I CAN´T GET STARTED
Music: Vernon Duke- Lyrics: Ira Gershwin
Year: 1936
Origin of the song
The musical Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 was released on 30 January 1936 in the Winter Garden Theatre of New York. The libretto was David Freeman’s, the music by Vernon Duke, and the lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was choreographed by George Balanchine and Vincente Minnelli designed the stage scenery and the costumes. The main artists were Fanny Brice, Bob Hope, Eve Arden, Josephine Baker, Judy Canova, Gertrude Niesen, June Preisser, and The Nicholas Brothers. The play had a hundred and fifteen performances. In the second act, Bob Hope sang ‘I Can’t Get Started’ to Eve Arden.
The show was marked by three facts: it was the last Fanny Brice’s performance on theatres, the debut of George Balanchine as choreographer in Broadway, and, despite its title, Florenz Ziegfeld had died three years before.
Other notable Vernon Duke’s compositions are ‘April In Paris’ (1932), ‘Autumn In New York’ (1934), ‘An Island In The West Indies’ (1936), ‘Taking A Chance On Love’ (1940), and ‘Cabin In The Sky’ (1940).
For his part, Ira Gershwin was the author of ‘Fascinatin’ Rhythm’ (1924), ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ (1926) ‘´S Wonderful’ (1927), ‘But Not for Me’ (1930), ‘Embraceable You’ (1930), ‘I Got Rhythm’ (1930), ‘Summertime’ (1935), ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me’ (1937), ‘Long Ago and Far Away’ (1944), and ‘The Man That Got Away’ (1954), among many other songs.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF THE RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1936.01.18 |
1936.02.22 |
2 |
14 |
Skinnay Ennis (voc) |
|
|
Bunny Berigan Orchestra |
1937.08.07 |
1938.01.29 |
3 |
10 |
Bunny Berigan (tp, voc) |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1942.07.15 |
Lester Young (ts), Nat Cole (p), Red Callender (b) |
|
|
1944.05.02 |
Benny Carter (as, dir), John Carroll, Karl George, Edwin Davis, Milton Fletcher (tp), Alton Moore, J.J. Johnson, Shorty Haughton, Bart Varsalona (tb), Porter Kilbert (as), Willard Brown (as, bars), Eugene Porter, Bumps Myers (ts), Gerald Wiggings (p), W.J. Edwards (g), Charles Drayton (b), Max Roach (d) |
|
|
1944.06.06 |
Roy Eldridge (tp, dir), Gus Aiken, John Hamilton, Robert Mason, Clarence Wheeler (tp), Ted Kelly, Andrew Williams, George Wilson (tb), Joe Eldridge, Sam Lee (as), Franz Jackson, Hal Sinder (ts), Tony D'Amore (p), Dave McRae (b), Sam Allen (g), Carl Wilson (b), Les Erkine (d) |
|
|
1945.01.09 |
Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Trummy Young (tb), Don Byas (ts), Clyde Hart (p), Oscar Pettiford (b), Irv Kluger (d) |
|
|
1945.12.05 |
Erroll Garner (p) |
|
|
1946.10.08 |
Lennie Tristano (p), Billy Bauer (g), Clyde Lombardi (b) |
|
|
1952.03.25 |
Charlie Parker (as), Jimmy Maxwell, Carl Pool, Al Porcino, Bernie Privin (tp), Bill Harris, Lou McGarity, Bart Varsalona (tb), Harry Terrill, Murray Williams (as), Flip Phillips, Hank Ross (ts), Danny Bank (bars), Oscar Peterson (p), Freddie Green (g), Ray Brown (b), Don Lamond (d), Joe Lippman (dir) |
|
|
1952.08.04 |
Lester Young (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1953.11.30 |
Paul Bley (p), Charles Mingus (b), Art Blakey (d) |
|
|
1954.02.?? |
Artie Shaw (cl), Hank Jones (p), Tal Farlow (g), Tommy Potter (b), Joe Roland (vib), Irv Klugar (d) |
|
|
1955.01.06 |
Teddy Charles (vib, p), J.R. Monterose (ts), Charles Mingus (b), Jerry Segal (d) |
|
|
1956.07.31 |
Chet Baker (tp), Bobby Timmons (p), Jimmy Bond (b), Peter Littman (d) |
|
|
1957.07.09 |
Sonny Clark (p), Charles Mingus (b), Dannie Richmond (d) |
|
|
1957.11.03 |
Sonny Rollins (ts), Wilbur Ware (b), Elvin Jones (d) |
|
|
1963.01.15 |
Kenny Dorham (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), Ronnie Matthews (p), Steve Davis (b), J.C. Moses (d) |
|
|
Jackie McLean- Dexter Gordon Quintet |
1973.07.20 |
Jackie McLean (as), Dexter Gordon (ts), Kenny Drew (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Alex Riel (d) |
|
Mary Lou Williams |
1975.11.?? |
Mary Lou Williams (p), Brian Torff (b) |
|
1981.03.?? |
Jim Hall (g), Don Thomson (p, b), Terry Clarke (d) |
|
|
1986.10.?? |
George Shearing (p) |
|
|
1987.07.06 |
Stan Getz (ts), Kenny Barron (p), Rufus Reid (b), Victor Lewis (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1937.08.07 |
Bunny Berigan (tp, voc, dir), Irving Goodman, Steve Lipkins (tp), Al George, Sonny Lee (tb), Mike Doty, Joe Dixon (cl, as), Clyde Rounds, George Auld (ts), Joe Lippman (p), Tom Morgan (g), Hank Wayland (b), George Wettling (d) |
|
|
1938.09.15 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Buck Clayton (tp), Dickie Wells (tb), Lester Young (cl), Margaret Johnson (p), Freddy Green (g), Walter Page (b), Jo Jones (d) |
|
|
1955.06.14 |
Carmen McRae (voc), Dick Katz (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Wendell Marshall (b), Kenny Clarke (d) |
|
|
1955.12.07 |
Anita O'Day (voc), Paul Smith (p), Barney Kessel (g), Joe Mondragon (b), Alvin Stoller (d), Corky Hale (arp), string section, Buddy Bregman (dir) |
|
|
1958.10.?? |
Keely Smith (voc), Billy May Orchestra |
|
|
1961.11.13 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Ronnie Lang (as), Nelson Riddle Orchestra |
|
|
1990.??.?? |
Shirley Horn (voc), Wynton Marsalis (tp), Wycliffe Gordon (tb), Alvin Batiste (cl), Todd Williams (cl, ss, ts), Wessell Anderson (as), Herb Harris (ts), Joe Temperley (bars), Marcus Roberts (p), Reginald Veal (b), Herlin Riley (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'I Can't Get Started' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Save The Tiger |
Salvad al tigre |
1973 |
Bunny Berigan Orchestra |
|
Chinatown |
Chinatown |
1974 |
|
|
Avalon |
Avalon |
1990 |
|
|
Tune in Tomorrow… |
Realidad y ficción |
1990 |
Wynton Marsalis & His Band |
|
RKO 281 |
RKO 281 |
1999 |
Bunny Berigan Orchestra |
|
Anything Else |
Todo lo demás |
2003 |
Lester Young & Oscar Peterson Trio |
|
Avengers: Age of Ultron |
Vengadores: La era de Ultrón |
2015 |
The BBC Big Band Orchestra |