- My Funny Valentine
-
For the album by Miles Davis, see My Funny Valentine (album).
"My Funny Valentine" Music by Richard Rodgers Lyrics by Lorenz Hart Published 1937 Language English Form Jazz Recorded by Hal McIntyre, Ruth Gaylor, Chet Baker, Eartha Kitt, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimmy Giuffre, Bradley Joseph, Barbra Streisand, Mary Kaye Trio, Miles Davis, The Supremes, Elvis Costello, Brian Conley, Keith Jarett Trio. Performed by Mitzi Green, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine Barbra Streisand, Bing Crosby, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, Tony Bennett, Ben Webster, Buddy Rich, Anita O'Day, Shirley Horn, Mel Tormé, Sammy Davis, Jr., Rachelle Ferrell, Chaka Khan, Dolly Parton, Michael Bublé, Maggie Wheeler, Jenna Ushkowitz Dianne Reeves, Vanessa Lynn Williams, Anita Baker, Keith Jarett Trio. "My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green. After being recorded by Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis, the song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed by over 600 artists.
Contents
Structure
The basic structure of the song on a c-minor tonic is as follows:
- C-, C-maj7, C-7, C-6, Abmaj7, F-7, D-7(b5), G7(b9)
- ditto thru to the F-7, then Db9, Bb7(b9)
- (bridge) Ebmaj7, F-7, G-7, F-7, Ebmaj7, F-7, G-7, F-7, Ebmaj7, G7(+5),C-,(Bb7,A7) Abmaj7, D-7(b5) G7,
- C-, C-maj7, C-7, C-6, Abmaj7, D-7(b5) G7(b9), C-, Bb-7 A7, Abmaj7, F-7, Bb7(b9), C-7 (preferred, or Ebmaj7)
This simple and classic structure makes it easy to adapt to other genres and for jazz musicians to improvise over the established chords.
History
Babes in Arms opened at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway, in New York City on April 14, 1937 and ran for 289 performances.[1] In the original play, a character named Billie Smith (played by Mitzi Green) sings the song to Valentine "Val" LaMar (played by Ray Heatherton).[2] In the song, Billie pokes fun at some of Valentine's characteristics, but ultimately affirms that he makes her smile and that she doesn't want him to change. The song first hit the charts in 1945, performed by Hal McIntyre with vocals by Ruth Gaylor.[3] It only appeared for one week and hit #16.[4]
Notable recordings
The song is part of the Great American Songbook and has had many notable recordings, including:
- (1952) Chet Baker had a hit with Gerry Mulligan.
- (1955) Frank Sinatra included it on his album Songs for Young Lovers, and it became a performance favorite.
- (1956) Ella Fitzgerald sang it on her album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook.
- (1956) Jimmy Giuffre included it on his album The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet.
- (1956) Miles Davis recorded this tune several times, first on Cookin' in 1956 and again on the album 1958 Miles, the latter demonstrating the modal approach of Davis and pianist Bill Evans. He recorded it live on his 1964 album My Funny Valentine.
- (1958) Dolores Duran sang it on her album A Noite de Dolores.
- Sergio Franchi recorded a version for his 1965 RCA Victor Album tribute to The Songs of Richard Rodgers.[5]
- (1966) Kazuko Matsuo from Sigh of Night.
- (1967) The Supremes recorded a version for their album The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart.
- (1973) Jerry Garcia together with keyboard player Merl Saunders released it on the album Live at the Keystone, providing a psychedelic reading of the tune.
- (1985) Singer songwriter Nico recorded it on the album Camera Obscura, a singular jazz standard on an album of progressive jazz, rock and electronica.
- (1986) Linda Ronstadt played it on her album For Sentimental Reasons.
- (1986) Billy Eckstine Album: "Billy Eckstine sing with Benny Carter. Label Verve, Emercy
- (1987) Guitarist Larry Coryell performed a cover from the album Toku Do.[6]
- (1989) The song is played over the closing credits of the movie The Fabulous Baker Boys, sung by Michelle Pfeiffer.
- (1995) Rachelle Ferrell performed this song in her album First Instrument.
- (1995) This song was included in the motion picture soundtrack "Waiting to Exhale", and was performed by Chaka Khan.
- (1996) Dianne Reeves performed this song in her album '"The Palo Alto Sessions 1981-1985.
- (1999) The French singer-songwriter Damien Saez performed this song in his album Jours Etranges.
- (1999) Matt Damon sang this song on the motion picture soundtrack "The Talented Mr. Ripley", accompanied by The Guy Barker International Quintet.
- (2001) Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth recorded this song for her album Let Yourself Go.
- (2002) Guitarist Chuck Loeb covered the song from his album My Shining Hour.[7]
- (2002) Contemporary jazz-fusion group Pieces of a Dream covered the song from their album Love's Silhouette.[8]
- (2003) Trumpeter Chris Botti covered the song from album A Thousand Kisses Deep.[9][10]
- (2008) Sal Viviano included it on his live symphonic album The Standards Of Love.
- (2009) Joshua Bell and singer Kristin Chenoweth covered the song on the album At Home with Friends.
- (2009) Fay Claassen in Odeon Theatre Amsterdam. On album 'Two Portraits of Chet Baker'
- (2011) Jenna Ushkowitz sings this song in Fox series Glee.
- (2011) Vanessa Williams sings in TV series Desperate Housewives.
- Keith Jarrett.
Reception
In a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan, Oricon Style found "My Funny Valentine" to be the fifth most popular Valentine's Day song in Japan. The most popular song was Sayuri Kokushō's 1986 debut single "Valentine Kiss" followed by "Love Love Love" from Dreams Come True, "Valentine's Radio" from Yumi Matsutoya, and "Happy Happy Greeting" from the KinKi Kids.[11]
See also
- List of 1930s jazz standards
References
- ^ Trager, James (2005). The People's Chronology: A Year-by-Year Record of Human Events from Prehistory to the Present (3 ed.). Detroit: Gale. ISBN 1414401409.
- ^ Playbill from 1937 Babes in Arms theatrical performance
- ^ Orodenker, M. H. (1945-01-27). "Popular Record Reviews". Billboard 27 (4). ISSN 0006-2510. http://books.google.com/books?id=whEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA19#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1992). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954: The History of American Popular Music. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0898200830. As cited in My Funny Valentine (1937), written, compiled, and published by jazzstandards.com.
- ^ http://www.discogs.com/sergio-franchi
- ^ "Toku Do overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r160482.
- ^ "My Shining Hour overview". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r987566.
- ^ "Love's Silhouette overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r602408.
- ^ "A Thousand Kisses Deep overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r658530.
- ^ "Chris Botti - A Thousand Kisses Deep". JazzReview.com. http://www.jazzreview.com/cdreview.cfm?ID=5728.
- ^ "大公開！『バレンタインソング』といえばこの曲！ [The Great Exhibition! When speaking of a "Valentine song", this is the song!]" (in Japanese). Oricon Style. February 3, 2006. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5oIA3Hpll. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
Further reading
- Bragalini, Luca (1997). "My Funny Valentine: The Disintegration of the Standard". Originally published in Musica Jazz. http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Valentine.html.
- Cook, Richard (1999-02-12). "The Hart of the Matter". New Statesman 128 (4423): 45. ISSN 1364-7431.
- Fox, Dan (2007). World's Greatest Wedding Music: 50 of the Most Requested Wedding Pieces. Alfred Music Publishing. ISBN 0739046748.
- Friedwald, Will (2002). "My Funny Valentine (1937)". Stardust Memories: The Biography of Twelve of America's Most Popular Songs. New York: Random House, Inc. pp. 348–373. ISBN 0-375-42089-4.
- Gabbard, Krin (2004). Black Magic: White Hollywood and African American Culture. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0813533848.
- Hischak, Thomas S. (2007). The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press. p. 189. ISBN 0-313-34140-0.
- Holbrook, Morris B. (2005). "The Ambi-Diegesis of "My Funny Valentine"". In Steve Lannin and Matthew Caley. Pop fiction: The Song in Cinema. Portland, OR: Intellect Books. pp. 48–62. ISBN 184150078X.
- Studwell, William Emmett (1994). The Popular Song Reader: A Sampler of Well-Known Twentieth Century-Songs. Routledge. p. 127. ISBN 1560243694.
Categories:- 1930s jazz standards
- Songs from Babes in Arms
- Songs with music by Richard Rodgers
- Songs with lyrics by Lorenz Hart
- American songs
- 1937 songs
- Ella Fitzgerald songs
- Frank Sinatra songs
- Johnny Mathis songs
- Ronnie Milsap songs
- Eartha Kitt songs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
