"Makin' Whoopee" is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

, first popularized by

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

in the 1928 musical ''

Whoopee! ''Whoopee!'' is a 1928 musical comedy with a book based on Owen Davis's play, ''The Nervous Wreck.'' The musical libretto was written by William Anthony McGuire, with music by Walter Donaldson and lyrics by Gus Kahn. The musical premiered on Bro ...

''. Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics and Walter Donaldson composed the music for the song as well as for the entire musical. The title refers to celebrating a marriage. Eventually "making whoopee" became a

euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...

for intimate sexual relations. The song has been called a "dire warning", largely to men, about the "trap" of marriage. A review of a

James Naughton James Naughton (born December 6, 1945) is an American actor and director. He is best known as Michael Bower on '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984-1992) and was also notable for his earlier role as the astronaut Pete Burke in the 1974 single-season telev ...

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

performance. "Mr. Naughton pounces on the dire warning to men lurking beneath the song's playful surface: that once the honeymoon is over, marriage can become a trap from which there is no escape." "Makin' Whoopee" begins with the celebration of a

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...

and marital bliss, but moves on to babies and responsibilities, and ultimately on to affairs and possible divorce, ending with a judge's advice.

Other versions

*1928 George Olsen and His Music. Released by Victor on November 12, 1928 as catalog number 21816-A. Vocal refrain by Fran Frey. *1928

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 ...

recorded the song on December 22, 1928 with the

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, ...

Orchestra. It made #8 on the Billboard charts. *1929 Rudy Vallée recorded the song for his album ''Dancing in the Moonlight'' in 1929 *1947 The

King Cole Trio 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 ...

recorded the song August 7, 1947 in Los Angeles (2139-3 (Capitol 10101, 1669)). *1951

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

recorded the song in a duet with Danny Thomas in November 1951. It was released on the 10" soundtrack-LP '' I'll See You in My Dreams'' by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

as catalog number CL-6198 on December 14, 1952. Conductor: Paul Weston. She recorded a new version in November 1958. It was released on the LP '' Cuttin' Capers'' by

as catalog number CS-8078 (stereo) and CL-1232 (mono) on March 9, 1959. Conductor:

Frank De Vol Frank Denny De Vol (September 20, 1911 – October 27, 1999) was an American actor, and using the name De Vol was an arranger and composer. As a composer he was nominated for four Academy Awards. Early life and career De Vol was born in Moundsvi ...

. *1953

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

performed a version with

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

in 1953, and then performed it live with

Jon Eardley Jon Eardley (September 30, 1928 – April 1, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter.Frederick A. Beck, "Jon Eardley". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. Life and career Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Eardley first started on trumpet at the a ...

in 1954. *1956

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 ...

. Released on the LP ''

Songs For Swingin' Lovers ''Songs for Swingin' Lovers!'' is the tenth album by American singer Frank Sinatra and his fourth for Capitol Records. It was arranged by Nelson Riddle and released in March 1956 on LP and January 1987 on CD. It was the first album ever to top ...

'' 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 W-653 in 1956. *1956

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

. Released on the LP '' The Swingin' Miss "D"'' by

EmArcy Records EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by the American Mercury Records. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company. During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Clifford Brown ...

as catalog number MG 36104 in 1956. Arranger and conductor: Quincy Jones. Producer:

Bob Shad Robert "Bob" Shad (born Abraham Shadrinsky; February 12, 1920 – March 13, 1985) was an American record producer and record label owner. He produced the first album by Big Brother and the Holding Company (featuring Janis Joplin). Among his ...

. *1957

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 ...

. Released as a bonus track on the CD '' Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson'' 1957. *1957

and

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 ...

. Released on the double LP

Ella and Louis Again ''Ella and Louis Again'' is a studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, released in 1957 on Verve Records. It is the sequel to their 1956 album, ''Ella and Louis''. In contrast to their previous collaboration, this album features seve ...

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

as catalog number ''MGV 4006-2'' 1957 and reissued in 2006 on a 2 CD-set as Verve 0602517036918. *1958

. Recorded at the Radio Recorders,

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, on November 24, 1958. It was released on the LP ''

Ella Fitzgerald Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers'' is a 1959 album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded with a studio Orchestra arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol. Ella focuses on well known jazz standards by lesser known song ...

'' by

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, ...

as catalogue number VS-6072 (stereo) and V-4032 (mono) in 1959. Arranger and conductor was

. *1959 Bill Doggett recorded an instrumental version on his 1959 album ''Big City Dance Party'', King Records KS-641. *1959

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 . (, ; ...

performed the song on her 1959

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

'' Dietrich in Rio''. *1960

The McGuire Sisters The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: * Ruby Christine McGuire (July 30, 1926 – December 28, 2018) * Dorothy "Dottie" McGuire (February 13, 1928 – September 7, 2012) * Ph ...

recorded the song on their 1960 album "His and Hers." *1967 Don Lusher, Orchestra directed by Pete Moore. Released on the LP ''Makin' Whoopee'' by CBS Records as catalog number 63021 in 1967. *

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

sang a humorous version of "Makin Whoopee" live while playing the piano. *1973 Harry Nilsson performed the song on his 1973 album

A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night ''A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night'' is a 1973 album of classic 20th-century standards sung by American singer Harry Nilsson. The album was arranged by Frank Sinatra's arranger Gordon Jenkins, and produced by Derek Taylor. This album ...

. *1973 Hawkeye Pierce. It was played on a gramophone at the Swamp and partially sung by Hawkeye Pierce ( Alan Alda) at the end of an episode of ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

'' titled " Dear Dad... Three". *1980

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

under the title "I'm Your Angel" and with altered lyrics, 1980, Double Fantasy *1989

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

and Rickie Lee Jones performed "Makin' Whoopee" on Dr. John's album ''

In a Sentimental Mood "In a Sentimental Mood" is a jazz composition by Duke Ellington. He composed the piece in 1935 and recorded it with his orchestra during the same year. Lyrics were written by Manny Kurtz; Ellington's manager Irving Mills gave himself a percent ...

''. It was released by

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

, earning a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1989. *1989

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed inst ...

performed a cover in 1989 for his album Trio Jeepy. It would later be the first song that was ever played on

VH1 Smooth MTV Classic (formerly VH1 Smooth, VH1 Classic Rock, and VH1 Classic) is an American pay television network owned by Paramount Media Networks. It was originally launched in 1998 as VH1 Smooth, an adult contemporary and smooth jazz channel. It wa ...

on August 1, 1998. *1989

Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and ...

sang "Makin' Whoopee", sprawled over a piano in a red evening dress, in the 1989 film '' The Fabulous Baker Boys''. *1997

Vicki Lewis Vicki Lewis (born March 17, 1960) is an American singer and actress of film, stage, and television. She is best known for her role as Beth in the NBC sitcom ''NewsRadio''. Personal life Lewis was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter ...

and Phil Hartman performed the song in the 1997 NewsRadio episode "Stupid Holiday Charity Talent Show." *2003 Cyndi Lauper covered the song as a duet with Tony Bennett on her 2003 studio album '' At Last''. *2004

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

performs on the Best Buy 2004 Christmas CD "

Sweet Tracks {{More citations needed, date=July 2020 Sweet Tracks is a series of Christmas music albums issued by Best Buy in the United States, originally on CD from 2003 to 2005, but changed to digital downloads in 2006. Sweet Tracks CDs (2003–2005) The ...

" *2005

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

and

perform a duet of the song on Stewart’s album Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV. *2005

Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall (born 27 February 1957) is an English actor and presenter. He became a household name in the UK after appearing as Barry Spencer Taylor in the 1983 ITV comedy-drama series ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''. Spall performed in '' S ...

and Eddie Marsan performed a version of the song in the 2005 film Pierrepoint. *2011

Amanda Palmer Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer (born April 30, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is the lead vocalist, pianist, and lyricist of the duo The Dresden Dolls. She performs as a solo artist and was also a ...

released her version on the 2011 album "

Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under ''Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under'' is the first live album by Amanda Palmer, released on January 21, 2011, through Liberator Music in Australia and New Zealand and self-released worldwide via Palmer's Bandcamp and through her merchandise company ...

" *2012 Rachael MacFarlane released it on her debut album Hayley Sings.

In advertising

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...

used the melody of "Makin' Whoopee" with new lyrics, sung by Joanie Sommers, for its advertising campaign "Now It's Pepsi -- For Those Who Think Young" starting in 1961. *

Heinz The H. J. Heinz Company is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869. Heinz manufactures thousands of food products in plants on six conti ...

created a 1993 commercial in which a bottle of ketchup and a bottle of salsa "make whoopee" in a refrigerator, resulting in a salsa-style ketchup.

In popular culture

*The song appears in BioShock Infinite, performed by Rudy Vallée. *This song appears in

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries ''Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' is an Australian drama television series. It was first broadcast on ABC on 24 February 2012. It is based on author Kerry Greenwood's historical mystery novels, and it was created by Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger. ...

Season 1, Episode 6, ''Ruddy Gore'', 2012. *This song is included in the Simpsons episode "

The Fabulous Faker Boy "The Fabulous Faker Boy" is the twentieth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 528th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 2013. ...

" making reference to the 1989 film " The Fabulous Baker Boys" in the scene where actress

sings this song. *The song is included on the video game

Mafia 2 ''Mafia II'' is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by 2K Czech and published by 2K Games. It was released in August 24 2010 for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. The game is a standalone sequel to 2002's ''Mafia'', and the second install ...

. *The song is included in the

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

episode

Lottery Fever "Lottery Fever" is the first episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series '' Family Guy''. The 166th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 25, 2011. The e ...

, where Quagmire and Joe sing the song while Peter Griffin shoots them with a BB gun. *The song is also included in American Dad

Love A.D Style Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

, Hailey sings the song in Roger’s Bar. *Deputy Lupo ( Erica Cerra) performs the song in Season 3, Episode 10 of '' Eureka''.

References

{{authority control Songs with music by Walter Donaldson Songs with lyrics by Gus Kahn Pop standards Songs from musicals 1928 songs Songs about marriage Eddie Cantor songs Frank Sinatra songs Nat King Cole songs Bing Crosby songs Doris Day songs Ella Fitzgerald songs The McGuire Sisters songs Cyndi Lauper songs Tony Bennett songs