Love Letters in the Sand

Last updated
"Love Letters in the Sand"
Song
Language English
Published1931
Released1931 (1931)
Composer(s) J. Fred Coots
Lyricist(s) Nick Kenny, Charles Kenny

"Love Letters in the Sand" is a popular song first published in 1931.

Contents

It began life as a poem by Nick Kenny. J. Fred Coots read the poem in the New York Daily Mirror, and obtained Kenny's permission to set the poem to music. He went through 4 different melodies before settling on the published version known today. The melody bears similarity to the 1881 song The Spanish Cavalier. [1] Lyrics were credited to both Nick Kenny and his brother Charles Kenny.

The song was first recorded on 26 August 1931, as a "vocal chorus" sung by Helen Rowland within a foxtrot played by the Majestic Dance Orchestra. [2] George Hall popularized the song on his radio show, later making it his theme song. Ted Black and His Orchestra, with vocalist Tom Brown, had the first major hit recording of the song in 1931. Pat Boone had a major hit with the song in 1957. [1]

The melody has been used for songs in at least eight other languages. [3]

Pat Boone version

"Love Letters in the Sand"
Love Letters in the Sand - Pat Boone.jpeg
Single by Pat Boone
from the album Pat's Great Hits
A-side "Bernardine"
ReleasedApril 1957
Recorded1957
Genre Traditional pop
Length2:16
Label Dot
Songwriter(s) J. Fred Coots, Nick Kenny and Charles Kenny
Producer(s) Billy Vaughn
Pat Boone singles chronology
"Why Baby Why"
(1957)
"Love Letters in the Sand"
(1957)
"Remember You're Mine"
(1957)

Pat Boone's version became a major hit in June and July 1957, spending 5 weeks at number one on the Billboard Top 100, with 34 weeks in total on the chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1957. [4] In Canada, the song spent two weeks at number one. [5] The song was used in Boone's 1957 film Bernardine . Boone did the whistling in the instrumental portion of the song as well. The song originally had a short instrumental introduction, but most versions begin with Boone's voice.

Charts

Chart (1957)Peak
position
Australia[ citation needed ]1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [6] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [7] 5
Canada (CHUM Hit Parade) [5] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [8] 1
UK Singles (OCC) [9] 2
US Billboard Top 100 [10] 1
US Cash Box Top 100 [11] 1

Other versions

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Shook Up</span> Song by Elvis Presley

"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley, published by Elvis Presley Music, and composed by Otis Blackwell. The single topped the U.S. Billboard Top 100 on April 13, 1957, staying there for nine weeks. It also topped the Billboard R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to do so, and peaked at No. 1 on the country chart as well. It is certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

"The Song from Moulin Rouge", sub-titled "Where Is Your Heart", is a popular song that first appeared in the 1952 film Moulin Rouge. It became a No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart when recorded by Mantovani. The music for the film was written by Georges Auric; the original French lyrics were by Jacques Larue, with the English words by William Engvick. The Auric-Engvick song was published in 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear</span> 1957 song by Elvis Presley

"(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" is a popular song first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1957 for the soundtrack of his second motion picture, Loving You, during which Presley performs the song on screen. It was written by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe and published in 1957 by Gladys Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ain't That a Shame</span> 1955 single by Fats Domino

"Ain't That a Shame" is a song written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Domino's recording of the song, originally stated as "Ain't It a Shame", released by Imperial Records in 1955, was a hit, eventually selling a million copies. It reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 10 on the pop chart. The song is ranked number 438 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoke Gets in Your Eyes</span> 1933 song by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is a show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical comedy Roberta. The song was sung in the Broadway show by Tamara Drasin. It was first recorded by Gertrude Niesen, with orchestral direction from Ray Sinatra, Frank Sinatra's second cousin, on October 13, 1933. Niesen's recording of the song was released by Victor, with in the B-side "Jealousy", a song featuring Isham Jones and his Orchestra. The line "When your heart's on fire, smoke gets in your eyes" apparently comes from a Russian proverb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody's Somebody's Fool</span> 1960 No. 1 hit song for Connie Francis

"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" is a song written by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield that was a No. 1 hit for Connie Francis in 1960. A polka-style version in German, "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel", was the first German single recorded and released by Connie Francis, and it reached No. 1 on the single chart in 1960 in West Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody Loves Somebody</span> 1947 song by Sam Coslow, Irving Taylor and Ken Lane; 1964 hit by Dean Martin

"Everybody Loves Somebody" is a song written in 1947 by Irving Taylor and pianist Ken Lane, and made famous by Dean Martin who recorded and released his version in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Light Up My Life (song)</span> 1977 single by Debby Boone

"You Light Up My Life" is a ballad written by Joseph Brooks, and originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the soundtrack album to the 1977 film of the same title. The song was lip synced in the film by its lead actress, Didi Conn. The best-known cover version of the song is a cover by Debby Boone, the daughter of singer Pat Boone. It held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks in 1977 and topped Record World magazine's Top 100 Singles Chart for a record 13 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport</span> 1957 song written by Rolf Harris

"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Australian singer Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit around the world in the 1960s in two recordings. Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, most noticeably "The Jack-Ass Song", it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed.

Charles Francis Kenny was an American composer, lyricist, author, and violinist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raunchy (instrumental)</span> 1957 single by Bill Justis

"Raunchy" is an instrumental by American rock and roll artist Bill Justis, co-written with Sidney Manker and produced by Sam Phillips. The tune, from the album Cloud 9, was released as a single on the record label Phillips International Records, a sub-label of Sun Records, on September 23, 1957.

"I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)" is a 1931 popular song.

"I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" is a popular song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, published in 1932. The song was introduced in the musical Music in the Air. The first hit recording of the song was released in 1932 by Jack Denny and His The Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra, featuring the vocals of Paul Small. It has since been recorded and sampled by many artists, including Mac Miller on the track "Knock Knock" from his 2010 mixtape K.I.D.S..

<i>Whos Sorry Now</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Marie Osmond

Who's Sorry Now is the third solo studio album by American country music singer Marie Osmond. It was her last solo album released under MGM Records. Produced by Sonny James. Recorded at Columbia Studios, Studio B Nashville, TN

"Tomorrow Night" is a 1939 song written by Sam Coslow and Will Grosz. A version by Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights was very popular in 1939.

"Last Date" is a 1960 instrumental written and performed by Floyd Cramer. It exemplifies the "slip note" style of piano playing that Cramer made popular. It peaked at number 11 on the country chart and at number two on the Hot 100 behind "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley. Cramer's recording inspired a number of successful cover versions, including a vocal adaptation by Conway Twitty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Boone discography</span>

During his career as a singer and composer, Pat Boone released 63 singles in the United States, mostly during the 1950s and early 1960s when Boone was a successful pop singer and, for a time, the second-biggest charting artist behind Elvis Presley according to Billboard. Boone has had over 25 singles reach the top 20 on the U.S. singles charts, including the number-one hits "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), "I Almost Lost My Mind" (1956), "Don't Forbid Me" (1957), "Love Letters in the Sand" (1957), "April Love" (1957), and "Moody River" (1961). "I'll Be Home" (1956) reached No. 1 in the UK. He set a Billboard record, which he still holds, for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with one or more songs each week.

"Our Winter Love" is an instrumental composition by Johnny Cowell, which was a hit single for Bill Pursell. Pursell's version was recorded in 1962, and was released as a single in January 1963.

"I Love You More and More Every Day" is a song written by Don Robertson and performed by Al Martino. It was featured on his 1964 album I Love You More and More Every Day/Tears and Roses. The single was arranged by Peter DeAngelis and produced by Voyle Gilmore.

"With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair" is a song composed by Clara Edwards, with lyrics by Jack Lawrence. First published in 1930, it became a hit a decade later.

References

  1. 1 2 Tyler, Don (2007-04-16). Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era. McFarland. p. 180. ISBN   978-0-7864-2946-2.
  2. Love Letters in the Sand by Majestic Dance Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Helen Rowland , retrieved 2024-03-30
  3. Love Letters in the Sand by Majestic Dance Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Helen Rowland , retrieved 2024-03-30
  4. Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1957
  5. 1 2 "CHUM's Top 10, June 24, 1957". CHUM Tribute Page. 1957-06-24. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  6. "Pat Boone – Love Letters in the Sand" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  7. "Pat Boone – Love Letters in the Sand" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  8. "Pat Boone – Love Letters in the Sand" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  9. "Pat Boone: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  10. "Billboard Top 100". Billboard. June 17, 1958.
  11. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, week ending July 13, 1957".
  12. "Ted Black and his Orchestra "Love letters in the sand" 1931". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  13. Commerce, United States Congress Senate Committee on (1958). Hearings. p. 362.
  14. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 253. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.