1937 Popular Music, Songs and Artists

Judy Garland
(Dear Mr. Gable) You Made Me Love You
The song was originally written by James Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, and simply title You Made Me Love You. According to Hollywood legend, this song was written or adapted for Judy Garland to sing to Clark Gable on the occasion of the star’s birthday. It was so well received that the song made it into the film Broadway Melody of 1938. The legend is more than likely true as Louis B Mayer, the head of MGM treated his contracted “stars” as his own family. He gave lavish parties on a regular basis. Many of these parties would be filmed and shown as extras before or after an MGM movie. The original song would be recorded over and over by artists such as Debbie Reynolds Al Jolson and Harry James.

Eddie Duchin
De-Lovely
Another hit from the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes, this song would reappear over and over again as the Musical is revived on a regular basis. The song is sung by the hero of the musical Billy Crocket who is a stowaway on the ship where the musical takes place. Though song by the male lead in the show the song would go on to become more associated with Ethel merman as she would record it several times. In the video presented here the song is sung by Torchwood’s John Barrowman. The song would become the title of the movie musical biography of Cole Porter’s life.

Fred Astaire
They Can’t Take That Away From Me
The song is another standard first performed by Fred Astaire. Written by George and Ira Gershwin the song would make an appearance in the musical Shall We Dance. But go on to recorded many times by such stars as Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart and Harry Connick Jr. They Can’t Take That Away From Me was also used in Kenneth Branagh’s 2000 film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Loves Labors Lost.

Ray Noble
I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Written by Irving Berlin and first introduced in the film On The Avenue with Dick Powell and Alice Faye, two major film stars of the time, the song would go on to be interpreted by different artists in different ways. First, the song was recorded as a love song, but then also recorded as a Christmas song. The same thing would happen to songs like Baby It’s Cold Outside and Winter Wonderland. Not necessarily a specific Christmas song but somehow associated with the holiday. Jackie Gleason would record the song as well as Bing Crosby and Bette Midler. The song would come to life when it was used as the Finale for the Broadway Musical Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.

Frances Langford
Harbor Lights
The song was originally written and performed in Polish by Hugh Williams (pseudonym for Will Grosz) with lyrics by Henryk Szpilman and translated by Jimmy Kennedy. The song was finally officially published in 1950 13 years after its initial recording. Notable artists who recorded the song would include, Bing Crosby Elvis Presley and The Platters.

Sophie Tucker
The Lady is a Tramp
This song was originally written for the Broadway Show Babes in Arms by Rodgers and Hart. The Broadway show was about a group of young people rebelling against certain forms of etiquette, but when the show was turned into a film starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney the story revolved around a group of kids trying to break into show business. This would be one of the musicals where the kids get together and do a show in a barn. This was a theme for more than a few film musicals of the time. Though recorded most notably by Frank Sinatra, the song would come again into the film arena when sung as a duet by the characters of Puck and Mercedes in GLEE.

Hal Kemp
Where or When
This song is also from the Broadway musical Babes in Arms, Written by Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart. The song is a love song that has been recorded and re-recorded many times. The song may also be the first to have the experience of Déjà-Vu as it’s a central theme the song is sung by a lover who believes he or she is experiencing again the time spent with his her beloved, even though it couldn’t have happened. The music is haunting and the lyrics are beautiful. The song has been recorded by over 100 different artists. Some notable recordings are Julie Andrews, Judy Collins, The Beach Boys, Barbra Streisand, Mandy Patinkin and George Michael.

Jeannette McDonald and Nelson Eddie
Indian Love Call

Some would question that this song should be included in a list of the most popular songs or in songs most remembered, but the song was hugely popular in its time and would go on to be a song used in comedy shows and sketches. The song has it’s origins in a 1924 musical operetta called Rose-Marie. The music was written by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II, The show would go on to have four film versions made.
The Most popular of these versions would be the one made by Jeannette McDonald and Nelson Eddie. McDonald and Eddy would become one of America’s favorite couples and along with Gable and Lombard, Tracy and Hepburn and Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.