy Cole Quartet, (Columbia Records CL-6199, 1952) Following "Whiskey & Gin" & the smash "Cry," his first two hit singles released on Okeh in 1951, "Don't Blame Me" was the first of eight sides of Johnnie Ray's debut album for Columbia in 1952 * Sammy Davis Jr. - ''

It's All Over but the Swingin' ''It's All Over but the Swingin'' is a 1957 album by Sammy Davis Jr., arranged by Jack Pleis and Morty Stevens. Track listing # "Guess I'll Hang My Tears out to Dry" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 4:43 # " But Not for Me" (George Gershwin, Ira ...

'' (1957) *

Yusuf Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya in the United States, Ahmadiyya Community in the United St ...

– ''Eastern Sounds'' (1962) *

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

– '' Criss Cross'' (1963) *

Duke Jordan Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan (April 1, 1922 – August 8, 2006) was an American jazz pianist. Biography Jordan was born in New York and raised in Brooklyn where he attended Boys High School. An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regul ...

with Sam Jones and Al Foster (1975) * Steve Grossman with Michel Petrucciani – ''Steve Grossman Quartet with Michel Petrucciani'' (1999) *

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He has also written two operas and more than 80 film and television scores. Blanchard has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Original Score for ''B ...

with Cassandra Wilson – ''Let's Get Lost'' (2001)

Popular culture

*The song was performed in a restaurant scene with

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...

and

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American actress. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Diane Keaton, various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a Bri ...

in the 1982 film ''

Shoot the Moon ''Shoot the Moon'' is a 1982 American drama film directed by Alan Parker, and written by Bo Goldman. It stars Albert Finney, Diane Keaton, Karen Allen, Peter Weller, and Dana Hill. Set in Marin County, California, the film follows George ...

''.

References

External links

"Don't Blame Me" at Jazz Standards
{{authority control Songs with music by Jimmy McHugh Songs with lyrics by Dorothy Fields 1933 songs 1933 singles 1948 singles 1961 singles 1964 singles 1930s jazz standards The Everly Brothers songs Frank Ifield songs Warner Records singles Johnnie Ray songs Jazz compositions in C major Guy Lombardo songs Nat King Cole songs Real Book Song

Later recordings

Other recordings

Popular culture

See also

References

External links