IF I HAD YOU

Music and lyrics: James Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Ted Shapiro

Year: 1928

 

If I had you-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

The first recording of ‘If I Had You’ was made by the British singer Al Bowlly, who made the song popular in Britain. A few weeks after, Rudy Vallée recorded the song from the other side of the Atlantic; on 2 March 1929, the disc entered the top charts and reached the seventh position.

The Englishmen James Campbell and Reginald Connelly were two songwriters who usually worked with various compositors. Today, they better known as Campbell and Connelly & Co. Ltd., the music publishing house that they founded in London in 1925 and, nowadays, has a catalogue of more than 75 000 songs’ and musical shows’ copyrights. Their score collection includes, of course, the original one of ‘If I Had You’, and in its cover they proudly declared that it was the Prince of Wales’ favourite foxtrot.

The third compositor, Ted Shapiro, is better known for having been the music director of the singer Sophie Tucker from 1921 until her last performance in 1963.


Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE

WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

 

Al Bowlly

1928.11.21

1929.01.12

4

12

Al Bowlly (voc), Fred Elizalde Band

Rudy Vallée & His Connecticut Yankees

1929.01.10

1929.03.02

5

7

Rudy Vallée (voc)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Benny Goodman Sextet

1941.10.28

Benny Goodman (cl), Lou McGarity (tb), Mel Powell (p), Tom Morgan (g), Sid Weiss (b), Ralph Collier (d)

Ike Quebec Orchestra

1944.09.25

Jonah Jones (tp), Tyree Glenn (tb), Ike Quebec (ts), Ram Ramirez (p), Tiny Grimes (g), Oscar Pettiford (b), J.C. Heard (d)

Charlie Ventura Orchestra

1949.05.09

Conte Candoli (tp), Bennie Green (tb), Boots Mussulli (as, bars), Charlie Ventura (ts, bars), Roy Kral (p), Kenny O'Brien (b), Ed Shaughnessy (d)

Red Norvo Trio

1951.04.13

Red Norvo (vib), Tal Farlow (g), Charles Mingus (b)

Lee Konitz Quartet

1954.01.05

Lee Konitz (as), Ronnie Ball (p), Percy Heath (b), Alan Levitt (d)

Art Blakey Quintet

1954.02.21

Clifford Brown (tp), Lou Donaldson (as), Horace Silver (p), Curly Russell (b),

Art Blakey (d)

Lennie Tristano Quartet

1955.06.11

Lee Konitz (as), Lennie Tristano (p), Gene Ramey (b), Art Taylor (d)

Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis- Johnny Griffin Quintet

1960.09.02

Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Johnny Griffin (ts), Norman Simmons (p), Victor Sproles (b), Ben Riley (d)

Grant Green Trio

1961.08.29

Grant Green (g), Wilbur Ware (b), Al Harewood (d)

Oscar Peterson- Stéphane Grappelli Quartet

1973.02.23

Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Oscar Peterson (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Kenny Clarke (d)

Jazz at the Philharmonic

1975.07.16

Roy Eldridge, Clark Terry (tp), Benny Carter (as), Zoot Sims (ts), Tommy Flanagan (p), Joe Pass (g), Keter Betts (b), Bobby Durham (d)

In Jazz Festival of Montreaux (Switzerland)

Milt Jackson & Oscar Peterson

1983.01.20

Milt Jackson (vib), Oscar Peterson (p)

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Frank Sinatra

1947.08.11

Frank Sinatra (voc), Axel Stordahl Orchestra

King Cole Trio

1947.11.06

Nat Cole (voc, p), Irving Ashby (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Etta Jones

1960.06.21

Etta Jones (voc), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Richard Wyands (p), Skeeter Best (g), George Duvivier (b),

Roy Haynes (d)

Joe Williams

1993.08.16

Joe Williams (voc), Robert Farnon Orchestra

Diana Krall

1995.10.03

Diana Krall (voc), Benny Green (p)

John Pizzarelli

2005.06.29

John Pizzarelli (voc, g), John Clayton (b), Jeff Hamilton (d), Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

On cinemas

The song 'If I Had You' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

 

ORIGINAL TITLE

TITLE IN SPAIN

YEAR OF PRODUCTION

PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM

Hell Below

Honduras de infierno

1933

 

Thrill Of A Romance

Juego de pasiones

1945

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

The Clock

El reloj

1945

Background music

To Paris with Love

A París con el amor

1955

 

The Silencers

Los silenciadores

1966

Dean Martin

Maria’s Lovers

Los amantes de María

1984

 

Hannah And Her Sisters

Hannah y sus hermanas

1986

Roy Eldridge Quintet

For Love Or Money

Conserje a su medida

1993

John Pizzarelli

Everyone Says I Love

Todos dicen I Love You

1996

Tim Roth and Dick Hyman and The New York Studio Players

Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut

1999

Roy Gerson

What Women Want

¿En qué piensan las mujeres?

2000

Nnenna Freelon

Two Weeks Notice

Amor con preaviso

2002

Dick Hyman

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

Conocerás al hombre de tus sueños

2010

Benny Goodman Orchestra

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