Sing, You Sinners (song)

"Sing, You Sinners"
1930 sheet music cover with Nancy Carroll, Stanley Smith, Lillian Roth Richard "Skeets" Gallagher and Mitzi Green (as "Little Mitzi") as Honey bees with a giant beehive behind them.
Song
Published	1930
Released	March 29, 1930
Genre	Jazz novelty song
Songwriter(s)	Sam Coslow W. Franke Harling

"Sing, You Sinners" is a novelty song with music by W. Franke Harling and lyrics by Sam Coslow. ^[1] Composed in 1930 for the film Honey , starring Nancy Carroll, it is performed during a musical scene by Tess Gardella, Mitzi Green (Doris) and Lillian Roth (Cora Falkner). ^[2] The Bing Crosby 1938 Paramount musical Sing You Sinners also included the song in the title credits. It is considered "Coslow's biggest movie hit". ^[3]

The so memorable chorus is as follows:

You sinners drop everything,
Let that harmony ring,
Up to Heaven and sing,
Sing, you sinners.

Just wave your arms all about,
Let the Lord hear your shout,
pour that music right out,
Sing, you sinners.

Whenever there’s music,
The Devil kicks,
He don't allow music
By that river Styx

You're wicked and you're depraved,
And you all misbehaved,
If you wanna be saved,
Sing, you sinners.

History

According to IMDb, ^[4] one day, the lyricist Sam Coslow went to a religious revival with his friends, giving him the idea to compose the song with W. Franke Harling.

1930 recordings

• Popular recordings in 1930 were by The High Hatters (on Victor 22322) and by Smith Ballew and his Orchestra. ^[5]
• A good early recording is found on the album "The Song Hits of 1930 (Jazz Age Chronicles, Vol. 9)", and is sung by The Charleston Chasers. ^[6] This is, perhaps, the way Coslow and Harling intended it to be performed.
• Belle Baker recorded the song in April 1930, shortly after "Honey" was released. ^[7]
• A version was released in 1930 by Hit of the Week Records, credited to Harlem Hot Chocolates but actually performed by Duke Ellington and his band. ^{[8] [9]}

Other recordings

• In Britain, the song was recorded by the duo Bob and Alf Pearson. ^[10]
• A popular version was recorded by Tony Bennett for Columbia Records (No. CO44125) on July 20, 1950. ^[11] Bennett also recorded the song on several more occasions. ^[12] In addition it is featured on Tony Bennett album Duets: An American Classic when he sings it with singer John Legend.
• In 1951 Margaret Whiting performed the song with orchestra directed by Frank DeVol (Capitol 1417 78rpm).
• Rosemary Clooney included the song on her album Swing Around Rosie (1959).
• Mel Tormé recorded for his album Comin' Home Baby! (1962). ^[13]
• The song is the title track of Erin McKeown's October 24, 2006 album Sing You Sinners .

Popular culture

• Max Fleischer’s cartoon " Swing You Sinners! " (1930) from the Talkartoons series is entirely based on the modified version of this song, “Swing you Sinners”.
• The song was used in the 1955 film I'll Cry Tomorrow when it was sung and danced by Susan Hayward and the chorus. It is also heard in a medley montage by Susan Hayward (vocal) and Eddie Albert (piano). ^[14]

References

1. Lawson, Carol (April 6, 1982). "SAM COSLOW, 79, SONGWRITER". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 20, 2025.
2. Tick, Judith (December 5, 2023). Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN   978-0-393-24202-7.
3. Bradley, Edwin M. (August 25, 2004). The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 through 1932. McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-2029-2.
4. Honey (1930) - Trivia
5. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 579. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
6. "45worlds.com". 45worlds.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
7. "Belle Baker - Sing You Sinners (1930)".
8. "45worlds.com". 45worlds.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
9. "Harlem Hot Chocolates - The Syncopated Times". November 30, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
10. "78 RPM - Bob And Alf Pearson - Sing You Sinners / If I Had a Girl Like You - Broadcast - UK - 612". 45worlds. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
11. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
12. "jazzdiscography.com". jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
13. "www.allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
14. "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.