My Funny Valentine

Last updated
"My Funny Valentine"
Myfunnyvalentine.jpg
Sheet music
Song
Published1937 by Chappell & Co.
Genre Traditional pop
Composer(s) Richard Rodgers
Lyricist(s) Lorenz Hart

"My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart coming of age musical Babes in Arms in which it was introduced by teenaged star Mitzi Green. The song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed by over 600 artists. One of them was Chet Baker, [1] for whom it became his signature song. [2] [3] In 2015 the Gerry Mulligan quartet's 1953 version of the song (featuring Chet Baker) was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry for its "cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation’s audio legacy". [4] Mulligan also recorded the song with his Concert Jazz Band in 1960. [5]

Contents

History

Babes in Arms opened at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway, in New York City on April 14, 1937 and ran for 289 performances. [6] In the original play, a character named Billie Smith (played by Mitzi Green) sings the song to Valentine "Val" LaMar (played by Ray Heatherton). [7] The character's name was changed to match the lyric of this song. [8]

In the song, Billie describes Valentine's characteristics in unflattering and derogatory terms (at one point Billie describes Valentine's looks as "laughable", in keeping with the title), but ultimately affirms that he makes her smile and that she does not want him to change. The description of Valentine was consistent with Lorenz Hart's own insecurities and belief that he was too short and ugly to be loved. [9] The lyrics are sufficiently gender-neutral to allow the song to be sung about a person of any gender, and a large proportion of cover versions of the song have been by men describing a hypothetical woman.

Chart versions and covers

The song first hit the charts in 1945, performed by Hal McIntyre with vocals by Ruth Gaylor. [10] It only appeared for one week and hit No. 16. [11] Frank Sinatra recorded a hit version in 1955.

In addition to Chet Baker's 1954 recording, the song has also been covered by Elvis Costello, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Steve Goodman, Rickie Lee Jones, Julie London, Harpo Marx, and Gerry Mulligan, amongst others. [12] [13] [4]

The Chet Baker and the Julie London versions of the song were credited in the 1981 film Sharky's Machine , which Burt Reynolds starred in and directed. Doc Severinsen produced the soundtrack for the film, [13] along with Al Capps and Bob Florence. [14]

In the popular manga title Steel Ball Run, the main antagonist Funny Valentine is named in reference to this song. [15]

The song inspired Ettore Sottsass in his choice of a name for the Olivetti Valentine typewriter. [16] [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorenz Hart</span> American lyricist

Lorenz Milton Hart was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include "Blue Moon"; "The Lady Is a Tramp"; "Manhattan"; "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"; and "My Funny Valentine".

<i>Babes in Arms</i> 1937 musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

Babes in Arms is a 1937 coming-of-age musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a work farm by the town sheriff when their actor parents go on the road for five months in an effort to earn some money by reviving vaudeville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodgers and Hart</span> American songwriting partnership

Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart's death in 1943.

"Lover" is a popular song composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was sung in the movie Love Me Tonight (1932) by Jeanette MacDonald.

<i>What Is There to Say?</i> 1959 studio album by Gerry Mulligan

What Is There to Say? is a 1959 album by Gerry Mulligan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitzi Green</span> American child actress (1920–1969)

Mitzi Green was an American child actress and singer for Paramount and RKO, in the early "talkies" era. She then acted on Broadway and in other stage works, as well as in films and on television.

"Where or When" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms. It was first performed by Ray Heatherton and Mitzi Green. That same year, Hal Kemp recorded a popular version. The song also appeared in the film version of Babes in Arms two years later.

"I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is a popular song composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the 1939 musical Too Many Girls. Introduced by Richard Kollmar and Marcy Westcott in the stage musical, early hit versions were recorded by Benny Goodman and by Jimmy Dorsey .
It was then performed by Trudy Erwin and Richard Carlson in the 1940 film adaptation produced by RKO. The song was later interpolated into the score of the 1957 film Pal Joey, sung by Frank Sinatra, and has become a jazz standard.

"Little Girl Blue" is a popular song with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, published in 1935. The song was introduced by Gloria Grafton in the Broadway musical Jumbo.

<i>Stan Getz and J. J. Johnson at the Opera House</i> 1957 live album by Stan Getz

Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson at the Opera House is a 1957 live album by Stan Getz and J. J. Johnson. They were accompanied by the Oscar Peterson trio and Connie Kay on drums. Two different versions of the same material, one recorded in Chicago and one recorded in Los Angeles by the same musicians, were released by Verve under the same title. One recording was mono and the other was stereo.

<i>Chet</i> (Chet Baker album) 1959 studio album by Chet Baker

Chet is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker first released in 1959. The record is sometimes subtitled The Lyrical Trumpet of Chet Baker. Chet features performances by Baker with alto flautist Herbie Mann, baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, pianist Bill Evans, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Paul Chambers, and either Connie Kay or Philly Joe Jones playing drums. It was recorded in December 1958 and January 1959 and released on the Riverside label.

<i>Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart</i> 1995 compilation album by Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Rodgers & Hart is a 1995 compilation album by Frank Sinatra. In this album, Sinatra sings his renditions of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1930s in jazz</span> Jazz music-related events during the 1930s

Swing jazz emerged as a dominant form in American music, in which some virtuoso soloists became as famous as the band leaders. Key figures in developing the "big" jazz band included bandleaders and arrangers Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw. Duke Ellington and his band members composed numerous swing era hits that have become standards: "It Don't Mean a Thing " (1932), "Sophisticated Lady" (1933) and "Caravan" (1936), among others. Other influential bandleaders of this period were Benny Goodman and Count Basie.

<i>Silence</i> (Charlie Haden album) 1989 studio album by Charlie Haden

Silence is an album by the American jazz bassist Charlie Haden recorded in 1987 and released on the Italian Soul Note label two years later. The album features West Coast jazz trumpeter Chet Baker, and was recorded six months before Baker's death. Three of the six songs on the album--"My Funny Valentine", "'Round Midnight", and "Conception"—were regular features in Baker's concerts at the time. A fourth song, "Visa", was a bebop composition written by Charlie Parker, a musician Baker played with early in his career. Joining Haden and Baker on the album are drummer Billy Higgins and pianist Enrico Pieranunzi.

<i>Jazz at Ann Arbor</i> 1955 live album by Chet Baker

Jazz at Ann Arbor is a live album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker which was recorded at the Masonic Temple in 1954 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.

<i>West Coast Live</i> (album) 1997 live album by Chet Baker & Stan Getz

West Coast Live is a live album by trumpeter Chet Baker and saxophonist Stan Getz which was recorded in California in 1953 but not released until 1997, on the Pacific Jazz label.

<i>Gerry Mulligan Quartet Volume 2</i> 1953 studio album by Gerry Mulligan Quartet

Gerry Mulligan Quartet Volume 2 is an album by saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in 1953 and originally released as a 10-inch LP on the Pacific Jazz label. In 2001 Pacific Jazz re-released the album on CD with additional alternate takes and 12" masters along with five live tracks.

<i>Line for Lyons</i> 1983 live album by Stan Getz and Chet Baker

Line for Lyons is a live album by saxophonist Stan Getz and trumpeter Chet Baker which was recorded in Sweden in 1983 and released on the Swedish Sonet label. The name of the album is based on the eponymous song by Gerry Mulligan, a tribute to Jimmy Lyons. Chet Baker played the song multiple times when he was part of Mulligan's lineup and it made its way into his standard repertoire.

<i>Carnegie Hall Concert</i> (Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker album) 1975 live album by Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker

Carnegie Hall Concert is a live album by saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and trumpeter Chet Baker. The album was recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1974 and released on the CTI label both as a double LP and as two separate volumes. In 1995 the album was re-released as a CD with an additional track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freeway (song)</span>

"Freeway" is a 1952 jazz song composed by Chet Baker and recorded with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. The song was released as part of an LP album and an EP single in the U.S. and a 45 single in the UK and France in 1952.

References

  1. "Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (My Funny Valentine)".
  2. Schwanebeck, Wieland; McFarland, Douglas (8 October 2018). Patricia Highsmith on Screen. Springer. ISBN   9783319960500.
  3. "My Funny Valentine". Jazz Messengers.
  4. 1 2 Wallace, Steve (2020-01-30). "My (Not So) Funny Valentine: A Brief History". The WholeNote. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  5. "National Recording Registry To "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"". The Library of Congress. 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  6. 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   0805031340.
  7. Playbill from 1937 Babes in Arms theatrical performance.
  8. Rodgers, Richard (1975) Musical Stages: an autobiography. New York: Random House, page 181
  9. Holden, Stephen."Television Review: Thou Rodgers, Thou Hart, So Fizzy, So Smart", The New York Times, January 6, 1999.
  10. Orodenker, M. H. (1945-01-27). "Popular Record Reviews". Billboard . Vol. 27, no. 4. ISSN   0006-2510.
  11. Whitburn, Joel (1992). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954: The History of American Popular Music. Record Research, Inc. ISBN   0-89820-083-0. As cited in My Funny Valentine (1937), written, compiled, and published by jazzstandards.com.
  12. Zollo, Paul (2021-02-15). "Seven Favorite Covers of "My Funny Valentine"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  13. 1 2 "Sharky's Machine (1981)". B&S About Movies. July 9, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  14. "Sharky's Machine (1981) Full Cast & Crew". IMDB. 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  15. "Funny Valentine". 14 February 2024.
  16. "Perché Valentine è l'oggetto di design assoluto". Rivista Studio (in Italian). 2018-04-12. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  17. "1969, odissea nel design: così Olivetti inventò la tecnologia che ha stile". La Stampa (in Italian). 6 December 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2024.

Further reading