´S WONDERFUL
Music: George Gershwin- Lyrics: Ira Gershwin
Year: 1927
Origin of the song
The musical comedy Funny Face, with libretto by Fred Thompson and Paul Gerard Smith, music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and musical direction by Alfred Newman, premiered on 22 November 1927 at the Alvin Theatre in New York. Their main performers were Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire, William Kent, Victor Moore and Allen Kearns. The opening night, Fred Astaire and Allen Kearns sang ‘'S Wonderful!’ in the first act of the play.
Originally, the title of the play was Smarty, but after a disappointing preview at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia, the musical was revised and renamed Funny Face, which was the affectionate nickname Fred Astaire gave to his sister Adele. Two hundred and forty-four performances were given of the renovated show. On the original score, along with ‘'S Wonderful!’, ‘Funny Face’, ‘Let's Kiss and Make Up’, ‘He Loves and She Loves’, and ‘My One and Only (What Am I Gonna Do?)’, also featured. The same stars performed the musical in London the following season, where the success was repeated, with two hundred and sixty-three performances.
On 13 February 1957, the musical film Funny Face, produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Stanley Donen and starring Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson and Michel Auclair, premiered in the US. It was based on a play titled Wedding Day and four songs from his soundtrack came from the original Broadway show, including ‘’S Wonderful!’ who sang and danced Hepburn and Astaire.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1927.10.25 |
1928.01.14 |
8 |
5 |
Frank Crumit (voc), Jack
Shilkret (p), Lou Raderman (vn) |
|
|
1927.11.30 |
1928.03.24 |
3 |
12 |
Scrappy Lambert (voc), Sam Lanin (dir) |
|
|
Ray Conniff Orchestra and Chorus |
1956.06.18 |
1957.03.16 |
4 |
73 |
Chorus (vocal) |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1938.10.12 |
Benny Goodman (cl), Teddy Wilson (p), Lionel Hampton (vib), Gene Krupa (d) |
|
|
1944.01.31 |
Coleman Hawkins (ts), Roy Eldridge (tp), Teddy Wilson (p), Billy Taylor (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1945.01.09 |
Artie Shaw (cl, dir), Roy Eldridge, Stan Fishelson, Bernie Glow, George Schwartz, Ray Linn (tp), Gus Dixon, Harry Rodgers, Ollie Wilson, Bob Swift (tb), Louis Prisby, Rudy Tanza (as), Jon Walton, Herbie Steward (ts), Chuck Gentry (bars), Dodo Marmarosa (p), Barney Kessel (g), Morris Rayman (b), Louis Fromm (d) |
|
|
1950.06.?? |
Dave Brubeck (p), Ron Grotty (b), Cal Tjader (d, vib) |
|
|
1950.10.08 |
Sonny Stitt (ts), Bill Massey (tp), Matthew Gee (tb), Gene Ammons (bars), Junior Mance (p), Gene Wright (b), Wes Landers (d) |
|
|
1950.12.10 |
Stan Getz (ts), Horace Silver (p), Joe Calloway (b), Walter Bolden (d) |
|
|
1954.06.25 |
Art Tatum (p), Benny Carter (as), Louis Bellson (d) |
|
|
1954.09.?? |
Johnny Smith, Perry Lopez (g), Arnold Fishkin (b), Don Lamond (d) |
|
|
George Van Eps |
1956.08.?? |
George Van Eps (g), Joe Howard (tb), Babe Russen, Ted Nash (ww), Frank Flynn (vib), Jack Ryan, Morty Cobb, Phil Stephens (b), Nick Fatool, Jack Sperling (d), Alvin Stoller (bon), string section, Paul Weston (dir) |
|
1957.03.27 |
Henry 'Red' Allen (tp), Coleman Hawkins (ts), J.C. Higginbotham (tb), Buster Bailey (cl), Marty Napoleon (p), Everett Barksdale (g), Lloyd Trotman (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1957.08.25 |
Jimmy Smith (org), Lee Morgan (tp), Kenny Burrell (g), Donald Bailey (d) |
|
|
1958.04.11 |
Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (d), Ray Barretto (cng) |
|
|
1965.08.30 |
Eddie Harris (ts), Ray Codrington (tp), Cedar Walton (p), Ron Carter (b), Billy Higgins (d) |
|
|
1992.02.14 |
John Pizzarelli (g), unidentified orchestra, Dick Lieb (dir) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1939.11.13 |
Lee Wiley (voc), Max Kaminsky (tp), Bud Freeman (ts), Joe Bushkin (p), Artie Shapiro (b), George Wettling (d) |
|
|
1952.12.?? |
Fred Astaire (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
1954.12.22 |
Helen Merrill (voc), Clifford Brown (tp), Danny Banks (fl, bars), Jimmy Jones (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Milt Hinton (b), Osie Johnson (d), Quincy Jones (dir) |
|
|
1955.07.?? |
Julie London (voc), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Leatherwood (b) |
|
|
1956.05.01 |
Joe Williams (voc), Count Basie (p, dir), Wendell Culley, Reunald Jones, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Henry Coker, Bill Hughes, Benny Powell (tb), Bill Graham, Marshall Royal (as), Frank Foster (ts), Frank Wess (ts, fl), Charlie Fowlkes (bars), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Sonny Payne (d) |
|
|
1957.02.26 |
Chris Connor (voc), Ralph Sharon (p), Oscar Pettiford (b), Osie Johnson (d) |
|
|
Ella Fitzgerald |
1959.07.16 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Pete Candoli, Cappy Lewis, Dale McMickie, Shorty Sherock (tp), Richard Noel, Tommy Pederson, James Priddy, George Roberts (tb), Ronnie Lang (as), Chuck Gentry (bars), Red Callender (tu), Buddy Collette, Harry Klee, Champ Webb (ww), Lou Levy (p), Herb Ellis (g), Joe Comfort (b), Alvin Stoller (d), string section, Nelso Riddie (dir) |
|
Susannah McCorkle |
1997.10.?? |
Susannah McCorkle (voc), Allen Farnharn (p, dir), Randy Sandke (tp, fis), Conrad Herwig (tb), Jerry Dodgion (as, fl), Chris Potter (ts, fl), Howard Alden (g), Steve Gilmore or Dick Sarpola (b), Rich DeRosa (d) |
|
2001.06.04 |
Diana Krall (voc, p), Dori Caymmi (g), Christian McBride (b), Jeff Hamilton (d), Paulinho Da Costa (per), Claus Ogerman Orchestra |
On cinemas
The song ’S Wonderful!' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Rhapsody in Blue |
Rapsodia en blue |
1945 |
A chorus |
|
The Search |
Los ángeles perdidos |
1948 |
On a radio |
|
Young Man with a Horn |
El trompetista |
1950 |
Kirk Douglas (dubbed by Harry James, tp) |
|
An American in Paris |
Un americano en París |
1951 |
Gene Kelly; Georges Guétary |
|
Crime Wave |
Ola de crímenes |
1954 |
Doris Day singing in a disc |
|
Funny Face |
Una cara con ángel |
1957 |
Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire |
|
Kiss Me, Stupid |
Bésame, tonto |
1964 |
Dean Martin |
|
Manhattan |
Manhattan |
1979 |
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta (dir) |
|
Torch Song Trilogy |
Trilogía de Nueva York |
1988 |
Joe Williams with Count Basie Orchestra |
|
Grumpier Old Men |
Discordias a la carta |
1995 |
Doris Day with Les Brown Orchestra |
|
Mona Lisa Smile |
La sonrisa de Mona Lisa |
2003 |
Trevor Horn Orchestra |
|
Eat Pray Love |
Come, reza, ama |
2010 |
João Gilberto |