Should I? (song)
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| "Should I?" | |
|---|---|
 Sheet music cover, 1929 | |
| Song by Arden–Ohman Orchestra | |
| Published | 1929 by Robbins Music Corp. |
| Recorded | July 29, 1929[1] |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:15 |
| Label | Victor 53960 |
| Composer(s) | Nacio Herb Brown |
| Lyricist(s) | Arthur Freed |
"Should I?" is a song with music by Nacio Herb Brown and lyrics by Arthur Freed, first published in 1929. It was originally written for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Lord Byron of Broadway (1930), where it was introduced by singer and actor Charles Kaley.[2] The song became a major hit, charting at number 3 on Billboard for 11 weeks in 1930.[3]
The first recording of "Should I?" was on July 29, 1929, by Arden–Ohman Orchestra with Scrappy Lambert providing vocals.[1]
In 1931, the song was recorded in Polish by Henryk Wars' Vocal Group under the title "Ja wiem o twej miłości" (eng. "I Know About Your Love"). The translation was made by Andrzej Włast.[4]
Re-arranged by Conrad Salinger, Wally Heglin and Skip Martin, "Should I?" appeared in the musical film Singin' in the Rain (1952).[5] Under the musical direction of Lennie Hayton, it was briefly sung by character actor Wilson Wood parodying Rudy Vallee during the "Beautiful Girl Montage" segment.[6] A portion of the song had also been featured in the 1943 MGM musical film, Thousands Cheer, sung by Georgia Carroll as part of a medley built around an unrelated song, "I Dug a Ditch" by the Kay Kyser orchestra, for which Carroll was a featured vocalist.
Notable recordings
| Date | Main recording artist | Vocalist | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 29, 1929 | Arden–Ohman Orchestra | Scrappy Lambert | Lambert credited as "Burt Lorin". | [1] |
| October 10, 1929 | The Harmonians | Tom Frawley | [1] | |
| October 18, 1929 | Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra | Jack Fulton | [1] | |
| November 17, 1929 | Jesse Stafford and his Orchestra | Jesse Stafford | [1] | |
| December 5, 1929 | Frank Munn and his Orchestra | Frank Munn | Credited as "Paul Oliver". | [1] |
| December 23, 1929 | Phil Spitalny and his Orchestra | instrumental | Credited as "Hotel Pennsylvania Music". | [1] |
| December 24, 1929 | Charles Kaley | Featured in Lord Byron of Broadway. | [1] | |
| January 15, 1930 | Jack Miller and the New Englanders | Jack Miller | [1] | |
| February 18, 1930 | Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra | Jimmie Noone | [1] | |
| February 20, 1930 | The Rondoliers | [1] | ||
| February 28, 1930 | Seger Ellis | Featuring Tommy Dorsey and Eddie Lang. | [1] | |
| c. 1931 | Chór Henryka Warsa | Polish version "Ja wiem o twej miłości". | [4] | |
| October 20, 1947 | André Previn | instrumental | Featuring Al Viola and Jackie Mills. | [1] |
| April 24, 1950 | Frank Sinatra | Released on the Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra album. | [7] | |
| c. 1951 | Lennie Hayton[5] | Wilson Wood | Soundtrack recording for Singin' in the Rain and part of the "Beautiful Girl Montage" medley. | [6][8] |
| September 19, 1956 | Nat King Cole | Recording included on From The Capitol Vaults (Vol. 3) compilation album. | [9] | |