THESE FOOLISH THINGS
Music: Jack Strachey, Harry Link- Lyrics: Eric Maschwitz
Year: 1936
Origin of the song
The musical comedy Spread it Abroad premiered on 1 April 1936 at the Saville Theatre in London. That night, singer and actress Dorothy Dickson performed 'These Foolish Things”. She never recorded it on disc. The star of the show, of which there were two hundred and nine performances, was Hermione Gingold, then married to Eric Maschwitz.
The French actor Jean Sablon had been chosen to sing it, but due to the death of King George V, the premiere of the show had to be postponed. When it took place, Sablon was in America working on the radio series The Magic Key. Later, he had the opportunity to record it with the title of 'Ces choses petites'.
'These Foolish Things' immediately became a huge success in the US: five versions entered the charts that same year and Benny Goodman & His Orchestra, with the voice of Helen Ward, reached number one, where he stayed for two weeks.
In 1940 Jack Strachey and Eric Maschwitz had a new hit with 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square'.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1936.05.25 |
1936.06.27 |
7 |
6 |
Marjory Logan (voc) |
|
|
1936.05.26 |
1936.06.27 |
5 |
8 |
Turner Layton (voc) |
|
|
Benny Goodman Orchestra |
1936.06.15 |
1936.06.27 |
13 |
1 (two weeks) |
Helen Ward (voc) |
|
Joe Sanders Orchestra |
1936.06.20 |
1936.08.01 |
1 |
17 |
Joe Sanders (voc) |
|
Billie Holiday |
1936.06.30 |
1936.08.01 |
5 |
5 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1936.04.15 |
Benny Carter (tp, as, ts, cl, dir), Max Goldberg, Tommy McQuater, Duncan Whyte (tp), Ted Heath, Bill Multraney (tb), Andy McDevitt (cl, as), E.O. Pogson (as), Buddy Featherstonhaugh (ts), Pat Dodd (p), George Elliot (g), Al Burke (b), Ronnie Gubertini (d) |
|
|
1940.06.20 |
Benny Goodman (cl), Lionel Hampton (vib), Dudley Brooks (p), Charlie Christian (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Nick Fatool (d) |
|
|
1944.04.18 |
Johnny Guarnieri (p), Billy Butterfield (tp), Lester Young (ts), Hank d'Amico (cl), Dexter Hall (g), Billy Taylor (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1944.09.29 |
Don Byas, (ts), Hot Lips Page (tp), B.G. Hammond, Earl Bostic (as), Clyde Hart (p), Al Lucas (b), Jack Parker (d) |
|
|
1945.12.01 |
Lester Young (ts), Vic Dickenson (tb), Dodo Marmarosa (p), Freddie Green (g), Red Callender (b), Henry Tucker (d) |
|
|
1952.08.04 |
Lester Young (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), J.C. Heard (d) |
|
|
1952.12.18 |
Thelonious Monk (p), Gerry Mapp (b), Max Roach (d) |
|
|
1952.12.29 |
Stan Getz (ts), Duke Jordan (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Bill Crow (b), Frank Isola (d) |
|
|
1953.09.18 |
Lee Konitz (as), Henri Renaud (p), Jimmy Gourley (g), Don Bagley (b), Stan Levey (d) |
|
|
1954.08.06 |
Max Roach (d), Richie Powell (p), George Morrow (b) |
|
|
1955.06.11 |
Lennie Tristano (p), Lee Konitz (as), Gene Ramey (b), Art Taylor (d) |
|
|
1955.10.24 |
Chet Baker (tp), Gerard Gustin (p), Jimmy Bond (b), Nils-Bertil Dahlander (d) |
|
|
Sauter- Finegan Orchestra |
1957.04.22 |
Nick Travis, Al Maiorca, Joe Ferrante (tp), Rex Peer, Tom Mitchell, Sonny Russo (tb), Harvey Estrin, Wally Kane (as, cl), Al Block, Ray Shiner (ts, r), Gene Allen (bars), Moe Wechsler (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Milt Hinton (b), Don Lamond (d), Joe Venuto (per), Eddie Sauter, Bill Finegan (dir) |
|
Harry Babasin Quintet |
1957.07.?? |
Harry Babasin (vc), Terry Gibbs (vib), Dempsey Wright (g), Ben Tucker (b), Bill Douglass (d) |
|
1958.02.26 |
Jimmy Smith (org), Kenny Burrell (g), Philly Joe Jones (d) |
|
|
1962.01.05 |
Chet Baker (tp), Bobby Jaspar (ts, fl), Amadeo Tomasi (p), Rene Thomas (g), Benoit Quersin (b), Daniel Humair (d) |
|
|
Erroll Garner Trio |
1962.03.13 |
Erroll Garner (p), Eddie Calhoun (b), Kelly Martin (d) |
|
Dave Brubeck Quartet |
1993.10.05 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Bobby Militello (as, ts, fl), Jack Six (b), Randy Jones (d) |
|
1995.06.15 |
Stéphane Grappelli (vn), Michel Petrucciani (p), George Mraz (b), Roy Haynes (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1936.06.15 |
Benny Goodman (cl, dir), Nate Kazebier, Chris Griffin, Ralph Muzillo (tp), Reed Ballard, Murray McEachern (tb), Hymie Schertzer, Bill DePew (as), Arthur Rollini, Dick Clark (ts), Jess Stacy (p), Allen Reuss (g), Harry Goodman (b), Gene Krupa (d), Helen Ward (voc) |
|
|
1936.06.30 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Teddy Wilson (p), Jonah Jones (tp), Johnny Hodges (as), Harry Carney (bars), Lawrence Lucie (g), John Kirby (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1945.07.30 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Jack Mayhew (fl), Mark McIntyre (p), George Van Eps (g), John Ryan (b), Ray Hagan (d), string section, Axel Stordahl (dir) |
|
|
1945.12.30 |
Mildred Bailey (voc), Red Norvo (vib), Dick Vance (tp), Hank D’Amico (cl), Ellis Larkins (p), Henderson Chambers (tu) |
|
|
1952.03.26 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
1957.10.19 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Herb Ellis (g), Jo Jones (d) |
|
|
1961.09.12 |
Frank Sinatra (voc), Pete Candoli, Vito Mangano, Uan Rasey, Zeke Zarchy (tp), Milt Bernhart, Dick Nash, Dick Noel, George Roberts (tb), John Cave, Vincent DeRosa, Richard Perissi (tpa), Gene Cipriano, Justin Gordon, Harry Klee, Ronnie Lang, Theodore Nash, Babe Russin, Wilbur Schwartz (r), Bill Miller (p), Al Viola (g), Joe Comfort (b), Irving Cottler (d), Emil Richards (per), string section, Axel Stordahl (dir) |
|
|
1964.09.22 |
Johnny Hartman (voc), Hank Jones (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Richard Davis (b), Osie Johnson (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'These Foolish Things' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMER OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Penny Serenade |
Serenata nostálgica |
1941 |
Background music |
|
A Yank in the R.A.F. |
Un americano en la RAF |
1941 |
Background music |
|
Perfect Strangers |
Separación peligrosa |
1945 |
|
|
Young Widow |
Esclava de un recuerdo |
1946 |
Background music |
|
Tokyo Joe |
Secuestro |
1949 |
Florence Marly; background music |
|
Gumshoe |
Detective sin licencia |
1971 |
|
|
They All Laughed |
Todos rieron |
1981 |
Scott Hamilton |
|
Empire Of The Sun |
El imperio del sol |
1987 |
Elizabeth Welch |
|
Scenes From The Class Struggle In Beverly Hills |
Escenas de la lucha de sexos en Beverly Hills |
1989 |
|
|
Daddy Nostalgie |
Daddy Nostalgie |
1990 |
Jane Birkin and Jimmy Rowles |
|
Traces Of Red |
La marca del asesino |
1992 |
Dinah Washington |
|
In The Line Of Fire |
En la línea de fuego |
1993 |
|
|
Clean Slate |
Borrón y cuenta nueva |
1994 |
Oleta Adams |
|
Déja vu |
Déja vu |
1997 |
Frank Sinatra |
|
Playing By Heart |
Jugando con el corazón |
1999 |
Chet Baker Quartet |
|
Joe Gould’s Secret |
El secreto de Joe Gould |
2000 |
Lester Young Band |
|
The Intern |
El becario |
2015 |
Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson Orchestra |
|
Carol |
Carol |
2015 |
Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks |