Baubles, Bangles, & Beads
Show tune from the 1953 musical "Kismet"
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"Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" is a popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet, credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest. It is based on the second movement from string quartet nr.2 in D major, "Scherzo. Allegro" by Russian composer Alexander Borodin.
Background
Like almost all the music in that show, the melody was based on works by Alexander Borodin,[1][2] in this case the second theme of the second movement of his String Quartet in D. The "Kismet" setting maintains the original's 3/4 waltz rhythm; pop music settings change the rhythm to a moderate four-beat accompaniment. Jazz musicians are especially drawn to the song's beguiling melody and advanced harmonic structure. The familiar AA'BA+Coda structure of the song is energized by a key change up a major third interval for every section; the transition is marked by a harmonic progression from the central major key of one section to the tritone minor key of the following section.[citation needed]
1953 recordings
The best-selling version of the song was recorded by Peggy Lee on September 16, 1953[3] and charted briefly that year.[4] Other versions were recorded that year by Lu Ann Simms and Georgia Gibbs.
Kirby Stone Four recording
- The Kirby Stone Four re-make hit No. 25 in the Billboard Top 100 in 1958.[5]
Other recordings
The song has appeared on numerous albums over the years including:
- Gerry Mulligan - Recorded in Boston at Storyville (1956)[6]
- Wes Montgomery - Fingerpickin' (1957)[7]
- Lena Horne - Give the Lady What She Wants (1958)[8]
- Eydie Gorme - Gorme Sings Showstoppers (1958)
- Frank Sinatra - Come Dance with Me! (1959),[9] Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim (1967)[10]
- Kay Starr - Movin' on Broadway (1960)
- June Christy - The Cool School (1960)[11]
- Sarah Vaughan - You're Mine You (1962)[12]
- Oscar Peterson Trio - Affinity (1962)[13]
- Chet Atkins - Travelin' (1963)[14]
- Johnny Mathis - So Nice (1966)[15]
- Sylvia Telles - The Face I Love (1966)
- Dionne Warwick - On Stage and in the Movies (1967)
- Argentine composer Ernesto Acher mixed the scherzo of Borodin's string quartet with this piece of music, under the name "Borodin, Bangles & Beads" in 1987 on his album Juegos [16]
- Sofia Hoffmann - Rebirth (2022)[17]