Hey, Look Me Over (song)

Last updated
Paula Stewart and Lucille Ball performing the song in an excerpt from Wildcat on The Ed Sullivan Show (1961) Lucille Ball Paula Stewart Wildcat Ed Sullivan Show 1961.JPG
Paula Stewart and Lucille Ball performing the song in an excerpt from Wildcat on The Ed Sullivan Show (1961)

"Hey, Look Me Over" is a song from the 1960 Broadway musical Wildcat . In that show, it was introduced by Lucille Ball, in her only leading Broadway appearance. [1]

Cy Coleman later described the problem facing the songwriting team (Coleman and Carolyn Leigh): "How to write for a woman who had five good notes. And not just any woman, but the biggest star in the world at the time. What is she going to sing when she steps out on that stage for the first time? She had to land big or else we were all dead." During a brainstorming session, Coleman played one of his ideas on piano, doubtful it would work as a star vehicle. Leigh surprised him by calling back a few days later with a funny (incomplete) lyric for his melody. [2]

Ball and co-star Paula Stewart performed the song live on The Ed Sullivan Show , and it was subsequently recorded and/or performed by, among others, Louis Armstrong, [3] Judy Garland, [4] Rosemary Clooney, [5] Bing Crosby, [6] Peggy Lee, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Short, Gene Krupa, [7] Mel Tormé, Jerry Vale, Julie Wilson, Lucie Arnaz, the Pete King Chorale, and British singer Ronnie Hilton. The melody of 'Hey Look Me Over' was used as a campaign song for Ted Kennedy's 1962 special election senate campaign, [8] the singer of which is unknown but is highly believed to be Mitch Miller. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosemary Clooney</span> American singer and actress (1928–2002)

Rose M. Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me", "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There", "This Ole House", and "Sway". She also had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly because of problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cy Coleman</span> American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist (1929–2004)

Cy Coleman was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist.

<i>Thats Entertainment!</i> 1974 film by Jack Haley Jr.

That's Entertainment! is a 1974 American compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate the studio's 50th anniversary. The success of the retrospective prompted a 1976 sequel, the related 1985 film That's Dancing!, and a third installment in 1994.

"Hey There" is a show tune from the musical play The Pajama Game, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. It was published in 1954. It was introduced by John Raitt in the original production. In the show, Sid sings it to a recording device, telling himself that he's foolish to continue his advances to Babe. He plays the tape back, and after responding to his own comments, sings a duet with himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine On, Harvest Moon</span> Song

"Shine On, Harvest Moon" is a popular early-1900s song credited to the married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth. It was one of a series of moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era. The song was debuted by Bayes and Norworth in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1908 to great acclaim. It became a pop standard, and continues to be performed and recorded in the 21st century.

<i>Thats Entertainment, Part II</i> 1976 film directedby Gene Kelly

That's Entertainment, Part II is a 1976 American compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and a sequel to That's Entertainment! (1974). Like the previous film, That's Entertainment, Part II was a retrospective of famous films released by MGM from the 1930s to the 1950s. Some posters for the film use Part 2 rather than Part II in the title.

<i>White Christmas</i> (film) 1954 film directed by Michael Curtiz

White Christmas is a 1954 American musical film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. Filmed in Technicolor, it features the songs of Irving Berlin, including a new version of the title song, "White Christmas", introduced by Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn.

"I Get Ideas" is a popular song which has been recorded by various musicians and used in a number of films and television episodes.

The Edsel Show was an hour-long television special broadcast live on CBS in the United States on October 13, 1957, intended to promote Ford Motor Company's new Edsel cars. It was a milestone in the long career of entertainer Bing Crosby and is notable as the first CBS entertainment program to be recorded on videotape for rebroadcast in the western part of the country following a live performance for the east coast.

"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" is a song from the 1956 musical My Fair Lady, with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was originally performed by Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins who also performed it in the 1964 film version.

"I May Be Wrong " is a popular song. The music was written by Henry Sullivan, the lyrics by Harry Ruskin, arranged by Dan Daugherty, and the original music publisher was Ager, Yellen, and Bornstein, Inc. The song was published in 1929 and it was included in the musical revue Murray Anderson's Almanac which ran for 69 performances at Erlanger's Theatre on Broadway in 1929. It is said that the song was written on-demand for John Murray Anderson.

"How About You?" is a popular song composed by Burton Lane, with lyrics by Ralph Freed. It was introduced in the 1941 film Babes on Broadway by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.

<i>Wildcat</i> (musical) 1960 musical by Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman

Wildcat is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, and music by Cy Coleman.

"Strike Up the Band" is a 1927 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin with the collaboration of Millie Raush. It was written for the 1927 musical Strike Up the Band, where it formed part of a satire on war and militaristic music. Although the musical was not successful, the instrumental version of the song, titled the "March from Strike Up the Band", has become quite well known. The song was also used in the Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney 1940 film Strike Up the Band.

"You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is a popular song written by Cole Porter for the 1943 film Something to Shout About, where it was introduced by Janet Blair and Don Ameche. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1943 but lost to "You'll Never Know".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Thompson (musician)</span> American musician

Robert Lamar Thompson was a composer, arranger, and orchestra leader from the 1950s through the 1980s. Active in Los Angeles, Thompson was a recording artist for RCA Victor and Dot Records, scored film and television soundtracks, and wrote musical accompaniments for commercials. He composed, arranged, and conducted the orchestra for such wide-ranging artists as Rosemary Clooney, Mae West, Julie London, Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Chet Atkins, Duane Eddy, Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis, and Phil Ochs.

"Just You, Just Me" is a song from the 1929 musical film Marianne, composed by Jesse Greer with lyrics by Raymond Klages. It was introduced by Marion Davies and Lawrence Gray. The song has had many revisions after its first appearance and has become a jazz standard, having been recorded instrumentally by Red Norvo, Stan Tracey, Oscar Peterson and Lester Young, Buddy Rich, Artie Shaw, Les Paul, Benny Carter, Buddy Bregman, Tex Beneke, Coleman Hawkins, Harry James, Erroll Garner, Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, Joe Pass, Buddy Tate and Abdullah Ibrahim, Les Brown, Bill Evans, Bill Coleman and Duke Ellington.

Singer Rosemary Clooney is known for many songs, including "Come On-a My House", "Botch-a-Me", "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There" and "This Ole House". This is a partial discography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bing Crosby's record labels after 1955</span>

After Bing Crosby's long-term Decca Records contract was up, he signed many short-term contracts with a wide variety of labels. These included many popular labels such as Reprise, RCA, Verve, Decca (again), United Artists, Capitol and more.

Dante Cesare DiPaolo was an American dancer and actor. Sometimes, he also appeared under the name of Dante De Paulo, Dante D' Paulo, and Dante Di Paola.

References

  1. June Bundy (December 26, 1960). "Lucille Ball Tame in 'Wildcat'". Billboard . p. 10.
  2. Propst, Andy, You Fascinate Me So: The Life and Times of Cy Coleman. Milwaukee WI: 2015
  3. Format: 45, (flip side: Moon River) Kapp Records, 10 732 AT. Format: LP: Hello, Dolly by Louis Armstrong 1964. Kapp Records, Stereo: KS 3364, Mono: KL 1364
  4. The Judy Garland Show taped July 7, 1963, aired Nov. 10, 1963. DVD: The Judy Garland Show, Vol. 2. Pioneer Entertainment
  5. RCA Victor – 47-7819, Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM; 1960.
  6. Hey, Look Us Over, Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney singing in duet CD Jasmine Records ASIN B0000017D4
  7. Gene Krupa in Concert, newly discovered recordings, CD, Label: DBK/JAZZ, 70015. 1998
  8. John F. Kennedy Library Foundation (2016-11-01). MR87-23:3 "Hey Massachusetts" Ted Kennedy Campaign Song . Retrieved 2024-10-03 via YouTube.
  9. Laura Vona (2009-09-11). Edward M. Kennedy "Hey Massachusetts" Mitch Miller and the boys . Retrieved 2024-10-03 via YouTube.