I CAN´T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE
Music: Jimmy McHugh- Lyrics: Dorothy Fields
Year: 1928
Origin of the song
The musical show The Blackbird Revue, with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, was released in Les Ambassadeurs Nightclub of New York on 4 January 1928. As it was so successful that there wasn’t enough space, on 9 May it was moved to the Liberty Theatre under a new title, Blackbirds of 1928, where it remained for more than a year on the hoarding. It was produced and directed by Lew Leslie, and Adelaide Hall and Bill Robinson were the stars of the show. Among all its songs, the favourite of the critics and the audience was ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’.
That same year, five versions of the song entered the top charts. Cliff Edwards’ reached the top of the charts and The Knickerbockers’, with the singer Vaughan DeLeath, the second position.
There are rumours about this song’s authorship. Andy Razaf, usual Fats Waller’s songwriter, told his biographer that Waller, always short on money, had sold a song for 500 dollars to a white compositor, who included it in a very successful musical and got 17 500 dollars for copyright. This seemed to be a habit in Fats. Years later, at the beginning of the 70s, Don Redman’s widow visited Razaf, who was in hospital. When she asked him which song among the one he had written the lyrics for was his favourite, she was very surprised when he whispered to her ear ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1928.05.17 |
1928.10.20 |
9 |
4 |
Joe Cassidy, Hal White, Elwood Groff (voc) |
|
|
1928.06.01 |
1928.09.01 |
14 |
2 (one week) |
Vaughan DeLeath (voc) |
|
|
Seger Ellis Orchestra |
1928.06.08 |
1928.09.15 |
1 |
19 |
Seger Ellis (voc) |
|
1928.07.03 |
1928.09.15 |
11 |
1 (one week) |
Cliff Edwards (voc, uke) |
|
|
Nat Shilkret Rhythm-Melodists |
1928.09.22 |
1928.12.29 |
3 |
12 |
Unidentified (voc) |
|
Gene Austin |
1928.11.23 |
1929.02.16 |
2 |
12 |
Gene Austin (voc), Nat Shilkret Victor Orchestra |
|
Billie Holiday |
1936.11.19 |
1936.12.19 |
4 |
5 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson Orchestra |
|
Rose Murphy |
1947.12.?? |
1947.12.27 |
8 |
3 |
Rose Murphy (p, voc)
Rhythm & Blues charts |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
Red Nichols & His Five Pennies
|
1928.05.31
|
Red Nichols (cnt), Leo McConville o Mannie Klein (tp), Miff Mole (tb), Dudley Fosdick (mel), Fud Livingston (cl), Joe Venuti, Murray Kellner (vn), Arthur Schutt (p), Vic Berton (d), unidentified (vib) |
|
|
1940.12.19
|
Benny Goodman (cl), Cootie Williams (tp), Georgie Auld (ts), Kenny Kersey (p), Charlie Christian (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Harry Jaeger (d) |
|
1949.07.20 |
Erroll Garner (p), Leonard Gaskin (b), Charlie Smith (d) |
|
|
Willie 'The Lion' Smith |
1950.12.?? |
Willie 'The Lion' Smith (p) |
|
1952.08.04 |
Lester Young (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1955.01.19 |
Art Tatum (p) |
|
|
Don Shirley |
1955.??.?? |
Don Shirley (p) |
|
1956.07.26 |
Art Pepper (as), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Stan Levey (d) |
|
|
1957.03.22 |
Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (d) |
|
|
1992.??.?? |
Ellis Marsalis (p), Ray Brown (b) , Billy Higgins (d) |
|
|
Martin Taylor Spirit Of Django
|
1996.03.27 |
Martin Taylor (g), Jack Emblow (aco), Dave O'Higgins (sax), John Goldie (g), Terry Gregory (bon), James Taylor (per) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1929.03.05 |
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), J.C. Higginbotham (tb), Albert Nicholas, Charlie Holmes (as), Teddy Hill (ts), Luis Russell (p), Eddie Condon (bjo), Lonnie Johnson (g), Pops Foster (b), Paul Barbarin (d) |
|
|
1932.12.22 |
Ethel Waters (voc), Duke Ellington (p, dir), Freddy Jenkins, Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams (tp), Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton (tb), Juan Tizol (vtb), Barney Bigard (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (as, ss), Otto Hardwick (as, cl), Harry Carney (bars, cl, as), Fred Guy (bjo, g), Wellman Braud (b), Sonny Greer (d) |
|
|
1932.12.22 |
Donald Mills, Herbert Mills & Harry Flood Mills (voc), John C. Mills Jr. (voc, g) |
|
|
1936.05.04 |
Django Reinhardt (g), Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Joseph Reinhardt, Pierre Ferret (g), Lucien Simoens (b), Freddy Taylor (voc) |
|
|
1936.11.19 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson (p, dir), Ben Webster (ts), Benny Goodman (cl), Allan Reuss (g), John Kirby (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1938.06.24 |
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Bob Cusumano, Johnny McGee (tp), Al Philburn (tb), Sid Stoneburn (cl), Nat Jaffe (p), Dave Barbour (g), Haig Stephans (b), Sam Weiss (d) |
|
|
Artie Shaw Orchestra |
1939.10.28 |
Artie Shaw (cl, dir), Bernie Previn, John Best, Chuck Peterson (tp), George Arus, Les Jenkins (tb), George Auld, Les Robinson (ts), Tony Pastor (ts, voc), Bob Kitsis (p), Al Avola (g), Sid Weiss (b), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
1940.02.09 |
Joe Sullivan (p), Ed Anderson (tp), Benny Morton (tb), Edmond Hall (cl), Danny Polo (cl, ts), Freddie Green (g), Henry Turner (b), Johnny Wells (d), Joe Turner (voc) |
|
|
1945.05.26 |
Anita O'Day (voc), Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b) |
|
|
1947.11.?? |
Rose Murphy (p, voc), unidentified (g, b) |
|
|
Mel Tormé |
1957.11.?? |
Mel Tormé (voc), Marty Paich Orchestra |
|
1958.04.25 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Lou Levy (p), Max Bennett (b), Gus Johnson (d) |
|
|
1962.08.15 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Benny Carter (dir), Don Fagerquist, Al Porcino, Shorty Sherock, Carmell Jones (tp), Tommy Shepard, Ed Kusby, George Roberts, Lou Blackburn (tb), Red Callender (tu), Bill Green, Paul Horn (as), Plas Johnson, Buddy Collette, Justin Gordon (ts), Bill Hood (bars), Jimmy Rowles (p), Ulysses Livingston (g), Joe Comfort (b), Earl Palmer (d), Larry Bunker (vib, mrb, bon) |
|
|
1998.??.?? |
Diana Krall (p, voc), Russell Malone (g) |
|
|
2001.??.?? |
Terence Blanchard (tp), Brice Winston (ts), Edward Simon (p), Derek Nievergelt (b), Eric Harland (d), Jane Monheit (voc) |
On cinemas
The song 'I Can’t Give You Anything But Love' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Street Scene |
La calle |
1931 |
Background music |
|
Ceiling Zero |
Águilas heroicas |
1936 |
James Cagney |
|
The Hurricane |
Huracán sobre la isla |
1937 |
Background music |
|
Stand-In |
Siempre Eva |
1937 |
Jack Carson (a capella) |
|
Bringing Up Baby |
La fiera de mi niña |
1938 |
Background music; Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant (a capella) |
|
Seven Sinners |
De isla en isla |
1940 |
Marlene Dietrich |
|
Stormy Weather |
Tiempo tormentoso |
1943 |
Lena Horne and Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson |
|
Winged Victory |
Cita en los cielos |
1944 |
Background music |
|
The Secret Heart |
Desconfianza |
1946 |
Marlene Dietrich |
|
Born Yesterday |
Nacida ayer |
1950 |
Judy Holliday |
|
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie |
El asesinato de un corredor de apuestas chino |
1976 |
Meade Roberts |
|
Voyage of the Damned |
El viaje de los malditos |
1976 |
|
|
Crooked Hearts |
Secretos de familia |
1991 |
The Mills Brothers |
|
The Mambo Kings |
Los reyes del mambo tocan canciones de amor |
1992 |
Joe Loco |
|
Nixon |
Nixon |
1995 |
Sarah Vaughan |
|
The Green Mile |
La milla verde |
1999 |
Billie Holiday |
|
Angela’s Ashes |
Las cenizas de Ángela |
1999 |
Billie Holiday |
|
L.I.E. |
L.I.E. |
2001 |
Tom 'Wolf' Morrell |
|
Catch Me If You Can |
Atrápame si puedes |
2002 |
Judy Garland |
|
The Aviator |
El aviador |
2004 |
Django Reinhardt |
|
Shortbus |
Shortbus |
2006 |
Background music |
|
Married Life |
El juego del matrimonio |
2007 |
Doris Day |
|
Serena |
Serena |
2014 |
Billie Holiday |
|
Jersey Boys |
Jersey Boys |
2014 |
John Lloyd Young |