MEAN TO ME
Music and lyrics: Fred Ahlert, Roy Turk
Year: 1929
Origin of the song
Three big stars of the 20’s recorded ‘Mean to Me’. Annette Hanshaw (20 February 1929- Diva 2859 G), Helen Morgan (6 March 1929- Victor 21930), and Ruth Etting (11 March 1929- Columbia 1762 D). This last album, which included B.G. DeSylva’s and Lew Brow’s ‘Button Up Your Overcoat’ in its flip side, was a big sales success. ‘Mean To Me’ reached third place in the hit charts and ‘Button Up Your Overcoat’ reached fifteenth place.
Diana Ross sang this standard in the film Lady Sings the Blues (1972), a noveled biography of Billie Holiday.
Fred Ahlert and Roy Turk, as well as ‘Mean to Me’, signed together themes as popular as 'I'll Get By' (1928), 'Walkin' My Baby Back Home' (1930), 'I Don't Know Why' (1931) and 'Love, You Funny Thing!' (1932). Along with another collaborator, Ahlert composed ‘I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter’ (1935) and Turk, who passed away in 1934, is the author of the lyrics for ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ (1926).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE
WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Helen Morgan |
1929.03.06 |
1929.06.29 |
3 |
11 |
Helen Morgan (voc), Leonard Joy Orchestra |
|
1929.03.11 |
1929.05.18 |
9 |
3 |
Ruth Etting (voc), Dorsey Brothers Orchestra |
|
|
Billie Holiday |
1937.05.11 |
1937.06.26 |
4 |
7 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1929.05.14 |
Phil Napoleon (tp), Tommy Dorsey (tb), Jimmy Dorsey (cl, as), Joe Venuti (vn), Frank Signorelli (p), Eddie Lang (g), Joe Tarto (b), Stan King (d) |
|
|
1946.04.?? |
Lester Young (ts), Nat Cole (p), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
|
1954.??.?? |
Lee Konitz (as), Ronnie Ball (p), Peter Ind (b), Al Levitt (d) |
|
|
1955.??.?? |
Lennie Tristano (p), Peter Ind (b), Tom Weyburn (d) |
|
|
1957.03.18 |
Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Shelly Manne (d) |
|
|
1957.09.03 |
Jack Sheldon (tp), Harold Land (ts), Carl Perkins (p), Curtis Counce (b), Frank Butler (d) |
|
|
1958.11.05 |
David 'Fathead' Newman (as), Ray Charles (p), Marcus Belgrave (tp), Hank Crawford (bars), Edgar Willis (b), Milt Turner (d) |
|
|
1960.01.25 |
Nat Adderley (cnt), Wes Montgomery (g), Keter Betts (b), Louis Hayes (d) |
|
|
Chet Baker Tentet |
1965.05.?? |
Chet Baker (fis), Leon Cohen, Henry Freeman, Wilford Holcombe, Seldon Powell, Alan Ross (r), Hank Jones (p), Everett Barksdale (g), Richard Davis (b), Connie Kay (d) |
|
1977.07.13 |
Clark Terry (tp), Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis (ts), Milt Jackson (vib), Monty Alexander (p), Ray Brown (b), Jimmie Smith (d) |
|
|
1994.02.22 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Bobby Militello (as, ts, fl), Jack Six (b), Randy Jones (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1929.02.20 |
Annette Hanshaw (voc), New England Yankee Orchestra |
|
|
Ruth Etting
|
1929.03.11 |
Ruth Etting (voc), Tommy Dorsey (tp), Charlie Butterfield (tb), Jimmy Dorsey (cl, as), Frank Signorelli (p), Eddie Lang (g), Joe Venuti (vn), Joe Tarto or Ward Lay (b) |
|
1929.03.15 |
Tommy Dorsey (tp, tb), Jimmy Dorsey (cl, as), Leo McConville, Fuzzy Farrar, Phil Napoleon (tp), Glenn Miller (tb), Arnold Brilhart (cl, as, fl), Herbert Spencer (ts), unidentified (vn), Arthur Schutt (p), Eddie Lang (g), Hank Stern (b), Stan King (d), Smith Ballew (voc) |
|
|
1937.05.11 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson (p, dir), Buck Clayton (tp), Lester Young (ts), Johnny Hodges (as), Buster Bailey (cl), Allan Reuss (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1945.05.25 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Charlie Parker (as), Flip Phillips (ts), Nat Jaffe (p), Bill de Arango (g), Curly Russell (b), Max Roach (d) |
|
|
1950.05.19 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), George Treadwell (dir), Miles Davis (tp), Bennie Green (tb), Budd Johnson (ts), Tony Scott (cl), Jimmy Jones (p, dir), Mundell Lowe (g), Billy Taylor Jr. (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1960.08.29 |
Betty Carter (voc), Ray Weiss Orchestra |
|
|
1960.09.06 |
Helen Humes (voc), Al Porcino, Jack Sheldon, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson (tp), Harry Betts, Bob Fitzpatrick (tb), Art Pepper (as, cl), Teddy Edwards, Ben Webster (ts), Bill Hood (bars), André Previn (p), Barney Kessel (g), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Shelly Manne (d), Marty Paich (dir) |
|
|
Sarah Vaughan
|
1961.01.12 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Sonny Cohn, Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Snooky Young (tp), Henry Coker, Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (as, cl), Frank Wess (as, ts, fl), Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bars, cl, fl), Kirk Stuart (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Sonny Payne (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'Mean To Me' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Love Me Or Leave Me |
Quiéreme o déjame |
1955 |
Doris Day |
|
Lady Sings the Blues |
El ocaso de una estrella |
1972 |
Diana Ross |
|
California Split |
California Split |
1974 |
|
|
Rough Cut |
Golpe audaz |
1980 |
|
|
Stepping Out |
Un paso adelante |
1991 |
Liza Minnelli |
|
Made |
Crimen desorganizado |
2001 |
Dean Martin |
|
Sita Sings the Blues |
Sita Sings the Blues |
2008 |
Annette Hanshaw |