Cheek to Cheek (Song)
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| “Cheek to Cheek” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Song by Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra | |
| B-side | “No Strings (I’m Fancy Free)“ |
| Published | July 2, 1935 by Irving Berlin, Inc., New York |
| Released | August 1935 |
| Recorded | June 26, 1935 |
| Studio | ARC Recording Studios, 1776 Broadway, New York City |
| Genre | Jazz, Pop Vocal |
| Length | 3:19 |
| Label | Brunswick 7486 |
| Songwriter | Irving Berlin |
| Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra singles chronology | |
| “Flying Down to Rio“ (1934)”Cheek to Cheek“ (1935)”Isn’t This a Lovely Day?“ (1935) | |
“Cheek to Cheek” is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1934–35, specifically for Fred Astaire, the star of his new musical, Top Hat, co-starring Ginger Rogers. In the movie, Astaire sings the song to Rogers as they dance. The song was nominated for the Best Song Oscar for 1936, which it lost to “Lullaby of Broadway“.
The song spent five weeks at #1 on Your Hit Parade and was named the #1 song of 1935. Astaire’s 1935 recording with the Leo Reisman Orchestra was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2004, Astaire’s version finished at No. 15 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
Composition & Release
The song was composed by Irving Berlin, with a melody drawing similarity to the theme of Chopin’s Polonaise héroïque, itself inspired by the Polish folk dance.
On June 26, 1935, Fred and Leo Reisman, along with his Orchestra, worked at ARC (parent company of Brunswick Records at the time) Studios in New York City. They recorded two Irving Berlin compositions, “Cheek To Cheek” and “No Strings (I’m Fancy Free)“.
The next day, with Johnny Greene’s Orchestra, “Isn’t This a Lovely Day?“
and “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails” were completed. Both singles were released in August, and then at the end of the month, “Top Hat” premiered.
“Cheek to Cheek” headed straight to #1, where it stayed for eleven weeks, and finished the #1 hit of 1935. Fred Astaire topped his career high of ten weeks for “Night And Day“.
Recorded versions
According to the database of secondhandsongs.com, “Cheek to Cheek” has been recorded by 438 different artists as of July 2021.
| Release | Performer | Vocalist | Recording date | Album | Label | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Guy Lombardo | Guy Lombardo |
| 1935 | The Boswell Sisters | The Boswell Sisters |
| 1956 | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong | Ella & Louis | August 16, 1956 | Ella and Louis | Verve |
| 1956 | Vic Damone | Vic Damone | 1956 | That Towering Feeling! | Columbia |
| 1957 | Lou Donaldson feat. Horace Silver Quartet | instrumental | June 20, 1952 | Quartet/Quintet/Sextet | Blue Note |
| 1958 | Peggy Lee | Peggy Lee | January 3, 1958 | Jump for Joy | Capitol |
| 1958 | Doris Day | Doris Day | February 24, 1958 | Hooray for Hollywood | Columbia |
| 1958 | Ella Fitzgerald | Ella Fitzgerald | March 1958 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book | Verve |
| 1958 | Billie Holiday | Billie Holiday | August 1956 | All or Nothing at All | Verve |
| 1959 | Frank Sinatra | Frank Sinatra | December 1958 | Come Dance with Me! | Capitol |
| 1976 | Alex Harvey | Alex Harvey | Christmas 1975 | The Penthouse Tapes | Vertigo |
| 1982 | Taco | Taco | 1981 | After Eight | RCA Victor |
| 2014 | Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga | Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga | June 2013 | Cheek to Cheek | Columbia |
Other Cover Versions
- Olivia & Tinho
- Julie Andrews
- Dean Martin & Juliet Prowse
- Andrea Bocelli with His Wife Veronica Berti
- Corneille & Tal
- Geoff sitting in with Rossano Sportiello on piano and Nikki Parrott on bass
- Fatma Said & Lucienne Renaudin
- Diana Krall
- Meenoi (미노이)
- Natalie King
- BTS V ft. Minna Seo
- Yannick Bovy
- Mel Torme
Cheek to Cheek may also refer to:
Film and TV
Music
Albums
- Cheek to Cheek, 2014 album by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
- Cheek to Cheek, 2006 album by Beegie Adair
- Cheek to Cheek, 2009 album by Lisa Ono
- Cheek to Cheek, 2011 album by Barbara Cook and Michael Feinstein
- Cheek to Cheek: The Complete Duet Recordings, 2018 album by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
- Cheek to Cheek, 1975 album by The Belmonts
Songs
- Cheek to Cheek, 2007 song by Sahara Hotnights on What If Leaving Is a Loving Thing












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