BEGIN THE BEGUINE
Music and lyrics: Cole Porter
Year: 1935
Origin of the song
On 12 October 1935 the musical comedy Jubilee premiered at the Imperial Theatre of New York. The libretto was Moss Hart’s, the music and the lyrics by Cole Porter, and its main artists, Melville Cooper, Mary Boland, Charles Walters, Margaret Adams, May Boley, and June Knight. Montgomery Clift debuted in theatres with this play, being fifteen years old back then. In the first act, June Knight sang ‘Begin the Beguine’. Another song from the play, ‘Just One of Those Things’, was also very popular. The musical was performed a hundred and sixty nine times and they say Porter felt profoundly disappointed because ‘Just One of Those Things’ took less credit than ‘Begin the Beguine’.
At first, the song was almost unnoticed, but Jerry Gray’s arrangement for Artie Shaw’s orchestra in 1938 was unexpectedly successful. The disc reached the top of the charts, where it remained for six weeks, and it had more than one million sales. Oddly enough, the record label didn’t have much faith in the song and published it as the side B of ‘Indian Love Call’.
On 9 February 1940, the musical Broadway Melody of 1940 was released in the US, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Norman Taurog, and performed by Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy, and Frank Morgan. In the most spectacular scene of the film, Carmen D’Antonio (dubbed by Lois Hodnott) sings ‘Begin the Beguine’, followed by an unforgettable dance by Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSTION REACHED |
|
|
1935.09.05 |
1935.09.11 |
2 |
13 |
Don Reid (voc) |
|
|
Artie Shaw Orchestra |
1938.07.24 |
1938.09.03 |
18 |
1 (six weeks) |
Instrumental |
|
Artie Shaw Orchestra |
1938.07.24 |
1942.02.21 |
2 |
20 |
New entrance in the top charts |
|
Eddie Heywood Sextet |
1944.12.06 |
1945.04.28 |
1 |
16 |
Instrumental |
|
Frank Sinatra |
1946.02.24 |
1946.10.19 |
3 |
23 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Axel Stordahl Orchestra |
Jazz. Oustanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFROMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1938.07.24 |
Artie Shaw (cl, dir), Chuck Peterson, John Best, Claude Bowen (tp), George Arus, Ted Vesely, Harry Rogers (tb), Leslie Robinson, Hank Freeman (as), Ron Perry, Tony Pastor (ts), Lester Burness (p), Al Avola (g), Sid Weiss (b), Cliff Leeman (d) |
|
|
1940.04.11 |
Art Tatum (p) |
|
|
1944.12.06 |
Dick Vance (tp), Vic Dickenson (tb), Lem Davis (as), Eddie Heywood (p), Ted Sturgis (b), Keg Purnell (d) |
|
|
1945.09.09 |
Joe Sullivan (p), Ulysses Livingston (g), Artie Shapiro (b), Zutty Singleton (d) |
|
|
1945.11.27 |
Stan Kenton (p, dir), Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, John Anderson, Russ Burgher, Bob Lymperis (tp), Freddie Zito, Jimmy Sims, Milt Kabak, Bart Varsalona (tb), Al Anthony, Boots Mussulli (as), Vido Musso, Bob Cooper (ts), Bob Gioga (bars), Bob Ahern (g), Eddie Safranski (b), Ralph Collier (d) |
|
|
Eddie Heywood Orchestra |
1945.12.03 |
Dick Vance (tp), Vic Dickenson (tb), Lem Davis (as), Eddie Heywood (p), Ted Sturgis (b), Keg Purnell (d) |
|
1949.01.?? |
Django Reinhardt (g), Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Gianni Safred (p), Marco Pecori (b), Aurelio de Carolis (d) |
|
|
1952.01.23 |
Charlie Parker (as), Walter Bishop Jr. (p), Teddy Kotick (b), Roy Haynes (d), Jose Mangual (bon), Luis Miranda (cng) |
|
|
Oscar Peterson Trio |
1952.12.?? |
Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b) |
|
Erroll Garner Quartet |
1954.07.?? |
Erroll Garner (p), Wyatt Ruther (b), Eugene Heard (d), Cándido Camero (cng) |
|
1957.04.01 |
Art Pepper (as), Carl Perkins (p), Ben Tucker (b), Chuck Flores (d) |
|
|
Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band |
1986.08.05 |
Doc Severinsen (dir, tp, fis), John Audino, Snooky Young, Conte Candoli, Maurey Harris (tp, fis), Gil Falco, Bruce Paulson, Ernie Tack (tb), Tommy Newsom, Bill Perkins, John Bambridge (as, fl, cl), Pete Christlieb, Ernie Watts (ts, fl, cl), Don Ashworth (bars, fl, cl), Ross Tompkins (p), Peter Woodford, Bob Bain (g), Joel Dibartolo (b), Ed Shaughnessy (d) |
|
Beegie Adair Trio |
2005.??.?? |
Beegie Adair (p), Roger Spencer (b), Chris Brown (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1939.01.18 |
Mildred Bailey (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Russell Procope (as), Buster Bailey (cl), Billy Kyle (p), John Kirby (b), O'Neill Spencer (d) |
|
|
1946.02.24 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Axel Stordahl Orchestra |
|
|
1956.02.08 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Buddy Bregman Orchestra |
|
|
1956.11.30 |
Sammy Davis Jr. (voc), Sy Oliver Orchestra |
|
|
Tony Bennett |
1960.01.14 |
Tony Bennett (voc), Ralph Sharon Orchestra |
On cinemas
The song 'Begin The Beguine' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS WHO TOOK
PART IN THE RECORDING |
|
Broadway Melody of 1940 |
La nueva melodía de Broadway |
1940 |
Carmen D'Antonio (dubbed by Lois Hodnott) & The Music Maids; danced by Fred Astaire y Eleanor Powell |
|
Hers to Hold |
Lazos eternos |
1943 |
Deanna Durbin |
|
Night and Day |
Noche y día |
1946 |
Carlos Ramírez and chorus; danced by George Zoritch and Milada Mladova |
|
That’s Entertainment! |
Érase una vez en Hollywood |
1974 |
Secuence
of 'Broadway Melody of 1940' |
|
Aloha, Bobby and Rose |
Aloha, Bobby y Rose |
1975 |
Artie Shaw Orchestra |
|
Hustle |
Destino fatal |
1975 |
Background music |
|
Volver a empezar |
Volver a empezar |
1982 |
Background music |
|
Maria’s Lovers |
Los amantes de María |
1984 |
Background music |
|
Broadway Danny Rose |
Broadway Danny Rose |
1984 |
Gloria
Parker and her glass harp |
|
Radio Days |
Días de radio |
1987 |
Background music |
|
White Mischief |
Pasiones en Kenia |
1987 |
Background music |
|
Hope and Glory |
Esperanza y gloria |
1987 |
Sammy Davis Jr. |
|
Moon Over Parador |
Presidente por accidente |
1988 |
Sammy Davis Jr. |
|
Rocketeer |
Rocketeer |
1991 |
Melora Hardin |
|
Children of the Revolution |
Hijos de la revolución |
1996 |
The Paul Grabowsky Orchestra |
|
Buena Vista Social Club |
Buena Vista Club Social |
1999 |
Background music |
|
The Majestic |
The Majestic |
2001 |
The Spencer Wyatt Big Band |
|
Plots with a View |
Funerarias, S.A. |
2002 |
Ted Heath Orchestra |
|
De-Lovely |
De-Lovely |
2004 |
Sheryl Crow |
|
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School |
Un toque de seducción |
2005 |
Background music |
|
The Brothers Bloom |
Los hermanos Bloom |
2008 |
Leslie Hutchinson |
|
Australia |
Australia |
2008 |
Background music |
|
42 |
42 |
2013 |
Melora Hardin |