IF I HAD YOU
Music and lyrics: James Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Ted Shapiro
Year: 1928
Origin of the song
The first recording of ‘If I Had You’ was made by the British singer Al Bowlly, who made the song popular in Britain. A few weeks after, Rudy Vallée recorded the song from the other side of the Atlantic; on 2 March 1929, the disc entered the top charts and reached the seventh position.
The Englishmen James Campbell and Reginald Connelly were two songwriters who usually worked with various compositors. Today, they better known as Campbell and Connelly & Co. Ltd., the music publishing house that they founded in London in 1925 and, nowadays, has a catalogue of more than 75 000 songs’ and musical shows’ copyrights. Their score collection includes, of course, the original one of ‘If I Had You’, and in its cover they proudly declared that it was the Prince of Wales’ favourite foxtrot.
The third compositor, Ted Shapiro, is better known for having been the music director of the singer Sophie Tucker from 1921 until her last performance in 1963.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE
WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
Al Bowlly |
1928.11.21 |
1929.01.12 |
4 |
12 |
Al Bowlly (voc), Fred Elizalde Band |
|
1929.01.10 |
1929.03.02 |
5 |
7 |
Rudy Vallée (voc) |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1941.10.28 |
Benny Goodman (cl), Lou McGarity (tb), Mel Powell (p), Tom Morgan (g), Sid Weiss (b), Ralph Collier (d) |
|
|
1944.09.25 |
Jonah Jones (tp), Tyree Glenn (tb), Ike Quebec (ts), Ram Ramirez (p), Tiny Grimes (g), Oscar Pettiford (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1949.05.09 |
Conte Candoli (tp), Bennie Green (tb), Boots Mussulli (as, bars), Charlie Ventura (ts, bars), Roy Kral (p), Kenny O'Brien (b), Ed Shaughnessy (d) |
|
|
1951.04.13 |
Red Norvo (vib), Tal Farlow (g), Charles Mingus (b) |
|
|
1954.01.05 |
Lee Konitz (as), Ronnie Ball (p), Percy Heath (b), Alan Levitt (d) |
|
|
1954.02.21 |
Clifford Brown (tp), Lou Donaldson (as), Horace Silver (p), Curly Russell (b), Art Blakey (d) |
|
|
1955.06.11 |
Lee Konitz (as), Lennie Tristano (p), Gene Ramey (b), Art Taylor (d) |
|
|
1960.09.02 |
Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Johnny Griffin (ts), Norman Simmons (p), Victor Sproles (b), Ben Riley (d) |
|
|
1961.08.29 |
Grant Green (g), Wilbur Ware (b), Al Harewood (d) |
|
|
1973.02.23 |
Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Oscar Peterson (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Kenny Clarke (d) |
|
|
Jazz at the Philharmonic |
1975.07.16 |
Roy Eldridge, Clark Terry (tp), Benny Carter (as), Zoot Sims (ts), Tommy Flanagan (p), Joe Pass (g), Keter Betts (b), Bobby Durham (d) In Jazz Festival of Montreaux (Switzerland) |
|
Milt Jackson & Oscar Peterson |
1983.01.20 |
Milt Jackson (vib), Oscar Peterson (p) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1947.08.11 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Axel Stordahl Orchestra |
|
|
1947.11.06 |
Nat Cole (voc, p), Irving Ashby (g), Johnny Miller (b) |
|
|
1960.06.21 |
Etta Jones (voc), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Richard Wyands (p), Skeeter Best (g), George Duvivier (b), Roy Haynes (d) |
|
|
Joe Williams |
1993.08.16 |
Joe Williams (voc), Robert Farnon Orchestra |
|
1995.10.03 |
Diana Krall (voc), Benny Green (p) |
|
|
John Pizzarelli |
2005.06.29 |
John Pizzarelli (voc, g), John Clayton (b), Jeff Hamilton (d), Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra |
On cinemas
The song 'If I Had You' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Hell Below |
Honduras de infierno |
1933 |
|
|
Thrill Of A Romance |
Juego de pasiones |
1945 |
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra |
|
The Clock |
El reloj |
1945 |
Background music |
|
To Paris with Love |
A París con el amor |
1955 |
|
|
The Silencers |
Los silenciadores |
1966 |
Dean Martin |
|
Maria’s Lovers |
Los amantes de María |
1984 |
|
|
Hannah And Her Sisters |
Hannah y sus hermanas |
1986 |
Roy Eldridge Quintet |
|
For Love Or Money |
Conserje a su medida |
1993 |
John Pizzarelli |
|
Everyone Says I Love |
Todos dicen I Love You |
1996 |
Tim Roth and Dick Hyman and The New York Studio Players |
|
Eyes Wide Shut |
Eyes Wide Shut |
1999 |
Roy Gerson |
|
What Women Want |
¿En qué piensan las mujeres? |
2000 |
Nnenna Freelon |
|
Two Weeks Notice |
Amor con preaviso |
2002 |
Dick Hyman |
|
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger |
Conocerás al hombre de tus sueños |
2010 |
Benny Goodman Orchestra |