I'm exploring the musicality of Irving Berlin, and thrilled listening to brilliantly crafted songs from his many stage and movie musicals that are beyond the standards we are all familiar with like:
Cheek to Cheek Blue Skies White Christmas Puttin' On the Ritz Steppin' Out With My Baby They Say It's Wonderful I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm I Got the Sun In the Morning Moonshine Lullaby God Bless America Anything You Can Do Let's Face the Music and Dance Heat Wave Top Hat, White Tie and Tails There's No Business Like Show Business Alexander's Ragtime Band Always No Strings (I'm Fancy Free)
Easter Parade
Please share your Irving Berlin gems not on this list and why you love them so we can all better enjoy and appreciate this founding father of musical theatre!
The score to Miss Liberty has a lot of nice songs. They certainly surpass anything being written today. "Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk" is a highlight.
i had never heard of miss liberty and it has some really great songs and the OBC with Eddie Albert is decent quality for that era- i like little fish in the big pond and fallin out of love can be fun....
I'm not sure if a song that got an Oscar nomination as best song qualifies as lesser-known, but one of my favorite Berlin songs, which you don't often hear performed, is "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song", from the movie, Blue Skies.
Two more favorites, both from Louisiana Purchase, are "You're Lonely and I'm Lonely" and "It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow" (or "Tomorrow Is a Lovely Day"; I've seen the title written both ways).
I love "Moonshine Lullaby", but I wouldn't call it a standard. It wasn't even included on the original cast album. Admittedly, OBC albums were loose affairs in 1947, but apparently nobody even thought it was a hit. I've never heard it performed outside the show, though I'm sure somebody has done so.
A song that WAS included on that album, but isn't a standard either, is "Who Do You Love I Hope". I've always liked it.
GavestonPS-youre correct to point out moonshine lullaby is not a berlin "classic" and in fact its one of the nuggets that are lesser known that im counting on our discerning board members to share
Moonshine has felt like a classic to me ever since Audra McDonald sang it to me (and about 1000 other people) from about 10 feet away (sigh)
Who do you love i hope is a fun song, and one I never paid much attn to until you named it
Two masterworks that don't get heard enough are "I Used to Be Color Blind" and "Isn't This a Lovely Day to Be Caught in the Rain." Perfect songs, sung by Astaire. Enjoy them!
My favorite Berlin song of all time is, and likely always will be, "What'll I Do." So beautiful and sad- and I even love the way Bea Arthur sang it in an episode of The Golden Girls.
Sadie Cohen left her happy home To become an actress lady. On the stage she soon became the rage As "The Only Real Salomy Baby."
When she came to town, her sweetheart Mose Brought for her around a pretty rose But he got an awful fright When his Sadie came to sight He stood up and yelled with all his might:
Refrain: "Don't do that dance, I tell you Sadie! That's not a bus'ness for a lady! 'Most ev'rybody knows That I'm your loving Mose-- Oy, Oy, Oy, Oy, Vere is your clothes?
You better go and get your dresses. Ev'ryone's got the op'ra glesses! Oy! such a sad disgrace! No one looks in your face! Sadie Salome, go home!"
From the crowd Moses yelled out loud, "Who put in your head such notions? You look sweet, but jiggle with your feet-- Who put in your back such funny motions? As a singer, you was always fine! Sing to me, 'Because the World Is Mine." Then the crowd began to roar Sadie did a new encore. Mose got mad and yelled at her once more:
You're Just in Love is an old favorite -- I liked the way Donald O'Connor and Ethel Merman sang it in Call Me Madam, especially since it let O'Connor show off his voice a little bit. I also have a soft spot for Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning. My college roommates and I would sing it to each other sometimes about early morning classes. (Yes, we were rather a weird lot. )
Shakin the Blues Way-wow Irving knew how to get em on the dance floor and move it back in 1927 when several orchestra leaders first recorded and had hits with this song(unfortunately with some racially tinged lyrics)
Ann Miller taps out her memorable (and pc) version from easter parade