"Let's Fall in Love" is a song written by
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ' ...
(music) and
Ted Koehler
Ted L. Koehler (July 14, 1894 – January 17, 1973) was an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.
Life and career
Koehler was born in 1894 in Washington, D.C.
He started out as a photo-engraver, but ...
(lyrics) for the film ''
Let's Fall in Love
"Let's Fall in Love" is a song written by Harold Arlen (music) and Ted Koehler (lyrics) for the film ''Let's Fall in Love (film), Let's Fall in Love'' and published in 1933. In the film, it is heard during the opening credits and later sung by ...
'' and published in 1933. In the film, it is heard during the opening credits and later sung by
Art Jarrett
Arthur L. Jarrett Jr. (July 20, 1907 – July 23, 1987) was an American singer, bandleader and actor during the 1930s and 1940s. He was the son of stage actor and playwright Arthur L. Jarrett Sr. (1884–1960).
Early career
Near the end of th ...
and chorus, and by
Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920s ...
.
The major hit at the time of introduction was by
Eddy Duchin
Edwin Frank Duchin (April 1, 1909 – February 9, 1951), commonly known as Eddy Duchin or alternatively Eddie Duchin, was an American popular music pianist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s.
Early career
Duchin was born on April 1, 1909, ...
(vocal by Lew Sherwood). It was originally written in
C major
C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...
with a "Moderately Bright" tempo marking. As a jazz standard, it is usually played with a medium swing beat.
Other notable recordings
*
Annette Hanshaw
Catherine Annette Hanshaw (October 18, 1901 – March 13, 1985) was an American Jazz Age singer. She was one of the most popular radio stars of the late 1920s and early 1930s, with many of her most notable performances taking place on NBC's Maxwel ...
, Feb 3, 1934, New York City, Vocalion 2635.
*
Lee Wiley - ''Lee Wiley Sings Songs by Harold Arlen'' (1940), accompanied by
Eddie Condon
Albert Edwin Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4, 1973) was an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader. A leading figure in Chicago jazz, he also played piano and sang. He also owned a self-named night club in New York City.
Early ...
& His Orchestra
*
Eddie Fisher
Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, '' The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress E ...
with the
Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra - ''I Love You'' (1955)
*
The Four Aces
The Four Aces are an American male traditional pop quartet popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling songs include " Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", " Three Coins in the Foun ...
with the
Jack Pleis Orchestra
Jack K. Pleis (May 11, 1917 – December 5, 1990) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer. He recorded on London and Decca Records in the 1950s, and Columbia Records in the 1960s. During the course of his career, ...
- ''Mood For Love'' (1955).
*
Vic Damone
Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop music, pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My ...
-
''That Towering Feeling!'' (1956)
*
Tony Middleton and the Willows recorded an uptempo doo-wop version of the song in 1957, which was released on Gone #5015.
*
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, 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, phra ...
- ''
Ella Fitzgerald Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers'' (1959), accompanied by the
Frank De Vol
Frank Denny De Vol (September 20, 1911 – October 27, 1999) was an American bandleader, arranger, composer and actor. As a composer, he was nominated for four Academy Awards.
Early life
De Vol was born in Moundsville in Marshall County in no ...
Orchestra. She recorded it again with
Billy May
Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet (TV series), The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad (TV series), T ...
and a full orchestra for ''
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook
''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book'' is a 1961 (see 1961 in music) album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Billy May. This album marked the only time that Fitzgerald ...
'' (1961).
*
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 ...
&
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...
recorded for their 1959 album, ''
Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson
''Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson'' is a 1959 studio album (recorded in 1957) by Louis Armstrong, accompanied by Oscar Peterson.
The album was reissued in 1997 on CD with four bonus tracks, recorded at the sessions that produced '' Ella and ...
''.
*
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
- ''
Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
''Ring-a-Ding-Ding!'' is the twentieth studio album by Frank Sinatra, released on May 7, 1961. It was the inaugural record on Sinatra's Reprise label and, as the initial concept was "an album without ballads", it consisted only of uptempo swi ...
'', Johnny Mandel - arranger, conductor, 1961.
*
Alma Cogan
Alma Angela Cohen Cogan (19 May 1932 – 26 October 1966) was an English singer of traditional pop in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed the "Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era.
Ch ...
for her album, ''
With You in Mind'' (1961)
*
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...
- for her album ''
Let's Face the Music'' (1962)
*
Linda Scott released a cover of the song as a single in 1963 that reached #108 on the
''Billboard'' chart.
* Soul duo
Peaches and Herb recorded a cover of the song in 1966, which went to #11 on the US R&B singles chart and #21 on the
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
.
*
Robin Sarstedt had a hit with it in the
Benelux
The Benelux Union (; ; ; ) or Benelux is a politico-economic union, alliance and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighbouring states in Western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The name is a portma ...
countries in 1976.
*
Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard (magazi ...
released it on ''
When I Look in Your Eyes'' (1999)
*
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
released it on ''
Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV'' (2005)
*
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, actor and poet who is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel.
Born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Garfunkel became acquainte ...
released it on ''
Some Enchanted Evening
"Some Enchanted Evening" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical '' South Pacific''. It has been described as "the single biggest popular hit to come out of any Rodgers and Hammerstein show." Mast, Gerald''Can't Help Sing ...
'' (2007)
*
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...
released it on ''
Bold As Brass'' (2010)
Popular culture
* The film ''
Slightly French
''Slightly French'' is a 1949 American musical comedy film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Dorothy Lamour, Don Ameche and Janis Carter.Stern p.59 The screenplay concerns a Hollywood director who recruits an American singer.
Plot
After cl ...
'' (1949) features the song as the central love theme and it is sung by
Don Ameche
Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, repertory theatre, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 19 ...
and
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the ''Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing C ...
.
* The film ''
It Should Happen to You'' (1954) features the song as the central love theme between
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...
and
Judy Holliday
Judy Holliday (born Judith Tuvim, June 21, 1921 – June 7, 1965) was an American actress, comedian, and singer.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', June 9, 1965, p. 71.
She began her career as part of a nightclub act before working in Bro ...
, who sing it several times interspersed with dialogue, and hum it together at the end.
*
Muriel Landers sings the song in the 1958
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...
comedy short
Sweet and Hot.
*
Pat Collins, the hip hypnotist, sings a portion of the song in the 1967 Columbia Pictures release
Divorce American Style
''Divorce American Style'' is a 1967 American satirical comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin and starring Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Jason Robards, Jean Simmons, and Van Johnson. Norman Lear produced the film and wrote the screenplay, based ...
.
In popular culture
* It also appeared in the British dark comedy movie ''
Plots with a View'' (2002) when the version by
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...
was heard.
References
Pop standards
Songs with music by Harold Arlen
Songs with lyrics by Ted Koehler
Linda Scott songs
Shirley Bassey songs
1933 songs
1930s jazz standards
{{Pop-standard-stub