What'll I Do
Written by Irving Berlin 1923
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"What'll I Do" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1923.[4] It was introduced by singers Grace Moore and John Steel late in the run of Berlin's third Music Box Revue and was also included in the following year's edition.[5]
Written1923
Published1923 Irving Berlin Music Corp., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
ReleasedMay 1924[1]
RecordedMarch 18, 1924 take 8[2]
| "What'll I Do" | |
|---|---|
Sheet music cover, 1923 | |
| Single by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra | |
| Written | 1923 |
| Published | 1923 Irving Berlin Music Corp., Warner Chappell Music, Inc. |
| Released | May 1924[1] |
| Recorded | March 18, 1924 take 8[2] |
| Studio | New York City |
| Venue | Music Box Revue 1923 |
| Genre | Show tune |
| Length | 2.46 |
| Label | Victor 19299[3] |
| Songwriter | Irving Berlin |
| Audio sample | |
Recording of What'll I Do, performed by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra (1924) | |
Recordings
- Nat King Cole recorded the song for his album Unforgettable (1952).[6]
- Julie London recorded her version in 1955, released in 1956 on her album, Lonely Girl.[7]
- Johnny Mathis sings the song on his 1957 album Warm.[8]
- Frank Sinatra featured his cover of the standard on his album All Alone (1962).
- Lena Horne on her Lena on the Blue Side (1962)[9]
- Johnny Tillotson released his version on the LP, It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin' (1962) EP and single B-side on the release of "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On".
- The Fleetwoods released their cover as a single in 1963, though it did not chart.
- The Peddlers' recording was released on a single in March 1967.[10]
- Nancy Sinatra has a cover version on her 1967 album Sugar.[11]
- Harry Nilsson included the song on his album of American standards, A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (1973), arranged by Gordon Jenkins.[12]
- Cher included the song on her album Dark Lady (1974).[13]
- Chet Baker recorded his cover on his album She Was Too Good To Me (1974),
- Linda Ronstadt, with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, featured the song on her first album of popular standards in 1983, What's New,[14] produced by Peter Asher. Ronstadt had first attempted this and several other torch songs during experimental 1981 sessions in New York City, encouraged by producer Jerry Wexler.[15]
- Rosemary Clooney released a version on her album Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Irving Berlin (1984).[16]
- Elkie Brooks covers the song on her album Screen Gems (1984).[17]
- Michael Crawford, with the London Symphony Orchestra, recorded a version for his album Songs from the Stage and Screen (1987).[18]
- Pink Martini performs the song on the album Get Happy (2013).
- Bob Dylan covered the song for his album of standards Shadows in the Night (2015).
- The song is included on Seth MacFarlane’s fifth album, Once in a While (2019).[19]
- Darcelle XV (with Pink Martini) released the song on their single The Rose (2022).
In popular culture
- The song was used as a generalized theme in Nelson Riddle's Academy Award-winning period score for the film The Great Gatsby (1974) starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, sung by William Atherton.
- It was sung by Mary Steenburgen in the film The Butcher's Wife (1991).
- Bea Arthur sang it in The Golden Girls episode "Journey to the Center of Attention".[citation needed]
- The song was used as the theme tune to the British sitcom Birds of a Feather, performed by William Atherton and later by its lead stars Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson.
- An instrumental version of the song was used under the closing scene of "I Do, Adieu" (1987), the fifth-season finale of the sitcom Cheers.
- On the season 2 episode 6, "War and Peace", of the sitcom Northern Exposure the character Nickolai Appolanov played by Elya Baskin sang a version of the song.[citation needed]
- The Johnny Mathis version of the song was also used in the closing scene of "The Jet Set", the eleventh episode in the second season of Mad Men.
- Adam Hurrey performed a version of the song in the style of football supporters as part of the "Football Cliches" podcast in May 2022.[20]
- Puddles Pity Party sings a refrain from the song as a coda to his rendition of Chris Cornell's "When I'm Down".
