EXACTLY LIKE YOU

Music: Jimmy McHugh- Lyrics: Dorothy Fields

Year: 1930

Origin of the song

The musical International Revue, produced by Lew Leslie, was released on 25 February 1930 in the Majestic Theatre of New York. That night, Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence sang ‘Exactly Like You’. The show wasn’t as successful as expected and was withdrawn from the hoarding after ninety five performances. Even if it had good producers, A-list actors (Gertrude Lawrence, Harry Richman, Pearl Jack, Anton Dolin, and La Argentinita), choreography by Busby Berkeley, and songs by McHugh and Fields, the musical has a poor script, too long and, in general, not appealing at all for the audience and the critics. However, two of its musical scenes, ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’ and ‘Exactly Like you’ became very famous.

Curiously enough, Ruth Etting (Columbia 2199D) and Harry Richman (Brunswick 4747) recorded this song the same day. As well as many other standards, Louis Armstrong has the honour of having recorded the first jazz version of this song (May 4, 1930).

Among the many collaborations of McHugh and Fields, apart from those two already mentioned, ‘I Can't Give You Anything But Love’ (1928), ‘I Must Have That Man’ (1928), ‘Don't Blame Me’ (1932), and ‘I'm in the Mood for Love’ (1935) stand out.

Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	DAY OF ENTRANCE	PERMANENCE WEEKS	HIGH POSTION REACHED
Ruth Etting	1930.04.30	1930.05.03	3	11	Ruth Etting (voc), unidentified orchestra
Harry Richman	1930.04.30	1930.05.10	3	12	Harry Richman (voc), unidentified orchestra
Sam Lanin Orchestra	1930.05.04	1930.05.31	1	19	Smith Ballew (voc)
Benny Goodman Trio	1936.08.26	1936.12.12	2	12	Lionel Hampton (voc)
Don Redman Orchestra	1937.05.28	1937.07.17	2	14	Grupo (voc)

Jazz. Outstanding performances

Instrumental

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Django Reinhardt- Quintette du Hot Club de France	1937.04.21	Django Reinhardt (g), Stéphane Grapelli (vn), Marcel Bianchi, Pierre Ferret (g), Lucien Simoens (b)
Jonah Jones Sextet	1944.09.20	Jonah Jones (tp), Tyree Glenn (tb, vib), Buster Harding (p), Milton Hinton (b), J.C. Heard (d)
Dizzy Gillespie- Stan Getz Sextet	1953.12.09	Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Stan Getz (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Max Roach (d)
Erroll Garner Trio	1954.07.27	Erroll Garner (p), Wyatt Ruther (b), Eugene Heard (d)
Paul Quinichette Quartet	1957.05.17	Paul Quinichette (ts), Mal Waldron (p), Julian Euell (b), Ed Thigpen (d)
Buck Clayton All Star	1959.09.17	Buck Clayton (tp, dir), Emmett Berry (tp), Dicky Wells (tb), Earle Warren (as), Buddy Tate (ts), Al Williams (p), Gene Ramey (b), Herb Lovelle (d) Concert in Copenhagen, Denmark
Yusef Lateef Quartet	1966.06.16	Yusef Lateef (ts, fl, ob), Hugh Lawson (p), Herman Wright (b), Roy Brooks Jr. (d)
Ray Brown Trio	1984.08.??	Ray Brown (b), Gene Harris (p), Gerryck King (d)
Dave McKenna	1992.11.16	Dave McKenna (p), Gray Sargent (g)
Dave Brubeck Quartet	1998.??.??	Dave Brubeck (p), Bobby Militello (fl, as), Alec Dankworth (b), Randy Jones (d)

Vocal

PERFORMERS	DATE OF RECORDING	MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
Louis Armstrong Orchestra	1930.05.04	Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Ed Anderson (tp), Henry Hicks (tb), Bobbv Holmes (cl, as), Theodore McCord (as), Castor McCord (cl, ts), Joe Turner (p), Bernhard Addison (g), Lavert Hutchinson (tu), Willie Lynch (d)
Benny Goodman Quartet	1936.08.26	Benny Goodman (cl), Teddy Wilson (p), Lionel Hampton (voc), Gene Krupa (d)
Count Basie Orchestra	1937.03.26	Count Basie (p, dir), Ed Lewis, Bobby Moore, Buck Clayton (tp), George Hunt, Dan Minor (tb), Caughey Roberts (as), Jack Washington (as, bars), Lester Young, Herschel Evans (ts), Freddy Greene (g), Walter Page (b), Jo Jones (d), Jimmy Rushing (voc)
Don Byas Sextet	1941.05.20	Don Byas (ts), Joe Guy (tp), Thelonious Monk (p), Kenny Clarke (d), Helen Humes (voc), unidentified (sax, b)
King Cole Trio	1949.07.26	Nat Cole (voc, p), Irving Ashby (g), Joe Comfort (b), Jack Costanzo (bon)
Mark Murphy	1956.08.09	Mark Murphy (voc), Ralph Burns Orchestra
Carmen McRae	1957.03.07	Carmen McRae (voc), Ronnell Bright (p), Ike Isaacs (b), Charles 'Specs' Wright (d)
Nina Simone	1959.09.12	Nina Simone (p, voc), Jimmy Bond (b), Albert "Tootie" Heath (d)
Helen Humes	1974.03.16	Helen Humes (voc), Gerard Badini (ts), Gerry Wiggins (p), Major Holley (b), Ed Thigpen (d)
Dianne Reeves	1997.??.??	Dianne Reeves (voc), Mulgrew Miller (p), Kevin Eubanks (g), Terri Lyne Carrington (d)

On cinemas

The song 'Exactly Like You' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

ORIGINAL TITLE	TITLE IN SPAIN	YEAR OF PRODCUTION	PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM
The Eddy Duchin Story	Eddy Duchin	1956	Background music
Hard Times	El luchador	1975
Eating Raoul	¿Y si nos comemos a Raúl?	1982	Jonathan Beres
One Night Stand	Después de una noche	1997	Nina Simone
Something's Gotta Give	Cuando menos te lo esperas	2003	Chris Westlake, Ludvig Girdland & Daphne Chen
Relative Strangers	Una familia casi perfecta	2006	Louis Armstrong