Button Up Your Overcoat
Encyclopedia
"Button Up Your Overcoat" is a popular
song
. The music was written by Ray Henderson
, the lyrics by B.G. DeSylva and Lew Brown
.http://1m1f.com/video/-FAZfdJltJs/Ruth-Etting-Button-Up-Your-Overcoat-Columbia-1762-D.html The song was published in 1928
, and was first performed later that same year by vocalist Ruth Etting. However, the most famous rendition of this song was recorded early in 1929 by singer Helen Kane
, who was by that time at the peak of her popularity. Kane's childlike voice and Bronx dialect eventually became the inspiration for the voice of cartoon character Betty Boop (most famously using Kane's famous catchphrase Boop Boop a Doop).
The composition was arranged and recorded by John Serry, Sr.
with his ensemble for Dot Records
(catalog #DLP-3024) for a 33 RPM vinyl recording entitled Squeeze Play in 1956.
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band recorded a popular cover version in 1966 as the B-side of their "Alley Oop" single.
In the 1985 film The Sure Thing
, two characters sing "Button Up Your Overcoat" as part of a medley of show tunes during a road trip. The song also appears on the movie's soundtrack.
The song was added to the 1993 revision of the musical Good News
.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
. The music was written by Ray Henderson
Ray Henderson
Ray Henderson , was an American songwriter.Born Raymond Brost in Buffalo, New York, Henderson moved to New York City and became a popular composer in Tin Pan Alley...
, the lyrics by B.G. DeSylva and Lew Brown
Lew Brown
Lew Brown was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States.Brown was born as Louis Brownstein in Odessa, Russian Empire...
.http://1m1f.com/video/-FAZfdJltJs/Ruth-Etting-Button-Up-Your-Overcoat-Columbia-1762-D.html The song was published in 1928
1928 in music
-Events:*April 27 - Igor Stravinsky's ballet Apollon musagète is premiered in Washington.*September 11 - Leoš Janáček's String Quartet No. 2, Intimate Letters, is premiered in Brno....
, and was first performed later that same year by vocalist Ruth Etting. However, the most famous rendition of this song was recorded early in 1929 by singer Helen Kane
Helen Kane
Helen Kane was an American popular singer; her signature song was "I Wanna Be Loved By You". Kane's voice and appearance were a likely source for Fleischer Studios animator Grim Natwick when creating Betty Boop, although It-girl Clara Bow is another possible influence.-Early life:Born as Helen...
, who was by that time at the peak of her popularity. Kane's childlike voice and Bronx dialect eventually became the inspiration for the voice of cartoon character Betty Boop (most famously using Kane's famous catchphrase Boop Boop a Doop).
The composition was arranged and recorded by John Serry, Sr.
John Serry, Sr.
John Serry, Sr. was an accomplished concert accordionist virtuoso, arranger, composer, organist and educator who performed on the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks...
with his ensemble for Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
(catalog #DLP-3024) for a 33 RPM vinyl recording entitled Squeeze Play in 1956.
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band recorded a popular cover version in 1966 as the B-side of their "Alley Oop" single.
In the 1985 film The Sure Thing
The Sure Thing
The Sure Thing is a 1985 romantic comedy directed by Rob Reiner, written by Steven L. Bloom and Jonathan Roberts and starring John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Viveca Lindfors, and Nicollette Sheridan...
, two characters sing "Button Up Your Overcoat" as part of a medley of show tunes during a road trip. The song also appears on the movie's soundtrack.
The song was added to the 1993 revision of the musical Good News
Good News (musical)
Good News is a musical with a book by Laurence Schwab and B.G. DeSylva, lyrics by DeSylva and Lew Brown, and music by Ray Henderson.The show opened on Broadway in 1927, the same year as Show Boat, but its plot was decidedly old-fashioned in comparison to Show Boats somewhat tragic and daring...
.