The Best Things in Life Are Free
The Best Things in Life Are Free is a song written by Ray Henderson (music), BG DeSylva and Lew Brown (lyrics) and released in 1927.
background
The song was presented for the first time in the musical comedy Good News , which was set in the college environment and had its world premiere on September 6, 1927 in New York's 46th Street Theater; the song was presented by Mary Lawlor and John Price Jones . “ Good news was the epitome of the 1920s , with its brass sounds, jazzy music and the atmosphere of exuberance”. Of the five hit songs that Henderson, DeSylva and Brown wrote for the piece, The Best Things in Life Are Free (written in C major , in the ABCA 'form) was the most successful.
First recordings
The musicians who recorded the song from 1927 included the George Olsen Orchestra (Victor), which also played in the theater performance, also Whispering Jack Smith (Victor), Emil Seidel (Gennett), in England The Rhythmic Eight (Zonophone) and Jack Hylton .
Later cover versions
In later years the song was covered a lot. a. by Jimmy Lunceford , Thore Ehrling , Bing Crosby , Frank Sinatra , The Ink Spots , Les Paul and Mary Ford , Mario Lanza , Mel Tormé , Benny Goodman , Hadda Brooks , Rose Murphy , Harry James , Woody Herman , Kay Starr , Tex Beneke , Svend Asmussen , Lou Donaldson , Arne Domnerus , Sonny Stitt , Skip Martin , Pete Rugolo , Jimmy Cleveland , Chico Hamilton , Barney Wilen , Hank Mobley , Blue Mitchell , George Chisholm , Erroll Garner and Roland Hanna . The discographer Tom Lord lists a total of 134 (2015) cover versions in the field of jazz .
The song was also used in several films; Mary Lawlor and Stanley Smith sang it in the first version of Good News (1930, directed by Nick Grindé ). In the second version from 1947 (directed by Charles Walters ) it interpreted June Allyson , Peter Lawford and Mel Tormé . In the biopic about Henderson, DeSylva and Brown (1956) with the same title (German: fanfares of joy ), directed by Michael Curtiz , he was in the overture of a quartet of Gordon MacRae , Ernest Borgnine , Sheree North and Dan Dailey presented , in the final again from Sheree North .
Web links
- Inclusion in the catalog of the German National Library: DNB 358317894
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d Marvin E. Paymer, Don E. Post: Sentimental Journey: Intimate Portraits of America's Great Popular Songs . 1999, p. 107
- ↑ Discographic notes on Jack Smith
- ^ Brian Rust , Sandy Forbes: British Dance Bands on Record 1911 to 1945 and Supplement. 1987
- ↑ a b Tom Lord: Jazz discography (online)