IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING
Music: Richard Rodgers- Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Year: 1945
Origin of the song
On 29 August 1945 The film State Fair’s premiere took place in the US, produced by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang, and starring Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, and Vivian Blaine, where the actress Jeanne Crain (dubbed by Louanne Hogan) performed ‘It Might As Well Be Spring’. It was the only time that Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II composed songs directly for the screen. Their other films were adaptation of theatre plays.
‘It Might As Well Be Spring’ won the Oscar for best song and the soundtrack of the film, by the directors Charles Henderson and Alfred Newman, was also nominated.
Rogers and Hammerstein started their fruitful collaboration with the musical Oklahoma (1943) and throughout the years they created very successful work: Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), and The Sound of Music (1959). Among the most notable songs of these shows we find ‘The Surrey with the Fringe on Top’ (1943), ‘People Will Say We’re in Love’ (1943), ‘If I Loved You’ (1945), ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ (1949), ‘Hello Young Lovers’ (1951), and ‘My Favorite Things’ (1959).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1945.07.02 |
1945.11.17 |
12 |
5 |
Dick Haymes (voc), Victor Young Orchestra |
|
|
Paul Weston Orchestra |
1945.07.30 |
1945.10.27 |
11 |
6 |
Margaret Whiting (voc) |
|
1945.??.?? |
1945.12.15 |
10 |
4 |
Billy Williams (voc) |
Jazz. Out standing performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1952.04.21 |
Marian McPartland (p), Max Wayne (b), Mel Zelnick (d) |
|
|
1954.09.29 |
Dave Burns (tp), William Shepherd (tb), James Moody (ts, as), Pee Wee Moore (bars), Jimmy Boyd (p), John Latham (b), Clarence Johnston (d) |
|
|
Bill Harris Quintet |
1957.09.23 |
Bill Harris (tb), Ben Webster (ts), Jimmy Rowles (p), Red Mitchell (b), Stan Levey (d) |
|
Donald Byrd Quintet |
1958.10.29 |
Donald Byrd (tp), Bobby Jaspar (ts, fl), Walter Davis Jr. (p), Doug Watkins (b), Art Taylor (d) |
|
Kenny Dorham- Cannonball Adderley |
1959.02.18 |
Kenny Dorham (tp), Cannonball Adderley (as), David Amram (tpa), Cecil Payne (bars), Cedar Walton (p), Paul Chambers (b), Jimmy Cobb (d) |
|
1961.12.09 |
Ike Quebec (ts), Freddie Roach (org), Milt Hinton (b), Al Harewood (d) |
|
|
1962.06.05 |
Bill Evans (p), Chuck Israels (b), Paul Motian (d) |
|
|
Brad Mehldau Trio |
1995.03.13 |
Brad Mehldau (p), Larry Grenadier (b), Jorge Rossy (d) |
|
Joshua Redman Quartet |
1998.??.?? |
Joshua Redman (ss, as, ts), Brad Mehldau (p), Larry Grenadier (b), Brian Blade (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1946.01.19 |
John Kirby (b), Clarence Brereton (tp), Buster Bailey (cl), Russell Procope (as), Billy Kyle (p), Bill Beason (d), Sarah Vaughan (voc) |
|
|
1950.05.18 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Miles Davis (tp), Bennie Green (tb), Budd Johnson (ts), Tony Scott (cl), Jimmy Jones (p, dir), Freddie Green (g), Billy Taylor Jr. (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1955.04.01 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), André Previn Orchestra |
|
|
1956.09.11 |
Blossom Dearie (p, voc), Ray Brown (b), Jo Jones (d) |
|
|
Ella Fitzgerald |
1961.05.19 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Lou Levy (p), Herb Ellis (g), Wilfred Middlebrooks (b), Gus Johnson (d) |
|
Frank Sinatra |
1961.11.21 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Don Costa Orchestra |
|
Stan Getz Quintet |
1964.08.19 |
Stan Getz (ts), Gary Burton (vib), Kenny Burrell (g), Gene Cherico (b), Helico Milton (d), Astrud Gilberto (voc) |
|
Mel Tormé |
1982.04.15 |
Mel Tormé (voc), George Shearing (p), Brian Torff (b) |
|
Lionel Hampton Orchestra |
1989.??.?? |
Lionel Hampton (vib, sint, dir), Jim Hacker, Brett Murphy, Tony Luschen, John Georgini (tp), Phil Gray, John Darling, Dana Teboe, Greg Cox (tb), Hal Bonsanti, Billy Ross, Chip McNeil, Jeff King (sax), Whit Sidener (bars), Hall S. Batt (tec, g, b), Bobby Pancoast (tec), Sammy Figueroa (per), Dave Hardman o Gotz Kujack (d), Sylvia Bennett (voc) |
|
Jacky Terrasson & Cassandra Wilson |
1997.01.?? |
Jacky Terrasson (p), Lonnie Plaxico (b), Mino Cinelu (per), Cassandra Wilson (voc) |
|
Kate McGarry |
2007.??.?? |
Kate McGarry (voc), Gary Versace (p), Keith Ganz (g), Reuben Rogers (b), Greg Hutchinson (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'It Might As Well Be Spring' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
State Fair |
La feria del Estado |
1945 |
Jeanne Crain (dubbed by Louanne Hogan) |
|
State Fair |
La feria del Estado |
1962 |
Pamela Tiffin (dubbed by Anita Gordon) |
|
The Stepford Wives |
Las mujeres perfectas |
2004 |
Arthur Murray Orchestra |