Begin the Beguine - wikipedia Begin the Beguine For the Spanish film, see Begin the Beguine ( film ). Not to be confused with the R.E.M. song `` Begin the Begin '' or the television episode `` Begin the Begin '' ( Grey 's Anatomy ). `` Begin the Beguine '' Single by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra ( original issues as `` Art '' Shaw ) A-side `` Indian Love Call '' B - side `` Begin the Beguine '' Recorded July 24, 1938, New York City Genre Jazz Length 3 : 11 Label Bluebird B - 7746 Songwriter ( s ) Cole Porter ; arranged by Artie Shaw and Jerry Gray `` Begin the Beguine '' is a popular song written by Cole Porter. Porter composed the song between Kalabahi, Indonesia, and Fiji during a 1935 Pacific cruise aboard Cunard 's ocean liner Franconia. In October 1935, it was introduced by June Knight in the Broadway musical Jubilee, produced at the Imperial Theatre in New York City. Contents 1 Music 2 Artie Shaw version 3 Later popularity 3.1 Releases by notable artists 4 In film 5 Other media 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Music A Beguine was originally a Christian lay woman of the 13th or 14th century living in a religious community without formal vows, but in the creole of the Caribbean, especially in Martinique and Guadeloupe, the term came to mean `` white woman '', and then to be applied to a style of music and dance, and in particular a slow, close couples ' dance. This combination of French ballroom dance and Latin folk dance became popular in Paris and spread further abroad in the 1940s, largely due to the influence of the Porter song. Musicologist and composer Alec Wilder described it in his book American Popular Song : The Great Innovators 1900 -- 1950 as `` a maverick, an unprecedented experiment and one which, to this day, after hearing it hundreds of times, I can not sing or whistle or play from start to finish without the printed music... about the sixtieth measure I find myself muttering another title, End the Beguine. '' Artie Shaw version At first, the song gained little popularity, perhaps because of its length and unconventional form. Josephine Baker danced to it in her return to America in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, but neither she nor the song were successful. Two years later, however, bandleader Artie Shaw recorded an arrangement of the song, an extended swing orchestra version, in collaboration with his arranger and orchestrator, Jerry Gray. After signing a new recording contract with RCA Victor Shaw chose `` Begin the Beguine '' to be the first of six tunes he would record with his new 14 piece band at this, his first recording session with RCA. The session was held at RCA 's `` Studio 2 '' on East 24th Street in New York on July 24, 1938. Until then, Shaw 's band had been having a tough time finding an identity and maintaining its existence without having had any popular hits of significance ; his previous recording contract with Brunswick had lapsed at the end of 1937 without being renewed. RCA 's pessimism with the whole idea of recording the long tune `` that nobody could remember from beginning to end anyway '' resulted in it being released on the `` B '' side of the record `` Indian Love Call '', issued by Bluebird Records as catalog number B - 7746 B. Shaw 's persistence paid off, though, when `` Begin the Beguine '' became a best - selling record in 1938, peaking at No. 3., skyrocketing Shaw and his band to fame and popularity. The recording became one of the most famous and popular anthems of the entire Swing Era. Subsequent re-releases by RCA Victor ( catalog number 20 - 1551 ) and other releases on LPs, tapes and CDs have kept the recording readily available continuously ever since its initial release. Later popularity After Shaw introduced the song to dance halls, MGM brought out the musical film Broadway Melody of 1940, in which Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell danced to `` Begin the Beguine ''. In short order, all the major big bands recorded it, including Harry James, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller, often as an instrumental, as in the film. As a vocal song, it also became a pop standard, beginning with Porter and Tony Martin ; new interpretations are often still measured against renditions by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and Elvis Presley did an adaptation of his own. `` Begin the Beguine '' became such a classic during World War II that Max Beckmann adopted the title for a painting in 1946 ( now at University of Michigan Museum of Art ). Releases by notable artists Xavier Cugat and his orchestra recorded one of the first versions in 1935, with a stronger Latin sound than later versions. The song was recorded as an instrumental, although a vocalist ( Don Reid ) sings the title and the beginning and end of the song. This recording reached the charts of the day. Tony Martin recorded Begin the Beguine at least twice : on March 14, 1939 for Decca Records ( catalog numbers 2375a and later 25018 in 78 rpm, 9 - 25018 in 45 rpm ) and for RCA Victor Records in the late 1940s ( catalog number 20 - 2814, 47 - 3228 ). In July 1939 Chick Henderson recorded a version of the song with the Joe Loss orchestra in London, on the Regal Zonophone label. The record sold over one million copies, a remarkable and almost unique achievement for the time, and did much to make the song a standard in the UK, whilst making household names of both the band and its singer. Leslie Hutchinson recorded a version on April 3, 1940. This recording was given to the Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba, who later asked that it be played seven times at his tomb when his body was laid to rest, which occurred a week after his death on January 31, 1969. Jane Froman recorded the song for CBS Millions for Defense, broadcast on July 30, 1941, the song starts at 4 minutes and 30 seconds into the broadcast. Bing Crosby recorded the song on May 3, 1944 for Decca Records. Eddie Heywood and his orchestra recorded a single version in 1944 and this reached the USA charts in 1945 peaking in the No. 16 spot. Alys Robi made a 78 rpm version in 1944. The Andrews Sisters recorded a single version in collaboration with Glenn Miller and his orchestra. Larry Adler recorded a version with The John Kirby Orchestra in New York ca. 2 / 1944 Decca 22319. Maurice Rocco recorded his version in the mid 1940s. Jo Stafford released her version in the early 1950s. Mario Lanza recorded a successful version in the late 1950s. Berl Olswanger recorded his instrumental version on Berl Olswanger at the Piano ( 1953 ) Pat Boone on the album Howdy ! 1957 Frank Sinatra recorded a version on February 24, 1946 and this reached the Billboard charts in the No. 23 position. It was later re-released on The Columbia Years ( 1943 -- 1952 ). Charlie Parker, in the album The Cole Porter Songbook ( 1950 -- 54 ; re-released on CD in 1991 ) Oreste Kirkop recorded in Hollywood in November 1955 with The Paramount Studio Orchestra conducted by Victor Young ( Recording released on a double CD entitled `` The Maltese Tenor, Oreste Kirkop '' by KTA Productions, Malta in 1996. KTA 070, KTA 071 ). Caterina Valente included a version on her 1956 album The Hi - Fi Nightingale. Liberace recorded and performed a spirited version with his brother, George Liberace, on his live television show in 1956. Ella Fitzgerald performed a version for the Cole Porter Songbook on Verve, 1956 The Flamingos performed a version on Flamingo Serenade, 1959. Chet Atkins included a version on his 1960 album The Other Chet Atkins. Louis Prima and Keely Smith had a single version in 1961. Al Hirt released a version on his 1961 album, The Greatest Horn in the World. Elvis Presley recorded his own song in 1962, based on Porter 's, entitled `` You 'll Be Gone ''. Presley co-wrote the original aspects of the song with his bodyguard Red West and assistant Charlie Hodge. Andy Williams had a version in his 1964 album The Great Songs from `` My Fair Lady '' and Other Broadway Hits. Tom Jones recorded a version in 1966 for his album From the Heart. Django Reinhardt recorded several times a gypsy jazz version of Begin the Beguine. Les Paul arranged a jazz guitar version. Laventille Highlanders Steel Orchestra from Trinidad and Tobago, led by tuner Bertie Marshall, recorded a version on the steel pan. Juan García Esquivel had a lounge music version of the tune. Pete Townshend included a version in 1970 for his album Happy Birthday. Johnny Mathis recorded an eight - minute - long disco version in 1979, as well as a samba rendition. The edited single of the disco version reached # 37 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary survey in 1979 ; this version has gained popularity as a favorite among Carolina Beach Music fans. Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded a version in 1979 for his album Hearin ' is Believin '. Julio Iglesias 's 1981 version reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1981. Richard Clayderman 's album Music of love ( 1984 ) includes this song. Dionne Warwick recorded a version in 1990 for her album Dionne Warwick Sings Cole Porter. Tuck Andress recorded a version in 1990 for his album Reckless Precision. Gal Costa recorded a version in 1990 for her album Plural. Thomas Hampson 's version on his Cole Porter album Night and Day for EMI ( 1991 ) features the original arrangements by Robert Russell Bennett, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by John McGlinn. Michael Nesmith recorded a version in 1992 for his solo album Tropical Campfires. Pearl Django had a gypsy jazz version in 2000 in the album Avalon. Frank Holder recorded a bossa nova version on his album Interpretations Frank Holder and Shane Hill in 2012 In film Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell danced to an instrumental version in Broadway Melody of 1940. Deanna Durbin sang it in Hers to Hold ( 1943 ). In the 1946 Porter biographical film Night and Day, Latin singer Carlos Ramirez performed this song. `` Begin the Beguine '' was referenced in the 1968 animated movie Yellow Submarine in a conversation between the characters John and Jeremy. It was also sung by Sammy Davis Jr. in Moon Over Parador. Begin the Beguine was the chosen English title for Volver a Empezar ( José Luis Garci, 1982 ), the first Spanish film to win an Academy Award in Hollywood for a foreign language movie. Garci includes another tribute to Cole Porter in another of his films, You 're the One ( 2000 ). The song is featured in the 1989 documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, during the chapters in which Greenberg is drafted into the armed forces and in a part of the chapter about the relationship between Greenberg and his wife Carol. `` Begin the Beguine '' is sung by actress Melora Hardin in the South Seas Club scene in The Rocketeer ( 1991 ). An instrumental march arrangement appears on the soundtrack of Evil Under the Sun ( 1982 ). Sheryl Crow performs the song in De-Lovely ( 2004 ), a biographical film about Porter. Instrumental music played during a ballroom scene in the 2008 movie Australia includes `` Begin the Beguine '', performed by Australian clarinetist Andy Firth and the Ralph Pyle Big Band. In Hope and Glory, the song is sung by the character Dawn ( Sammi Davis ) while her family is repairing windows broken during an air raid. It is played in The Josephine Baker Story ( 1991 ). It is used in Ballet Shoes ( 2007 ). It is used extensively, in three different forms, in Undertaking Betty ( 2002 ). There is a reference to the song in a lyric in Under The Sea from Disney 's The Little Mermaid ( 1989 ) when Sebastian sings `` Under the sea, under the sea, when the sardine begin the beguine it 's music to me ''. Other media A character in Michael Ondaatje 's Divisadero ( 2007 ) refers to this song several times. A heavily modified Mustang P51 racing aircraft called Beguine was fielded in the 1949 National Air Races, the musical score was painted in gold over the dark blue fuselage. It crashed on a nearby house in Berea, Ohio, during the race killing pilot Bill Odom and two people in the house. The National Air Races were discontinued after the accident. The song is quoted musically and parodied in Noël Coward 's 1944 song Nina, which includes the lyrics : She refused to begin the Beguine / Though they implored her to / And in language profane and obscene / She cursed the man who taught her to / She cursed Cole Porter too It is mentioned several times in Jeffrey Eugenides ' Middlesex. Milton Stephanides, father of the novel 's main character, Cal, plays the song on his clarinet to woo Tessie, Cal 's mother. In the short story `` Julio Iglesias '' by Haruki Murakami, Iglesias ' recording of the song proves to be unbearable to a group of sea turtles. Fictional Medal of Honor recipient Ernie Yost sings the song in an episode of NCIS when he proclaims his love for Artie Shaw over Benny Goodman in the episode `` Call of Silence ''. The song is mentioned on the television sitcom Mama 's Family Season 2 Episode 1 In a sixth - season The West Wing episode called `` A Good Day '', President Bartlet ( Martin Sheen ) sings part of the song while dancing in the Oval Office with the First Lady, Abby ( Stockard Channing ). The song is played aboard the Bianca Pride in Paule Marshall 's novel, Praisesong for the Widow. Leland Palmer calls out the song 's title after fainting in the first episode of the second season of Twin Peaks. The song plays in the background of a scene in the 2006 South Park episode, `` Smug Alert ! ''. Tim Curry sings the words ' begin the beguine ' in the song `` Anything Can Happen on Halloween '' from The Worst Witch ( film ). The lyrics ' begin the beguine ' also appear in the ' Mountain Duet ' from Chess ( musical ) by Tim Rice in reference to a meeting both parties have been trying to put off but which surprises both of them by quickly turning romantic. See also List of 1930s jazz standards References Jump up ^ Cryer, Max. `` Love Me Tender : the stories behind the world 's favourite songs '' ( Auckland : Exisie Publishing Co., 2008 ), pp. 86 -- 89 Jump up ^ Rice, Jo ( 1982 ). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits ( 1st ed. ). Enfield, Middlesex : Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 219. ISBN 0 - 85112 - 250 - 7. Jump up ^ Wilder, Alec. American Popular Song : The Great Innovators 1900 -- 1950 ( New York : Oxford University Press, 1972 ), pg. 240 Jump up ^ Inventory of the Artie Shaw Collection, 1910 -- 2005 ( bulk 1936 -- 1955 ) Collection Number : MMS 5 University of Arizona School of Music http://web.cfa.arizona.edu/artieshaw/collection/mms5shaw.pdf page 15 retrieved August 24, 2014 Jump up ^ `` RCA Victor 78rpm numerical listing discography : 20 - 1500 -- 20 - 2000 ''. 78discography.com. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1986 ). Joel Whitburn 's Pop Memories 1890 - 1954. Wisconsin, USA : Record Research Inc. p. 116. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 083 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Loews Hotels ''. Feinsteinsattheregency.com. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ `` DECCA ( USA ) 78rpm numerical listing discography : 2000 -- 2500 ''. 78discography.com. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ `` DECCA ( USA ) 78rpm numerical listing discography : 25000 series ''. 78discography.com. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ `` RCA Victor 20 - prefix 78rpm numerical listing discography : 2500 -- 3000 ''. 78discography.com. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ Susan Kidder Herr, `` Darshan I : A Fairy Tale for Old Souls, '' The Awakener Magazine, vol. 13, nos. 1 & 2 ( 1970 ), p. 8. Jump up ^ Fred Marks, Thoughts on Begin the Beguine, The Awakener Magazine, vol. 21, no. 2 ( 1985 ), p. 40. Jump up ^ `` A Bing Crosby Discography ''. BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved June 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1986 ). Joel Whitburn 's Pop Memories 1890 - 1954. Wisconsin, USA : Record Research Inc. p. 211. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 083 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Frank Sinatra Discography ''. jazzdiscography.com. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1986 ). Joel Whitburn 's Pop Memories 1890 - 1954. Wisconsin, USA : Record Research Inc. p. 392. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 083 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Al Hirt -- The Greatest Horn in the World ( Vinyl, LP, Album ) at Discogs ''. Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^, he recorded 4 versions of this song in Italian Venezia a Settembre, French Une chanson qui revient, Spanish Begin the Beguine, German aber der Traum war sehr schön Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums ( 19th ed. ). London : Guinness World Records Limited. p. 403. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. Jump up ^ http://www.cleveland.com/berea/index.ssf/2014/08/labor_day_marks_65_years_since.html External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Cole Porter Musicals See America First Hitchy - Koo Paris Fifty Million Frenchmen Wake Up and Dream The New Yorkers Gay Divorce Nymph Errant Anything Goes Jubilee Red, Hot and Blue You Never Know Leave It to Me ! Du Barry Was a Lady Panama Hattie Let 's Face It ! Something for the Boys Mexican Hayride Around the World Kiss Me, Kate Out of This World Can - Can Silk Stockings Happy New Year Songs Ace in the Hole After You, Who ? All of You All Through the Night Allez - Vous - En Always True to You in My Fashion Another Op'nin ', Another Show Anything Goes At Long Last Love Be a Clown Begin the Beguine C'est Magnifique Ca, C'est L'amour The Day Is My Enemy Do I Love You ? Do n't Fence Me In Down in the Depths Dream Dancing Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye From This Moment On Get Out of Town Give Him the Ooh - La - La Hey, Good Lookin ' High Society Calypso I Am in Love I Concentrate on You I Get a Kick Out of You I Happen to Like New York I Love Paris I Love You I Love You, Samantha I 've Got My Eyes on You I 've Got You Under My Skin In the Still of the Night It 's All Right with Me It 's De-Lovely Just One of Those Things Let 's Do It, Let 's Fall in Love Let 's Misbehave Little One Love for Sale Mind If I Make Love to You ? Miss Otis Regrets My Heart Belongs to Daddy Night and Day Now You Has Jazz Ridin ' High So in Love So Near and yet So Far Tom, Dick or Harry Too Darn Hot True Love Well, Did You Evah ! What Is This Thing Called Love ? Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ? Why Ca n't You Behave ? You Do Something to Me You 'd Be So Easy to Love You 'd Be So Nice to Come Home To You 're Sensational You 're the Top Julio Iglesias Discography Studio albums Yo canto ( 1969 ) Un canto a Galicia ( 1972 ) Soy ( 1973 ) A flor de piel ( 1974 ) A México ( 1975 ) El amor ( 1975 ) America ( 1976 ) A mis 33 años ( 1977 ) Emociones ( 1978 ) Sono un pirata, sono un signore ( 1978 ) À vous les femmes ( 1979 ) Hey ! ( 1980 ) De niña a mujer ( 1981 ) Zartlichkeiten ( 1981 ) Momentos ( 1982 ) Momenti ( 1982 ) Amor ( 1982 ) Et l'amour crea la femme ( 1982 ) 1100 Bel Air Place ( 1984 ) Libra ( 1985 ) Un hombre solo ( 1987 ) Tutto l'amore che ti manca ( 1987 ) Non Stop ( 1988 ) Raíces ( 1989 ) Starry Night ( 1990 ) Calor ( 1992 ) Crazy ( 1994 ) La carretera ( 1995 ) Tango ( 1996 ) Noche de cuatro lunas ( 2000 ) Ao Meu Brasil ( 2001 ) Divorcio ( 2003 ) Romantic Classics ( 2006 ) 1 ( 2011 ) México ( 2015 ) Live albums En concierto ( 1983 ) Compilation albums Da Manuela a Pensami ( 1978 ) Minhas canções preferidas ( 1981 ) Julio ( 1983 ) My Life : The Greatest Hits ( 1998 ) Mi vida : Grandes éxitos ( 1998 ) Love Songs ( 2003 ) 1 : The Collection ( 2014 ) Singles `` Chiquilla '' ( 1970 ) `` Gwendolyne '' ( 1970 ) `` Cucurrucucú paloma '' ( 1975 ) `` Pauvres Diables '' ( 1979 ) `` Begin the Beguine '' ( 1981 ) `` Yours ( Quiéreme Mucho ) '' ( 1981 ) `` Amor '' ( 1984 ) `` All of You '' ( 1984 ) `` The Air That I Breathe '' ( 1984 ) `` To All the Girls I 've Loved Before '' ( 1984 ) `` I 've Got You Under My Skin '' ( 1985 ) `` We Are the World '' ( 1985 ) `` Lo Mejor de Tu Vida '' ( 1987 ) `` Que No Se Rompa la Noche '' ( 1987 ) `` Bamboléo '' ( 1989 ) `` Vincent '' ( 1990 ) `` Ca n't Help Falling in Love '' ( 1990 ) `` Crazy '' ( 1994 ) `` Oye Como Va '' ( 1994 ) `` When You Tell Me That You Love Me '' ( 1994 ) `` El Choclo '' ( 1996 ) `` La Gota Fría '' ( 1998 ) `` Everybody 's Talkin ' '' ( 2006 ) Family Julio Iglesias Sr. ( father ) Julio Iglesias Jr. ( son ) Enrique Iglesias ( son ) Chabeli Iglesias ( daughter ) Isabel Preysler ( first wife ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Begin_the_Beguine&oldid=856632462 '' Categories : 1935 songs 1930s jazz standards Bluebird Records singles Songs written by Cole Porter Songs from Jubilee ( musical ) Ella Fitzgerald songs Johnny Mathis songs Mildred Bailey songs Al Hirt songs Andy Williams songs UK Singles Chart number - one singles Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Songs about dancing Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from December 2015 Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014 Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Italiano 日本 語 Norsk Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 26 August 2018, at 16 : 10 ( UTC ). 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Question: who sang begin the beguine in the movie night and day
Answer: Carlos Ramirez