It Might As Well Be Spring by jmjiloveyou

jmjiloveyou - It Might As Well Be Spring

jmjiloveyou

Jun 01, 2025 09:09am

An early version of the composition exists with an alternate melody. Music historian Todd Purdum described the alternate version in 2018: It is the only Rodgers and Hammerstein song for which a complete alternate melody, different from the final version, is known to exist. Rodgers’ initial take was a legato musical line, but as he pondered Hammerstein's words he thought better of his first idea, and instead substituted a syncopated melody that jumped from interval to interval, as if the notes themselves were puppets on strings."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[4]</a>Rodgers envisioned "It Might as Well Be Spring" as a cheery uptempo number, it being the decision of the musical director of State Fair, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Newman_(composer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alfred Newman</a>, to present the song as a moody ballad. Rodgers canvassed the film studio to protest Newman's decision, but did ultimately admit it was the right choice.<h2>In the 1945 film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Crain" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeanne Crain</a> played Margy Frake, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[1]</a> Margy's singing voice being dubbed by Louanne Hogan. In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Fair_(1962_film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the 1962 remake of State Fair</a>, in which <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Tiffin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pamela Tiffin</a> portrayed Margy, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Gordon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anita Gordon</a> provided the character's singing voice. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_McArdle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andrea McArdle</a> as Margy performed "It Might as Well Be Spring" in the 1996 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway_theatre" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Broadway</a> production of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Fair_(musical)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">State Fair</a>. Reviewing State Fair's pre-Broadway engagement at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_Theater" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Golden Gate Theater</a>, Robert Hurwitt of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Examiner" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">San Francisco Examiner</a> deemed the "wondrous" song "It Might as Well be Spring" to be "as achingly wistful a romantic reverie as has ever been penned".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[5]</a></h2><h2> </h2><h2>Recorded versions</h2><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Haymes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dick Haymes</a>, who played Margy's brother Wayne Frake in the 1945 film, made the first hit recording of the song,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-pc13-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[6]</a> released by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decca_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Decca Records</a> as catalog number 18706. Debuting on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_magazine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Billboard</a> magazine Best Seller chart dated 8 November 1945, the disc had a chart tenure of 12 weeks with a peak of #5.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-Whitburn-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[7]</a> It was the flip side of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That%27s_for_Me" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">That's for Me</a>" (also from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Fair_(1945_film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">State Fair</a>), another top-10 best seller.The recording by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Weston" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paul Weston</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Whiting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Margaret Whiting</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-pc13-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[6]</a> was released by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Capitol Records</a> as catalog number 214. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on November 22, 1945, and lasted six weeks on the chart, peaking at #6.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-Whitburn-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[7]</a>The recording by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Kaye" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sammy Kaye</a> was released by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_Victor_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RCA Victor Records</a> as catalog number 20-1738. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on December 20, 1945 and lasted four weeks on the chart, peaking at #8.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-Whitburn-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[7]</a>The recording by Paul Fenoulhet with The Skyrockets Dance Orchestra (with refrain song) was made in London on February 2, 1946, and released by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EMI</a> on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Master%27s_Voice" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HMV Records</a> label as catalogue number BD 5928."It Might as Well Be Spring" became a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_signature_songs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">signature song</a> for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Vaughan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Vaughan</a> whose recording - "her finest recorded ballad" according to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Davis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Francis Davis</a> -<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Might_as_Well_Be_Spring#cite_note-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[8]</a> debuted on her 1949 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Columbia</a> release <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Vaughan_in_Hi-Fi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Vaughan in Hi-Fi</a>.In 1952, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_James" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry James</a> released a recording on the album Hollywood's Best (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Columbia</a> B-319 and CL-6224), with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Clooney" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rosemary Clooney</a> on vocals.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_McPartland" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marian McPartland</a> recorded a version in 1953. It was used in a 1972 episode of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin_the_Third#Part_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lupin the Third</a> called "Keep An Eye on the Beauty Pageant".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Mathis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Johnny Mathis</a> recorded the song for his self-titled, 1956 debut album: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Mathis_(album)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Johnny Mathis</a>. Also in 1956, it was featured by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blossom_Dearie" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blossom Dearie</a> (in French) on her album: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blossom_Dearie_(album)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blossom Dearie</a>.The version by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Conniff" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ray Conniff</a> and his Orchestra & Chorus can be found on his album, Hollywood In Rhythm (1958).In 1959, singer and pianist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Simone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nina Simone</a> sang it on her first album for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colpix_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Colpix Records</a>, titled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Nina_Simone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Amazing Nina Simone</a>. The same year, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Jones" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shirley Jones</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Cassidy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jack Cassidy</a> released their version on the album With Love From Hollywood.In 1961, the song was a hit for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frank Sinatra</a> on his album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinatra_and_Strings" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sinatra and Strings</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Fitzgerald" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ella Fitzgerald</a> also recorded it on her live <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verve_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Verve</a> release: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_in_Hollywood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ella in Hollywood</a>.In 1964 Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto recorded a live Bossa Nova version of the song in the New York cafe au Go Go.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Williams" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andy Williams</a> released a version on his 1962 album: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_River_and_Other_Great_Movie_Themes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Evans" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bill Evans</a> released a version on his 1962 album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Beams" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Moon Beams</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Lee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peggy Lee</a> sang a swinging version of the song .