"Don't Smoke in Bed" is a jazz song originally composed and recorded by
Willard Robison
Willard Robison (September 18, 1894 – June 24, 1968) was an American vocalist, pianist, and composer of popular songs, born in Shelbina, Missouri. His songs reflect a rural, melancholy theme steeped in Americana and their warm style has d ...
and later associated with a recording by
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blue ...
released on her 1958 debut album ''
Little Girl Blue''.
The song had been first recorded by
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...
in 1947 with
Dave Barbour and His Orchestra and released on her album ''Rendezvous with Peggy Lee'' (1948).
["Rendezvous With Peggy Lee by Peggy Lee"]
at SecondHandSongs. The liner notes to ''Peggy Lee: The Singles Collection'' suggest that the song was mostly written by Lee & Barbour from a few lines by Robison as they were concerned that Robison would not live long enough to finish the song, and wanted to gift him with a valuable copyright to provide for his daughter after his passing. In the event, Robison lived another 20 years.
Other artists who have recorded the song include
Corry Brokken
Cornelia Maria "Corry" Brokken (3 December 1932 – 31 May 2016) was a Dutch singer, television presenter and jurist. In 1957, she won the second edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Net als toen", representing the Netherland ...
(''Corry's Bed-Time Story'', 1958),
Connie Russell
Connie Russell (May 9, 1923 – December 18, 1990) was an American singer and movie actress. Born in New York City, she appeared in seven films from the 1930s through the 1950s. She was far better known as a singer than as an actress, as h ...
(''Don't Smoke in Bed'', 1959),
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 album ...
(''
Around Midnight
''Around Midnight'' is an LP album by Julie London, released by Liberty Records under catalog number LRP-3164 as a monophonic recording in 1960, and later in stereo under catalog number LST-7164 the same year. It was released a number of times o ...
'', 1960),
Rod McKuen
Rodney Marvin McKuen (; April 29, 1933 – January 29, 2015) was an American poet, singer-songwriter, and actor. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range ...
(''Stranger in Town'', 1961),
Jack Teagarden
Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 19 ...
(''Think Well of Me '', 1962),
Teresa Brewer
Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American singer whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of th ...
(''Moments to Remember'', 1964),
Mary Coughlan (''
Under the Influence'', 1987),
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1946) is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 19 ...
(''
Round Midnight'', 1993),
Holly Cole
Holly Cole (born November 25, 1963) is a Canadian jazz singer and actress. For many years she performed with her group The Holly Cole Trio.
Background
Cole was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her father, Leon Cole, was a noted radio broadcaster ...
(''
Don't Smoke in Bed'', 1993),
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946)
is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''.
Called the "punk poet ...
(''Ain't Nuthin' But a She Thing'', 1995),
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include " Anticipation" (No. 13), " The Right Thi ...
(''
Film Noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
'', 1997),
k.d. lang (''
Drag
Drag or The Drag may refer to:
Places
* Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway
* ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania
* Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street adj ...
'', 1997),
Janet Seidel (''Don't Smoke in Bed - Songs in the Key of Peggy Lee'', 2002),
Rita Coolidge
Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945) is an American recording artist. During the 1970s and 1980s, her songs were on '' Billboard'' magazine's pop, country, adult contemporary, and jazz charts, and she won two Grammy Awards with fellow musician and th ...
(''And So Is Love '', 2005), and
Xiu Xiu
Xiu Xiu ( ) is an American experimental band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of Stewart (the only constant member since formation) and Angela Seo. The band's name ...
(''
Nina Nina may refer to:
* Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname
Acronyms
* National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq
* Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology
* No incom ...
'', 2013), Coppe' feat. Nikakoi
From the Album Milk, produced by Nikakoi
October 6, 2017.
"Don't Smoke in Bed" versions
SecondHandSongs.
In 2017 Marlene Dietrich
Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...
's version from her Warsaw concerts was released by Polskie Radio on CD and digital download.
References
Songs about tobacco
Jazz songs
Nina Simone songs
American songs
Year of song missing
Songs with music by Willard Robison
{{1940s-song-stub