THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

231-Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong-Summertime.

1958-It has never been released as a single in the UK.
Best Bit-At 0.27. Probably the best vocal pairing in the world ever. Surely even Simon Cowell and his X-Factor expert mates would be able to recognise that!

Between 1956-1957 the ‘First Lady of Song,’ Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) (see also best songs 944-702-286 and 100) and ‘Satchmo,’ Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) (see also best songs 1039-767-286 and 100) collaborated on, and released three studio Albums together. The three Albums were ‘Ella and Louis,’ (1956) ‘Ella and Louis Again,’ (1957) and ‘Porgy and Bess,’ (1957) which is where ‘Summertime’ can be found. The Album ‘Porgy and Bess’ is made up of songs that were originally written for the George Gershwin (1898-1937) (see also best songs 286) opera ‘Porgy and Bess,’ which had received it’s premier in 1935.

The opera Porgy and Bess was adapted by George Gershwin from the 1925 novel ‘Porgy’ written by Edwin DuBose Heyward (1885-1940.) It was Gershwin who approached Heyward, having read the novel, and seen the Broadway play based on the book, written by Heyward and his wife, (without music) to propose that they should collaborate on an opera based on his novel, which they did, along with Heyward’s wife Dorothy (1890-1961) who was a playwright. George Gershwin wrote the music, while Heyward and Gershwin’s brother Ira Gershwin (1896-1983) collaborated on the lyrics. In 1959 ‘Porgy and Bess’ was made into a musical film starring Sidney Poitier, Pearl Bailey, and Sammy Davis Jr.

The novel ‘Porgy’ tells the story of Porgy, a crippled beggar living in the black tenements of Charleston, South Carolina, in the 1920’s. The lyrics to ‘Summertime’ are open to interpretation, the song was introduced as a lullaby that could be sung as a mother to their child, or as a slave/nanny to a white baby. The nanny is telling the child that they are assured of a good life with parents to love them, and wealth to protect them. The slave/nanny knows that she and her race have none of these privileges to look forward to.

According to the ‘Guinness World Records’ ‘Summertime’ is the most covered song of all time, with over 25,000 recordings. It was first recorded in 1935 by the American soprano opera singer Abbie Mitchell, (1884-1960) with George Gershwin playing the piano, and conducting the orchestra. The first hit version was recorded by Billie Holiday, (see also best songs 624) who took the song to Number 12 in America in 1936. The most commercially successful version was by Billy Stewart, (1937-1970) who reached Number 10 on Billboard in 1966, and Number 39 in the UK. While in the UK, the highest charting version of the song was by the ‘Fun Boy Three,’ who made Number 18 in 1982. Both George Gershwin and Edwin DuBose Heyward died young so never knew of the great success, longevity, and significance of this song,

‘Your daddy’s rich, and your ma is so good-looking, baby. She’s looking good now, hush, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, No, no, no, no, don’t you cry, don’t you cry.’