TEA FOR TWO
Music: Vincent Youmans- Lyrics: Irving Caesar
Year: 1924
Origin of the song
The musical No, No, Nanette premiered on 16 September 1925 at the Globe Theater in New York. The music was by Vincent Youmans and the lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach. His and Frank Mandel's script was based on the comedy My Lady Friends, an original by Frank Mandel and Emil Nyitray. In the second act of the show, Louise Groody and John Barker performed 'Tea for Two'. The song was well known long before that date, as the play had previously been performed in Chicago and was so successful that it remained on the billboard for more than a year.
No, no, Nanette was brought to the screen in 1930 and 1940, both with mediocre results. A third version, produced by Warner Bros., directed by David Butler and performed by Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson and Eve Arden, titled Tea For Two, premiered in New York on 1 September 1950 and was better received.
The pianist and composer Vincent Youmans is also the author of the songs 'I Want To Be Happy' (1924), 'Sometimes I'm Happy' (1925), 'I Know That You Know' (1926), 'Hallelujah' (1927), 'More Than You Know' (1929), 'Without A Song' (1929), 'Time On My Hands' (1930), 'Carioca' (1933) and 'Through The Years' (1932), among others.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1924.08.28 |
1925.01.03 |
5 |
5 |
Instrumental |
|
| Marion Harris |
1924.10.15 |
1925 .01.24 |
11 |
1 (one week) |
Marion Harris (voc), unidentified orchestra |
|
1924.10.15 |
1925.01.31 |
1 |
10 |
Instrumental |
|
|
The Ipana Troubadors |
1929.12.27 |
1930.01.18 |
2 |
15 |
Scrappy Lambert (voc), Sam Lanin (dir) |
|
Teddy Wilson Orchestra |
1936.12.16 |
1937.02.13 |
2 |
18 |
Instrumental |
|
Art Tatum |
1939.04.12 |
1939.08.12 |
1 |
18 |
Instrumental |
|
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra |
1958.??.?? |
1958.09.01 |
20 |
7 |
Instrumental- 'Tea For Two Cha Cha'- |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1933.03.21 |
Art Tatum (p) |
|
|
1936.12.16 |
Teddy Wilson (p), Irving Randolph (tp), Vido Musso (cl), Ben Webster (ts), Allen Reuss (g), John Kirby (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1937.06.11 |
Fats Waller (p) |
|
|
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra |
1939.03.08 |
Tommy Dorsey (tb, dir), Lee Castle, Pee Wee Erwin, Andrew Ferretti, Yank Lawson (tp), Dave Jacobs, Ward Silloway, Elmer Smithers (tb), Skeets Herfurt, Fred Stulce (as), Johnny Mince (cl, as), Deane Kincaide, Babe Russin (ts), Howard Smith (p), Carmen Mastren (g), Gene Traxler (b), Dave Tough (d) |
|
1939.03.22 |
Django Reinhardt (g), Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Joseph Reinhardt, Pierre Ferret (g), Emmanuel Soudieux (b) |
|
|
Art Tatum |
1939.04.12 |
Art Tatum (p) |
|
1939.05.17 |
Django Reinhardt (g), Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Joseph Reinhardt, Pierre Ferret (g), Emmanuel Soudieux (b) |
|
|
1942.07.15 |
Nat Cole (p), Lester Young (ts), Red Callender (b) |
|
|
1944.01.22 |
Barney Bigard (cl), Eddie Heywood (p), Shelly Manne (d) |
|
|
1945.12.05 |
Bud Freeman (ts), Joe Sullivan (p), Carmen Mastren (g), Sid Weiss (b), George Wettling (d) |
|
|
1946.07.17 |
Duke Ellington (p, dir), Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Shelton Hemphill, Taft Jordan, Francis Williams (tp), Lawrence Brown, Wilbur De Paris, Joe Nanton (tb), Claude Jones (vtb), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (as), Russell Procope (as, cl), Al Sears (ts), Harry Carney (bars), Fred Guy (g), Oscar Pettiford (b), Sonny Greer (d) |
|
|
1947.11.30 |
Louis Armstrong (tp), Jack Teagarden (tb), Barney Bigard (cl), Dick Cary (p), Arvell Shaw (b), Sid Catlett (d)
In The Symphony Hall, Boston (Massachusetts) |
|
|
1949.09.?? |
Dave Brubeck (p), Ron Crotty (b), Cal Tjader (d) |
|
|
1950.07.01 |
Bud Powell (p), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
|
1952.08.04 |
Lester Young (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1953.04.30 |
Gerry Mulligan (bars), Chet Baker (tp), Carson Smith (b), Larry Bunker (d) |
|
|
Charles Mingus Sextet |
1954.10.31 |
Charles Mingus (b), John LaPorta (cl, as), Teo Macero, George Barrow (ts, bars), Mal Waldron (p), Rudy Nichols (d) |
|
Thelonious Monk Trio |
1963.02.26 |
Thelonious Monk (p), John Ore (b), Ben Riley (d) |
|
1998.06.08 |
Dick Hyman (p) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1945.10.23 |
Gene Krupa (d, dir), Don Fagerquist, Vince Hughes, Pincus Savitt, Tony Russo (tp), Leon Cox, Dick Taylor, Nick Gaglio (tb), Harry Terrill, Charlie Kennedy (as), Charlie Ventura, Buddy Wise (ts), Joe Koch (bars), Teddy Napoleon (p), Frank Worrell (g), Irv Lang (b), Anita O'Day (voc) |
|
|
1946.12.30 |
Joe Mooney (aco, voc), Andy Fitzgerald (cl, voc), Jack Hotop (g, voc), Gate Frega (b, voc) |
|
|
1958.07.06 |
Anita O'Day (voc), Jimmy Jones (p), Whitey Mitchell (b), John Poole (d) In Jazz Festival of Newport |
|
|
1958.09.12 |
Blossom Dearie (p, voc), Mundell Lowe (g), Ray Brown (b), Ed Thigpen (d) |
|
|
1963.07.16 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Al Aarons, Joe Newman, Don Rader, Fip Ricard (tp), Henry Coker, Urbie Green, Grover Mitchell, Benny Powell (tb), Eric Dixon, Frank Foster, Frank Wess (as, ts, fl), Marshall Royal (as, cl), Charlie Fowlkes (bars), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Buddy Catlett (b), Sonny Payne (d), Quincy Jones (dir) |
|
|
1997.01.19 |
Cassandra Wilson (voc), Jacky Terrasson (p), Lonnie Plaxico (b), Mino Cinelu (per) |
On cinemas
The song 'Tea For Two' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
No, No, Nanette |
No se estrenó en España |
1930 |
|
|
Sweethearts |
Enamorados |
1938 |
Background music |
|
No, No, Nanette |
No se estrenó en España |
1940 |
Anna Neagle and Richard Carlson |
|
Task Force |
Puente de mando |
1949 |
Background music |
|
Tea For Two |
Té para dos |
1950 |
Doris Day and Gordon MacRae |
|
Young Man With A Horn |
El trompetista |
1950 |
Kirk Douglas (dubbed by Harry James, tp) |
|
With A Song In My Heart |
Con una canción en mi corazón |
1952 |
Susan Hayward (dubbed by Jane Froman) and Robert Wagner |
|
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell |
El proceso de Billy Mitchell |
1955 |
|
|
The Helen Morgan Story |
Para ella un solo hombre |
1957 |
Background music |
|
Auntie Mame |
Tía y mamá |
1958 |
Background music |
|
Jazz On A Summer’s Day |
Jazz en un día de verano |
1960 |
Anita O’Day |
|
La grande vadrouille |
La gran juerga |
1966 |
|
|
Ciao maschio |
Adiós al macho |
1978 |
Hummed by Marcello Mastroianni |
|
Harry And Tonto |
Harry y Tonto |
1974 |
|
|
Passage To India |
Pasaje a la India |
1984 |
|
|
Intervista |
Entrevista |
1987 |
|
|
Oscar |
Oscar, ¡quita las manos! |
1991 |
Fred Waring Pennsylvanians |
|
The Mambo Kings |
Los reyes del mambo tocan canciones de amor |
1992 |
Mambo All Stars |
|
Forget Paris |
Olvídate de Paris |
1995 |
|
|
Alice et Martin |
Alice y Martin |
1998 |
|
|
Mona Lisa Smile |
La sonrisa de Mona Lisa |
2003 |
Doris Day |
|
Bronson |
Bronson |
2008 |
Doris Day |
|
Legend |
Legend |
2015 |
Teddy Wilson All Stars |