I Could Write a Book: Difference between revisions

"I Could Write a Book"
"I Could Write a Book"
Song
Published	1940
Composer(s)	Richard Rodgers
Lyricist(s)	Lorenz Hart

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"I Could Write a Book" is a show tune from the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey,^[1] where it was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst. It is considered a standard.

Critical reception

An uncredited critic reviewing "New Plays in Manhattan" for Time said of Pal Joey that the musical contains "all the dancing anyone could want and at least three more great Richard Rodgers tunes: 'I Could Write a Book' (sweet), 'Love Is My Friend' (torchy), 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' (catchy)."^[2]

Cover versions

The song has been covered by such artists as:

Anita O'Day – Anita O'Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers and Hart (1960)^[3]
Sarah Vaughan 1962, 1973 (live)
Vic Damone - (1964)^[4]
Frank D'Rone,^[5]
Vince Guaraldi,^[6]
Frank Sinatra,^[7]
Harry Connick Jr.,^[8]
Dinah Washington.^[9]
Miles Davis.^[10]
George Benson

In popular culture

Harry Connick Jr.'s version of "I Could Write a Book" was used in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally..., appearing on the film's soundtrack, and also appears on the soundtrack of the 1997 film Deconstructing Harry.^[8]
Dinah Washington's version of "I Could Write a Book", from her 1955 album For Those in Love, was used in the ninth episode of the first season of the television series Ash vs Evil Dead.^[9]

References

^ Banfield, Stephen (1998). "Popular Song and Popular Music on Stage and Film". In Nicholls, David (ed.). The Cambridge History of American Music. Cambridge University Press. pp. 329–330. ISBN 978-0-521-45429-2.
^ (No author.) "New plays in Manhattan," Time, 37:1, 6 January 1941.
^ "www.allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
^ "Vic Damone – on the Street Where You Live (1964, Scranton Pressing, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1964.
^ Wright, Matthew (June 15, 2019). "Frank D'Rone: Sings / After The Ball". Jazz Journal. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
^ Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD: The Navy Swings". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
^ Rickert, David (January 12, 2008). "Frank Sinatra: A Voice In Time (1939-1952)". All About Jazz. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
^ ^a ^b Hischak 2007, p. 123.
^ ^a ^b Wade, Chris (December 26, 2015). "Ash vs. Evil Dead Recap: 'Hey Evil, Why Don't You Eat My Butt!'". Vulture. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
^ "The Miles Davis Quintet – Relaxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet". Doscogs. Discogs. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

Sources

Hischak, Thomas S. (2007). The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia. Greenwood. ISBN 978-0313341403.

This article about a jazz standard or composition written in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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[Nicholls-1] Banfield, Stephen (1998). "Popular Song and Popular Music on Stage and Film". In Nicholls, David (ed.). The Cambridge History of American Music. Cambridge University Press. pp. 329–330. ISBN 978-0-521-45429-2.

[Time41-2] (No author.) "New plays in Manhattan," Time, 37:1, 6 January 1941.

[3] "www.allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved July 3, 2024.

[4] "Vic Damone – on the Street Where You Live (1964, Scranton Pressing, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1964.

[5] Wright, Matthew (June 15, 2019). "Frank D'Rone: Sings / After The Ball". Jazz Journal. Retrieved September 1, 2019.

[Bang-6] Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD: The Navy Swings". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 July 2020.

[7] Rickert, David (January 12, 2008). "Frank Sinatra: A Voice In Time (1939-1952)". All About Jazz. Retrieved September 1, 2019.

[FOOTNOTEHischak2007123-8] Hischak 2007, p. 123.

[evildead-9] Wade, Chris (December 26, 2015). "Ash vs. Evil Dead Recap: 'Hey Evil, Why Don't You Eat My Butt!'". Vulture. Retrieved September 1, 2019.

[10] "The Miles Davis Quintet – Relaxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet". Doscogs. Discogs. Retrieved 7 January 2023.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1940 song composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart}}
-{{Unreferenced|date=September 2008}}
-{{Infobox song <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
+{{Infobox song
-| Name           = I Could Write a Book
+| name      = I Could Write a Book
+| cover     =
-| Type           = [[Song]] from ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]''
-| Published      = 1940
+| alt       =
-| Writer         = [[Lorenz Hart]]
+| type      = song
+| written   =
-| Composer       = [[Richard Rodgers]]
+| published = 1940
+| writer    =
+| composer  = [[Richard Rodgers]]
+| lyricist  = [[Lorenz Hart]]
 }}
-"'''I Could Write a Book'''" is a [[show tune]] from the 1940 [[Rodgers and Hart]] musical ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]'' (1940), where it was introduced by [[Gene Kelly]] and [[Leila Ernst]].
+"'''I Could Write a Book'''" is a [[show tune]] from the 1940 [[Rodgers and Hart]] musical ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]'',<ref name="Nicholls">{{cite book |last=Banfield |first=Stephen |chapter=Popular Song and Popular Music on Stage and Film |editor-last=Nicholls |editor-first=David |title=The Cambridge History of American Music |year=1998 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-45429-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory0000unse_y6c4/page/329 329–330]|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory0000unse_y6c4/page/329 }}</ref> where it was introduced by [[Gene Kelly]] and [[Leila Ernst]]. It is considered a [[Jazz standard|standard]].
-==Notable recordings==
+==Critical reception==
+An uncredited critic reviewing "New Plays in Manhattan" for ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' said of ''Pal Joey'' that the musical contains "all the dancing anyone could want and at least three more great Richard Rodgers tunes: 'I Could Write a Book' (sweet), 'Love Is My Friend' (torchy), '[[Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered]]' (catchy)."<ref name="Time41">(No author.) "New plays in Manhattan," ''Time'', 37:1, 6 January 1941.</ref>
-*[[Frank Sinatra]] - ''I Hear a Rhapsody'' (album) (1952)
-*[[Dinah Washington]] - ''[[For Those in Love]]'' (1955)
+==Cover versions==
-*[[Miles Davis]] - ''[[Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet]]'' (1956)
+The song has been [[Cover version|covered]] by such artists as:
-*[[Ella Fitzgerald]] - ''[[Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook]]'' (1956)
+*[[Anita O'Day]] – ''[[Anita O'Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers and Hart]]'' (1960)<ref>{{cite web|title=www.allmusic.com|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/anita-oday-and-billy-may-swing-rodgers-and-hart-mw0000687483|website=www.allmusic.com|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
-*[[Kenny Drew]] - ''[[Pal Joey (Kenny Drew album)]]'' (1957)
-*[[Miyoshi Umeki]] - ''Miyoshi'' (1959)
+*[[Sarah Vaughan]] 1962, 1973 (live)
+*[[Vic Damone]] - (1964)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Vic-Damone-On-The-Street-Where-You-Live/release/9465011|title = Vic Damone – on the Street Where You Live (1964, Scranton Pressing, Vinyl)| website=[[Discogs]] | year=1964 }}</ref>
-*[[Anita O'Day]] - ''[[Anita O'Day and Billy May Swing Rodgers and Hart]] (1960)
+*[[Frank D'Rone]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2019/06/15/frank-drone-sings-after-the-ball/|title=Frank D'Rone: Sings / After The Ball|last=Wright|first=Matthew|date=June 15, 2019|work=[[Jazz Journal]]|access-date=September 1, 2019}}</ref>
-*[[Monica Zetterlund]] - ''Swedish Sensation!'' (1960)
+*[[Vince Guaraldi]],<ref name=Bang>{{cite web |url= http://www.fivecentsplease.org/dpb/vincecd.html |title= Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD: ''The Navy Swings''|last= Bang |first=Derrick |website= fivecentsplease.org |publisher= Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire |access-date= 25 July 2020 }}</ref>
-*[[Betty Carter]] - ''[[Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant (1956)- The Audience with Betty Carter]]'' (1979)
+*[[Frank Sinatra]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-voice-in-time-1939-1952-frank-sinatra-columbia-records-review-by-david-rickert.php|title=Frank Sinatra: A Voice In Time (1939-1952)|last=Rickert|first=David|date=January 12, 2008|website=[[All About Jazz]]|access-date=September 1, 2019}}</ref>
-*[[Harry Connick, Jr.]] - ''[[When Harry Met Sally...]]'' (1989)
+*[[Harry Connick Jr.]],{{sfn|Hischak|2007|p=123}}
-*[[Mel Tormé]] - ''[[Mel and George "Do" World War II]]'' (1990)
+*[[Dinah Washington]].<ref name=evildead>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/12/ash-vs-evil-dead-recap-season-1-episode-9.html|title=Ash vs. Evil Dead Recap: 'Hey Evil, Why Don't You Eat My Butt!'|last=Wade|first=Chris|date=December 26, 2015|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|access-date=September 1, 2019}}</ref>
-*[[Rosemary Clooney]] - ''[[Rosemary Clooney Sings Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein]]'' (1990)
+*[[Miles Davis]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Miles Davis Quintet – Relaxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/208352-The-Miles-Davis-Quintet-Relaxin-With-The-Miles-Davis-Quintet |website=Doscogs |publisher=Discogs |access-date=7 January 2023}}</ref>
-*[[The Swingle Singers]] - ''New World'' (1995)
+*[[George Benson]]
+==In popular culture==
+*Harry Connick Jr.'s version of "I Could Write a Book" was used in the 1989 film ''[[When Harry Met Sally...]]'', appearing on [[When Harry Met Sally... (soundtrack)|the film's soundtrack]], and also appears on the soundtrack of the 1997 film ''[[Deconstructing Harry]]''.{{sfn|Hischak|2007|p=123}}
+*Dinah Washington's version of "I Could Write a Book", from her 1955 album ''[[For Those in Love]]'', was used in the ninth episode of the [[Ash vs Evil Dead#Season 1 (2015–16)|first season]] of the television series ''[[Ash vs Evil Dead]]''.<ref name=evildead />
+==References==
+{{reflist}}
+===Sources===
+* {{cite book|last=Hischak|first=Thomas S.|title=The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia|year=2007|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0313341403}}
 {{Rodgers and Hart}}
+{{authority control}}
+[[Category:Songs about writers]]
 [[Category:Songs with music by Richard Rodgers]]
 [[Category:Songs with lyrics by Lorenz Hart]]

v t e Rodgers and Hart
Richard Rodgers Lorenz Hart
Musicals	Fly with Me Poor Little Ritz Girl The Garrick Gaieties Dearest Enemy The Girl Friend Peggy-Ann A Connecticut Yankee Present Arms Chee-Chee Ever Green Simple Simon America's Sweetheart Jumbo On Your Toes Babes in Arms I'd Rather Be Right The Boys from Syracuse I Married an Angel Too Many Girls Higher and Higher Pal Joey By Jupiter
Songs	"Manhattan" "Mountain Greenery" "Here in My Arms" "Blue Room" "My Heart Stood Still" "Thou Swell" "To Keep My Love Alive" "You Took Advantage of Me" "With a Song in My Heart" "A Ship Without a Sail" "Dancing on the Ceiling" "Ten Cents a Dance" "He Was Too Good to Me" "I've Got Five Dollars" "Isn't It Romantic?" "Lover" "Mimi" "You Are Too Beautiful" "Blue Moon" "It's Easy to Remember (And So Hard to Forget)" "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" "My Romance" "Little Girl Blue" "There's a Small Hotel" "Glad to Be Unhappy" "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" "Where or When" "I Wish I Were in Love Again" "My Funny Valentine" "Johnny One Note" "The Lady Is a Tramp" "Have You Met Miss Jones?" "I'll Tell the Man in the Street" "Spring Is Here" "Falling in Love with Love" "This Can't Be Love" "Sing for Your Supper" "I Like to Recognize the Tune" "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" "Give It Back to the Indians" "You're Nearer" "It Never Entered My Mind" "I Could Write a Book" "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" "Ev'rything I've Got" "Wait till You See Her"