IT HAD TO BE YOU
Music: Isham Jones - Lyrics: Gus Kahn
Year: 1924
Origin of the song
It is difficult to know which was the first recording of ‘It Had To Be You’. Six versions of the song entered the top charts in 1924 and, curiously enough, Marion Harris’ and Sam Lanin’s were recorded on the same day. The most popular was the author’s, Isham Jones, which reached the top of the charts and remained there for five weeks. Jones was a prolific compositor. Among his work, ‘On the Alamo’ (1922), ‘Broken Hearted Melody’ (1922), ‘Swingin’ Down the Lane’ (1923), ‘Indiana Moon’ (1923), ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams’ (1924), ‘The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else’ (1924), ‘You’ve Got Me Crying Again’ (1933), and ‘(There Is) No Greater Love’ (1936) stand out. When he retired in 1936, the band’s members decided to stay together directed by one of them, the saxophonist and singer Woody Herman. And here it comes a new story.
Gus Khan, originally German, was a fruitful songwriter. Apart from ‘It Had To Be You’, he is the author of ‘I'll See You In My Dreams’ (1924), ‘Love Me Or Leave Me’ (1928), ‘Makin' Whoopee’ (1928), ‘Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)’ (1929), ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’ (1930), ‘I'm Thru With Love’ (1931), ‘I'll Never Be The Same’ (1932), ‘Carioca’ (1935), ‘All God's Chillun Got Rhythm’ (1937), and ‘You Stepped Out Of A Dream’ (1940), among other songs.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Marion Harris |
1924.03.28 |
1924.07.26 |
5 |
3 |
Marion Harris (voc), Phil Ohman (p), unidentified
orchestra |
|
Sam Lanin |
1924.03.28 |
1924.09.06 |
1 |
10 |
Instrumental |
|
Paul Whiteman Orchestra |
1924.04.08 |
1924.10.27 |
1 |
8 |
Instrumental |
|
Cliff Edwards |
1924.04.15 |
1924.08.16 |
3 |
6 |
Cliff Edwards (voc, uke) |
|
Isham Jones Orchestra |
1924.04.24 |
1924.07.19 |
15 |
1 (five weeks) |
Instrumental |
|
Billy Murray with Aileen Stanley |
1924.06.05 |
1924.10.25 |
1 |
8 |
Billy Murray, Aileen Stanley (voc), Prince´s Orchestra |
|
Red Nichols Orchestra |
1929.06.07 |
1930.11.22 |
1 |
19 |
Scrappy Lambert (voc) |
|
Artie Shaw Orchestra |
1941.03.20 |
1941.10.25 |
1 |
22 |
Instrumental |
|
Artie Shaw Orchestra |
1941.03.20 |
1944.09.09 |
4 |
10 |
New entrance in the top charts |
|
Earl Hines Orchestra |
1941.08.20 |
1944.08.12 |
1 |
18 |
Madeline Greene & Three Variettes (voc) |
|
Betty Hutton |
1944.03.11 |
1944.06.24 |
12 |
5 |
Betty Hutton (voc), Paul Weston Orchestra |
|
1944.06.27 |
1944.09.09 |
9 |
4 |
Helen Forrest, Dick Haymes (voc), Victor Young Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1924.04.24 |
Isham Jones (ts, dir), Louis Panico (cnt), Carroll Martin, Bud Graham (tb), Al Mauling (cl, as, ob), Arty Vanasec (ss, vn), Leo Murphy (vn), Roy Bargy (p), Charles McNeill (bjo), John Kuhn (b), Joe Frank (d) |
|
|
Stéphane Grapelli & Django Reinhardt |
1938.0..01 |
Stéphane Grapelli (p, vn), Django Reinhardt (g) |
|
1938.08.01 |
Art Tatum (p) |
|
|
1938.12.19 |
Artie Shaw (cl, dir), Chuck Peterson, Bernie Privin, John Best (tp), George Arus, Harry Rodgers, Les Jenkins (tb), Les Robinson, Hank Freeman (as), Tony Pastor, Georgie Auld (ts), Bob Kitsis (p), Al Avola (g), Sid Weiss (b), George Wettling (d) |
|
|
1941.03.20 |
Artie Shaw (cl, dir), Billy Butterfield, Bernie Privin, Lee Castle (tp), Vernon Brown, Jack Jenney, Ray Conniff (tb), Les Robinson, Toots Mondello (as), Bus Bassey, Jerry Jerome (ts), Johnny Guarnieri (p), Sam Herman (g), Eddie McKinney (b), Nick Fatool (d),
string section |
|
|
1944.07.11 |
Edmond Hall (cl), Teddy Wilson (p), Billy Taylor (b), Arthur Trappier (d) |
|
|
Harry Connick, Jr. Trio |
1989.06.?? |
Harry Connick, Jr. (p), Benjamin Jonah Wolfe (b), Jeff 'Tain`' Watts (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1924.03.28 |
Marion Harris (voc), Phil
Ohman (p), unidentified orchestra |
|
|
1929.06.07 |
Red Nichols (cnt), Mannie Klein, Tommy Thunen o Phil Hart, (tp), Glenn Miller, Herb Taylor, Jack Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey (tb), Bill Trone (mel), Jimmy Dorsey (cl, as), Arnold Brilhart (ss, as, fl), Jimmy Crossan (ts, fl, ob, fag), Larry Binyon (ts, fl, ob), Arthur Schutt (p), Carl Kress (g, bjo), Art Miller, Joe Tarto (b), Vic Berton (d, tim), string section, Scrappy Lambert (voc) |
|
|
1941.08.20 |
Earl Hines (p, dir), Pee Wee Jackson, Tommy Enoch, Freddie Webster, George Dixon (tp), John Ewing, George Hunt, Joe McLewis (tb), Leroy Harris (as, voc), Scoops Carry (cl, as), Willie Randall, Budd Johnson (ts, voc), Franz Jackson (ts), Hurley Ramey (g), Truck Parham (b), Rudy Traylor (d), Madeline Green (voc) |
|
|
1944.??.?? |
Mildred Bailey (voc), Roy Eldridge (tp), Teddy Wilson (p), Red Norvo (vib), Paul Baron Orchestra |
|
|
1946.??.?? |
Johnny Moore (g), Charles Brown (p, voc), Eddie Williams (b) |
|
|
1955.08.23 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Benny Carter (as), Jimmy Rowles (p), Barney Kessel (g), John Simmons (b), Larry Bunker (d) |
|
|
Tony Bennett |
1956.09.11 |
Tony Bennett (voc), Billy Butterfield, Jimmy Nottingham, Ernie Royal (tp), Albert Godlis, Urbie Green (tb), Peter Pumiglio (as, cl), A. Epstein, A. Howard, Wolf Taninbaum, Stan Webb (r), Bernie Leighton (p), Al Caiola, Chuck Wayne (g), Frank Carroll (b), William Exiner (d), Ray Conniff (dir) |
|
1959.06.23 |
Ray Charles (p, voc), Marcus Belgrave, John Hunt, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry, Snooky Young (tp), Al Grey, Quentin Jackson, Melba Liston, Tom Mitchell (tb), Marshall Royal, Frank Wess (as), Paul Gonsalves, David Newman, Billy Mitchell (ts), Bennie Crawford, Charlie Fowlkes (bars), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones, Edgar Willis (b), Teagle Fleming, Charlie Persip (d), Quincy Jones (dir) |
|
|
1962.06.29 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Paul Smith (p), Wilfred Middlebrooks (b), Stan Levey (d) |
|
|
1979.07.18 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Billy May Orchestra |
|
|
1994.04.15 |
Tony Bennett (voc), Ralph Sharon Trio |
On cinemas
The song 'It Had To Be 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 |
|
A Slight Case of Murder |
Un leve caso de asesinato |
1938 |
Edward G. Robinson & Harry Seymour |
|
The Roaring Twenties |
Los violentos años veinte |
1939 |
Priscilla Lane; background
music |
|
‘Til We Meet Again |
Viaje sin retorno |
1940 |
Background music |
|
Casablanca |
Casablanca |
1942 |
Background music; Dooley Wilson (piano dubbed by Elliot Carpenter) |
|
Moontide |
Marea de luna |
1942 |
Background music |
|
Mr. Skeffington |
El señor Skeffington |
1944 |
Dolores Gray |
|
Show Business |
Su majestad la farsa |
1944 |
Background music; George Murphy; danced by George Murphy and Constance Moore |
|
Incendiary Blonde |
La rubia de los cabellos de fuego |
1945 |
Betty Hutton |
|
It Had To Be You |
Tenías que ser tú |
1947 |
Background music |
|
Mother Is A Freshman |
Mamá es mi rival |
1949 |
|
|
The Big Lift |
Sitiados |
1950 |
Background music |
|
South Sea Sinner |
Pecadora sublime |
1950 |
Shelley Winters (dubbed) |
|
Beneath The Twelve Mile Reef |
Duelo en el fondo del mar |
1953 |
Background music |
|
The Naked And The Dead |
Los desnudos y los muertos |
1958 |
Background music |
|
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond |
La ley del hampa |
1960 |
|
|
I'd Rather Be Rich |
Rica, guapa y casadera |
1964 |
|
|
The Great Gatsby |
El gran Gatsby |
1974 |
|
|
Annie Hall |
Annie Hall |
1977 |
Diane Keaton |
|
Wish You Were Here |
Si estuvieras aquí |
1987 |
|
|
High Tide |
Un extraño amor |
1987 |
Jan Adele |
|
Crossing Delancey |
Cruzando la calle |
1988 |
Benny Goodman |
|
When Harry Met Sally |
Cuando Harry encontró a Sally |
1989 |
Frank Sinatra; Harry Connick, Jr. Trio |
|
A League Of Their Own |
Ellas dan el golpe |
1992 |
|
|
Ruby |
La conspiración de Dallas |
1992 |
Sherilyn Fenn |
|
Tomorrow Never Dies |
El mañana nunca muere |
1997 |
Simon Greenaway |
|
Eyes Wide Shut |
Eyes Wide Shut |
1999 |
Tommy Sanderson & The Sandman |
|
Le héros de la famille |
Secretos cantados |
2006 |
Emmanuelle Béart |
|
College Road Trip |
Loco viaje al Campus (Un viaje de aquellos) |
2008 |
Joseph Gannascoli |
|
Pixels |
Pixels |
2015 |
|