You're the Top: Cole Porter in the 1930s

Presented by the Indiana Historical
Society and Koch International Classics
Executive Producer: Raymond L.
Shoemaker, Indiana Historical Society
Produced by Susan Elliot, Robert Kimball,
and Richard M. Sudhalter
Includes booklet with Porter biography
(by Robert Kimball), song notes and
performer biographies (by Richard M.
Sudhalter), discography, and bibliography.

Also available as three individual compact discs:

How's Your Romance?: Cole Porter in the 1930s, Volume 1

Easy to Love: Cole Porter in the 1930s, Volume 2

Ridin' High: Cole Porter in the 1930s, Volume 3

Selections

Note: Selections in red are original cast recordings.  Date of recording follows the artist name.

Disc One

The New Yorkers

• "I'm Getting Myself Ready for You" - Emil Coleman and His Orchestra December 8, 1930 (2:36)
• "Where Have You Been?" - Teddi King [conductor: George Siravo] 1957 (3:07)
• "Let's Fly Away" - Lee Wiley with Bunny Berigan's Music April 10, 1940 (2:50)
• "I Happen to Like New York" - Judy Garland [conductor: Norrie Paramour] August 2-9, 1960 (2:55)
• "Love for Sale" - Libby Holman January, 1931 (3:16)
• "Love for Sale" - Ruby Braff and Ellis Larkins February 17, 1955 (5:35)
• "Let's Step Out" - Mister Tram Associates February 20, 1988 (2:14)

Gay Divorce

• "After You, Who?" - Bill Evans April, 1978 (3:35)
• "After You, Who?" - Sylvia Sims with the Mike Renzi Trio August - October, 1989 (3:25)
• "I've Got You On My Mind" - Ambrose and His Orchestra November 2, 1933 (2:31)
• "Mister and Missus Fitch" - Julie Wilson and William Roy April 17-25, 1989 (1:57)
• "Night and Day" - Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman and his Orchestra November 22, 1932 (3:26)
• "Night and Day" - Billie Holiday December 13, 1939 (2:55)
• "Night and Day" - Art Tatum January 21, 1946 (1:27)
• "How's Your Romance?" - Bobby Short July 17-22, 1971 (2:21)

Nymph Errant

• "Experiment" - Mabel Mercer with Cy Walter and Stan Freeman November 7, 1954 (3:15)
• "The Cocotte" - Cole Porter January 3, 1935 (2:42)
• "Nymph Errant" - Gertrude Lawrence [conductor: Ray Noble] October 18, 1933 (2:02)
• "The Physician" - Joan Morris and William Bolcom February, 1988 (4:05)
• "How Could We Be Wrong?" - Bobby Short July 17-22, 1971 (3:14)
• "Solomon" - Elisabeth Welch [conductor: Ray Noble] (1933) (3:08)
• "It's Bad for Me" - Rosemary Clooney and the Benny Goodman Sextet (1955) (2:54)

Disc Two

Anything Goes

• "Anything Goes" - Cole Porter November 27, 1934 (3:11)
• "I Get a Kick Out of You" - Ethel Merman with Johnny Green and his Orchestra December 4, 1934 (3:04)
• "All Through the Night" - Barbara Lea with Bucky Pizzarelli February 21, 1989 (3:23)
• "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" - Ethel Merman with the Foursome Quartet [conductor: Jay Blackton] December 1, 1947 (2:33)
• "You're the Top" - Hal Kemp and his Orchestra December 14, 1934 (3:16)
• "You're the Top" - Louis Armstrong [conductor: Russell Garcia] August 15, 1957 (2:30)

Miscellaneous Song

• "Miss Otis Regrets" - Ethel Waters September 4, 1934 (2:59)
• "Miss Otis Regrets" - Ella Fitzgerald February 7. 1956 (3:00)

Adios, Argentina

• "Don't Fence Me In" - Edward Nell with the Foursome Quartet January, 1935 (2:20)
• "Don't Fence Me In" - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters [conductor: Vic Shoen] July 25, 1944 (2:59)

Jubilee

• "Begin the Beguine" - Tony Martin with Henri Rene and his Orchestra February 21, 1954 (3:52)
• "Begin the Beguine" - Xavier Cugat and his Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra September 25, 1935 (3:09)
• "Begin the Beguine" - Artie Shaw and His Orchestra July 24, 1938 (3:15)
• "When Love Comes Your Way" - Cole Porter circa 1935 (1:38)
• "Why Shouldn't I?" - Mary Martin [conductor: Ray Sinatra] January 25, 1940 (2:35)
• "Just One of Those Things" - Louis Armstrong, with Oscar Peterson and his Quartet October 14, 1957 (4:04)
• "Just One of Those Things" - Bud Freeman and Bob Wilber December 10 - 12, 1969 (3:46)

Born to Dance

• "Easy to Love" - James Stewart with the MGM Orchestra circa 1936 (1:08)
• "Easy to Love" - Judy Garland with the MGM Orchestra circa 1938 (1:52)
• "Easy to Love" - Casper Reardon and his Orchestra February 5, 1940 (3:03)
• "Rap Tap on Wood" - Bobby Short July 17 - 22, 1971 (2:36)
• "I've Got You Under My Skin" (excerpt) - Lee Wiley with Victor Young and his Orchestra February 10, 1937 (2:18)
• "I've Got You Under My Skin" - Cesare Siepi with the Roland Shaw Orchestra circa 1962 (3:52)
• "Swingin' the Jinx Away" - Tempo King and his Kings of Tempo October 15, 1936 (2:53)

Disc Three

Red, Hot and Blue

• "Ridin' High" - Benny Goodman and his Orchestra November 2, 1937 (2:37)
• "Down in the Depths" - Ethel Merman with Fairchild and Carroll and their Orchestra November 6, 1936 (3:08)
• "Ours" - Mabel Mercer with Cy Walter and Stan Freeman November 7, 1954 (2:47)
• "It's De-lovely" - Mabel Mercer with Cy Walter and Stan Freeman November 7, 1954 (3:39)

Rosalie

• "Rosalie" - Artie Shaw and his Orchestra January 17, 1939 (2:46)
• "In the Still of the Night" (excerpt) - Al Bowlly with the New Mayfair Orchestra [conductor: Ronnie Munro] January 14, 1938 (2:00)
• "In the Still of the Night" - Jessye Norman with the Boston Pops Orchestra [conductor: John Williams] June, 1984 (2:40)
• "I've a Strange New Rhythm in My Heart" - Artie Shaw and His New Music September 17, 1937 (2:44)

You Never Know

• "At Long Last Love" - Lena Horne with Lennie Hayton and his Orchestra June 3 - 13, 1958 (2:38)

The Sun Never Sets

• "River God" - Todd Duncan with the Drury Lane Theatre Orchestra [conductor: Charles Prentice] July 4, 1938 (3:10)

Leave It To Me

• Martin Martin, interviewed by Pete Martin March 2 1960; Cole Porter, interviewed on the Tex and Jinx radio program December 1, 1948 (excerpts) (1:40)
• "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" - Mary Martin with Eddy Duchin and his Orchestra December 2, 1938 (3:06)
• "Get Out of Town" - Rosemary Clooney with the Concord Jazz All-Stars January, 1982 (3:21)
• "Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love" - Julie Wilson with the Marshall Grant Trio May 29, 1957 (2:12)

The Man Who Came to Dinner

• "What Am I to Do? - Hubbell Pierce with William Roy April 18 - 19, 1973 (2:11)

Broadway Melody of 1940

• "I've Got My Eyes on You" - Bob Crosby and his Orchestra Jamuary 23, 1940 (2:34)
• "Please Don't Monkey with Broadway" - Fred Astaire and George Murphy September 11, 1939 (3:28)
• "I Concentrate on You" - Teddi King circa 1953 (3:44)

Du Barry Was a Lady

• "Friendship" - Judy Garland and Johnny Mercer [conductor: Victor Young] April 15, 1940 (2:35)
• "Do I Love You?" - Ella Fitzgerald with the Buddy Bregman Orchestra February 7, 1956 (3:48)
• "When Love Beckoned (on 52nd Street)" - Artie Shaw and his Orchestra; [vocal: Helen Forrest] November 9, 1939 (3:13)
• "Katie Went to Haiti" - Bobby Short July 17 - 22, 1971 (4:38)
• "Well, Did You Evah?" - Cole Porter and cast October 6, 1956 (television broadcast) (0:56)

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