ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET
Music: Jimmy McHugh- Lyrics: Dorothy Fields
Year: 1930
Origin of the song
Harry Richman performed this song in the premiere of the musical International Revue in the Majestic Theatre of New York on 25 February 1930. The work, produced and directed by Lew Leslie, was a complete failure (it was performed just ninety five times), but two of the acts, ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’ and ‘Exactly like you’, became a big success immediately.
In spite of having a luxury budget, a great cast (Gertrude Lawrence, Harry Richman, Pearl Jack, Anton Dolin and Encarnación López Júlvez (La Argentinita), a Busby Berkeley choreography, and with McHugh and Fields as the authors of the score, the play disappointed both critic and public. It was too long; besides, the producers didn’t calculate well the charm of the dancer La Argentinita on her debut in the US. Later it will reach world fame, but back then the audience didn’t understand her dance and many people left the theatre during her performance. Gertrude Lawrence was particularly disappointed, because International Revue became her third consecutive failure.
Jimmy McHugh appears as the author of the song’s score, but rumour has it ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’, ‘I Can’t Give You Anything but Love’ and ‘If I Had You’ were actually Fats Waller’s creations, who sold the rights because he was in need of the money.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1930.02.28 |
1930.04.05 |
7 |
2 (two weeks) |
Ted Lewis (voc) |
|
|
Harry Richman |
1930.04.30 |
1930.04.19 |
2 |
13 |
Harry Richman (voc) |
|
Lionel Hampton Orchestra |
1937.04.26 |
1944.01.29 |
1 |
10
|
Lionel Hampton (vib, voc)
Rhythm & Blues charts |
|
Jo Stafford & The Pied Pipers |
1944.09.13 |
1945.07.07 |
1 |
17 |
Jo Stafford, The Pied Pipers (voc), Paul Weston Orchestra |
|
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra |
1944.11.14 |
1945.06.16 |
1 |
16 |
The Sentimentalists (voc) |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1944.05.01 |
Art Tatum (p), Slam Stewart (b), Tiny Grimes (d) |
|
|
1944.05.24 |
Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas (ts), Tab Smith (as), Harry Carney (bars), Johnny Guarnieri (p), Al Lucas (b), Sid Catlett (d) |
|
|
1949.05.16 |
Sidney Bechet (ss), Gérard Bayol (tp), Benny Vasseur (tb), Eddie Bernard (p), Jean-Pierre Sasson (g), Guy DeFatto (b), André Jourdan (d) |
|
|
1952.08.04 |
Lester Young (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1957.12.19 |
Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Sonny Rollins (ts), Sonny Stitt (as), Ray Bryant (p), Tommy Bryant (b), Charlie Persip (d) |
|
|
1960.04.25 |
Jimmy Smith (org), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Kenny Burrell (g), Donald Bailey (d) |
|
|
Kenny Barron Trio |
1990.06.06 |
Kenny Barron (p), Ray Drummond (b), Ben Riley (d) |
|
Jesse Davis Quartet |
1999.06.26 |
Jesse Davis (as), Massimo Farao (p), Aldo Zunino (b), Massimo 'Max' Dall'omo (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1934.11.07 |
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Jack Hamilton, Leslie Thompson (tp), Lionel Guimaraes (tb), Pete DeConge (cl, as), Henry Tyree (as), Alfred Pratt (ts), Herman Chittison (p), Maceo Jefferson (g), Germán Arango (b), Oliver Tines (d) |
|
|
1937.04.26 |
Lionel Hampton (vib, voc), Buster Bailey (cl), Johnny Hodges (as), Jess Stacy (p), Allen Reuss (g), John Kirby (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1940.11.?? |
Nat Cole (p, voc), Oscar Moore (g, voc), Wesley Prince (b, voc), Lee Young (d) |
|
|
1941.12.24 |
Benny Goodman (cl), Cutty Cutshall (tb), Lou McGarity (vtb), Tommy Morgan (g), Sid Weiss (b), Mel Powell (p), Ralph Collier (d), Peggy Lee (voc) |
|
|
1944.04.08 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Eddie Heywood (p), John Simmons (b), Sid Catlett (d) |
|
|
1944.09.13 |
Jo Stafford, The Pied Pipers (voc), Paul Weston Orchestra |
|
|
1944.11.14 |
Tommy Dorsey (tb, dir), Roger Ellick, Mickey Mangano, Pierre Date, George Seaberg (tp), Walt Benson, Nelson Riddle, Tex Satterwhite (tb), Sid Cooper (as), Buddy DeFranco (cl, as), Gale Curtis, Al Klink (ts), Bruce Branson (bars), Milt Golden (p), Bob Rains (g), Sid Block (b), Buddy Rich (d), string section, The Sentimentalists (voc) |
|
|
1949.12.22 |
Duke Ellington (dir), Ray Nance (tp), Tyree Glenn (tb, vib), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (as), Harry Carney (bars), Billy Strayhorn (cel), Wendell Marshall (b), Sonny Greer (d), Lu Elliott (voc) |
|
|
1958.07.06 |
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Palle Bolvig, Roger Guerin, Dusko Gojkovic, Jose Magalhaes (tp), Christian Kellens, Kurt Jarnberg, Erich Kleinschuster, Albert Mangelsdorff (tb), Wladimiro Bas Fabache, Hans Salomon, Andy Marsala (as), Bernt Rosengren, Jan Wroblewski (ts), Ronnie Ross (bars), George Gruntz (p), Gabor Szabo (g), Rudolph Jacobs (b), Gilberto Cuppini (d), Marshall Brown (dir) In Jazz Festival of Newport |
|
|
1958.12.03 |
Keely Smith (voc), Billy May Orchestra |
|
|
Frank Sinatra |
1961.03.20 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Billy May Orchestra |
|
George Shearing & Ernestine Anderson |
1988.05.?? |
George Shearing (p), Neil Swainson (b), Jeff Hamilton (d), Ernestine Anderson (voc) |
|
1993.??.?? |
Diana Krall (p, voc), John Clayton (b), Jeff Hamilton (d) |
|
|
Roberta Gambarini |
1994.06.18 |
Roberta Gambarini (voc), Tamir Hendelman (p), Chuck Berghofer (b), Joe LaBarbera (d) |
|
2000.09.11 |
Dianne Reeves (voc), Nicholas Payton Orchestra |
On cinemas
The song 'On the Sunny Side of the Street' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Taxi! |
Taxi |
1932 |
The Cotton Club Orchestra |
|
The Eddy Duchin Story |
Eddy Duchin |
1956 |
Carmen Cavallaro |
|
The Benny Goodman Story |
La historia de Benny Goodman |
1956 |
Teddy Wilson |
|
The Helen Morgan Story |
Para ella un solo hombre |
1957 |
Ann Blyth (dubbed by Gogi Grant) |
|
This Earth Is Mine |
Esta tierra es mía |
1959 |
Background music |
|
The Silencers |
Los silenciadores |
1966 |
Dean Martin |
|
The Wrecking Crew |
La mansión de los siete placeres |
1969 |
Dean Martin |
|
The Way We Were |
Tal como éramos |
1973 |
A band; unidentified singer |
|
House Calls |
Alegrías de un viudo |
1978 |
Frankie Laine |
|
Rough Cut |
Golpe audaz |
1980 |
|
|
Rich and Famous |
Ricas y famosas |
1981 |
|
|
Micki + Maude |
Micki y Maude |
1984 |
Frank Sinatra |
|
Another Woman |
Otra mujer |
1988 |
Teddy Wilson Trio |
|
Enemies, A Love Story |
Enemigos, una historia de amor |
1989 |
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra |
|
Tap Dancing |
Tap Dancing |
1989 |
Henry LeTang (piano) |
|
Texasville |
Texasville |
1990 |
Willie Nelson |
|
JFK |
JFK (Caso abierto) |
1991 |
Sidney Bechet |
|
A League Of Their Own |
Ellas dan el golpe |
1992 |
The Manhattan Transfer |
|
American Heart |
Corazón roto |
1993 |
Jeff Bridges |
|
Father Of The Bride, Part 2 |
Vuelve el padre de la novia |
1995 |
Steve Tyrell |
|
Stuart Saves His Family |
Rescate familiar |
1995 |
Jack Sheldon |
|
Mrs. Winterbourne |
Con cariño desde el cielo |
1996 |
|
|
Psycho |
Psycho |
1998 |
Jo Stafford |
|
My Life So Far |
Los secretos de la inocencia |
1999 |
Louis Armstrong Orchestra |
|
Just Looking |
La chica de mis sueños |
1999 |
|
|
Interstate 60: Episodes on the Road |
Interstate 60: Episodios de carretera |
2002 |
Frank Sinatra |
|
American Splendor |
American Splendor |
2003 |
Lester Young & The Oscar Peterson Trio |
|
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School |
Un toque de seducción |
2005 |
Louis Armstrong Orchestra |
|
Hollywoodland |
Hollywoodland |
2006 |
Frankie Laine |
|
Relative Strangers |
Una familia casi perfecta |
2006 |
Jack Sheldon |
|
Le héros de la famille |
Secretos cantados |
2006 |
Line Renaud |
|
Kill Your Darlings |
Amores asesinos |
2013 |
Jo Stafford |