1943 Music – Pop Standards and Artists

1943 Pop Standards and Artists

The Original Cast recording
Oklahoma!
Frank Sinatra
People Will Say We’re In Love
Bing Crosby
Oh What A Beautiful Morning

These three songs which became popular in 1943 are all from the same source, Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. Oklahoma! would become a major part of American Musical Theater history. It was the first musical collaborated on by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, both songwriters had a history of hits with other partners but none would compare to the work they would do together.

Oklahoma! was based on a play called Green Grow The Lilacs which told the story of a romance between a farm girl and a cowboy. Rodger’s and Hammerstein adapted the play to a musical and developed a new technique for musical comedy. First, they started the show with a slow number “Oh What A Beautiful Morning.” When the curtain opened all you saw was an old woman churning and the Male lead would come strolling up the Aisle of the theater singing the song. Up to this time musicals started the show with a large production number. Almost all of the songs in the show would move the story along.”

People Will Say We’re In Love” is actually a conversation between the two main characters. The title song Oklahoma! is a rousing full-cast song that appears at the end of the show. It is not surprising that this is the song that Oklahoma, the state, would choose to make their official state song. Hugh Jackman would play the lead of Curly in a 1998 revival of the show.

Anne Shelton
You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To
This is one of the shortlist of songs Cole Porter would write for the screen. It was introduced by Janet Blair and Don Ameche in the film” Something To Shout About”. Dinah Shore would make a huge hit of the song as well as Anne Shelton in the same year. Many artists would go on to record the song including TVs John Barrowman.

Benny Goodman
Taking A Chance On Love
With music by Vernon Duke and lyrics by John Latouche and Ted Fetter, the song was a part of the all-black musical Cabin In The Sky. In 1943 the song would come back when recorded by Benny Goodman with vocals by Helen Forrest. In this version, it would top the charts at number one.

Dick Haymes
You’ll Never Know
The song was based on a poem that was written by a war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris. The poem was adapted to a song by Harry Warren, music and lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song had its debut in a film called,” Hello Frisco Hello” and sung by Alice Faye. Faye would never make a recording of the song and so the hit versions went to Frank Sinatra and Dick Haymes. Haymes’s version would stay at # 1 on the R&B charts for four weeks. The song also won the Academy Award For Best Song in 1943

Duke Ellington
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Written in 1940 By Duke Ellington it was originally titled, “Never No Lament,” and was recorded as a big-band instrumental. In 1942 Bob Russell added lyrics and a new title and a new song was born. Two Versions of “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” would be recorded in 1943 one by Ellington and the other by The Ink Spots. Both would reach the top of the R&B Charts. Ellington’s version would reach #8 on the Pop Charts.

Judy Garland and Gene Kelly
For Me and My Gal
This is The Title song from the movie musical starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. For Kelly, this would be his screen debut. The film was directed by Busby Berkley and opened in October of 1942. The film was partially written by Richard Sherman who, along with his brother Robert, would go on to be one of the most Prolific songwriters at Disney Studios, was responsible for the songs for Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. The song, For Me and my Gal, was written by George W. Meyer, Edgar Leslie and E. Ray Goetz. The score for the musical would be nominated for an Academy Award.

1943’s Most Popular and Influential Songs

1. Paper Doll – The Mills Brothers
2. As Time Goes By – Rudy Vallee or Jacques Renard
3. That Old Black MagicGlenn Miller or Freddie Slack or Horace Heidt
4. Sentimental Lady – Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
5. There Are Such Things – Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra
6. People Will Say We’re In Love – Bing Crosby and Trudy Erwin or Frank Sinatra
7. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore – The Ink Spots or Glen Gray or Duke Ellington
8. Don’t Cry, Baby – Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra
9. Night and Day – Frank Sinatra (a hit in 1944 too)
10. I Can’t Stand Losing You – The Ink Spots
11. All Or Nothing At All – Frank Sinatra with Harry James
12. Don’t Stop Now – Bonnie Davis
13. Oh! What A Beautiful Mornin’ – Bing Crosby and Trudy Erwin or Frank Sinatra
14. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (Never No Lament) – Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra or The Ink Spots or Glen Gray
15. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To – Dinah Shore or Dick Jurgens or Six Hits and a Miss
16. You’ll Never Know – Dick Haymes or Frank Sinatra or Willie Kelly
17. For Me and My Gal – Judy Garland and Gene Kelly or Guy Lombardo
18. Apollo Jump – Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra
19. I Heard You Cried Last Night – Harry James with Helen Forrest or Dick Haymes
20. All For You – King Cole’s Trio
21. Brazil (Aquarela Do Brasil) – Xavier Cugat or Jimmy Dorsey
22. Taking A Chance On Love – Benny Goodman or Sammy Kaye
23. In The Blue of the Evening – Tommy Dorsey featuring Frank Sinatra
24. What’s The Use Of Getting Sober (When You Gonna Get Drunk Again) – Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five
25. It’s Always You – Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra
26. That Ain’t Right – King Cole Trio
27. I Had The Craziest Dream – Harry James with Helen Forrest
28. I’ve Heard That Song Before – Harry James with Helen Forrest
29. Pistol Packin’ Mama – Al Dexter and His Troopers or Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
30. Sweet Slumber – Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra
Top Artists and Songs of 1943
Al Dexter & His Troops
Pistol Packin’ mama
Anne Shelton
You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To
Benny Goodman
Taking A Chance On Love, Why Don’t You Do Right?
Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
Pistol Packin’ Mama
Bing Crosby and Trudy Erwin
Oh What A Beautiful Morning, People Will Say We’re In Love
Bing Crosby
Whispering Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Sunday Monday or Always, If You Please
Dick Haymes
You’ll Never Know, It Can’t Be Wrong, Put Your Arms Around Me Honey
Dick Kuhn & his Orchestra
Put Your Arms Around Me Honey
Dinah Washington
Evil Gal Blues
Dinah Shore
You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To, (As Long As You’re Not in Love with Anyone Else) Why Don’t You Fall In Love With Me?
Duke Ellington
Sentimental Lady, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Perdido, Slip of the Lip
Ella Mae Morse
Shoo-Shoo-Baby
Erskine Hawkins
Don’t Cry Baby
Frank Sinatra
All or Nothing at All, Sunday Monday Always, You’ll Never Know, People Will Say We’re In Love, Close To You
Freddy Slack
That Old Black Magic
Gene Autry
Deep In The Heart of Texas
Glen Gray
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Glenn Miller Orchestra
That Old Black Magic, Blue Rain, Rhapsody In Blue
Harry James
Two O’Clock Jump, I’ve Heard That Song Before, Mister Five By Five, I Had The Craziest Dream, Velvet Moon, I Heard You Cried Last Night
Jacques Renard & his Orchestra
As Time Goes By
Jimmy Dorsey
They’re Either Too Young Or Too Old
Jimmy Wakely
There’s A Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere
Judy Garland and Gene Kelly
For Me and My Gal
Judy Garland
Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart
Kate Smith
I Don’t Want To Walk Without You
Kay Kyser
Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition
Kay Sherman
The Dreamer/How Sweet You Are
King Cole Trio
All For You
Lena Horne
Stormy Weather
Louis Jordan
That’ll Just ‘Bout Knock Me Out
Mills Brothers
Paper Doll
Oklahoma! Theme
Oklahoma Soundtrack
Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees
As Time Goes By
Stan Kenton
Artistry In Rhythm
The Ink Spots
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
The Song Spinners
Johnny Zero
Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra
There Are Such Things, In The Blues Of The Evening
Vaughn Monroe
When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World), Let’s Get Lost
Vera Lynn
I Had The Craziest Dream
Willie Kelly and his Orchestra
You’ll Never Know
Xavier Cugat
Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil)