Jimmy McHugh
Encyclopedia
James Francis McHugh was a U.S.
composer
. One of the most prolific songwriter
s from the 1920s to the 1950s, he composed over 270 songs. His songs were recorded by such artists as Frank Sinatra
, Bing Crosby
, Judy Garland
, Billie Holiday
, Nina Simone
, Chet Baker
, Dinah Washington
, June Christy
, Peggy Lee
, Deanna Durbin
, and Ella Fitzgerald
.
and pianist/song plugger for Irving Berlin
’s publishing company, in 1921, at the age of 26, McHugh relocated to New York City
. Eventually finding employment as a professional manager with the prominent music publisher Jack Mills Inc., it was here that McHugh published his first song “Emaline”, and briefly teamed up with Irving Mills
as The Hotsy Totsy Boys to write the hit song “Everything Is Hotsy Totsy Now”.
This songwriting partnership was just the first of McHugh’s many illustrious collaborations, among them Ted Koehler
(“I’m Shooting High”), Al Dubin
(“South American Way”) and the great Harold Adamson
(“It’s a Most Unusual Day”). As impressive as these master lyricists were, perhaps McHugh’s best symbiotic musical relationship was with the school teacher and poet Dorothy Fields
. Having written material for many of Harlem’s Cotton Club revues, it was no coincidence that their first combined success would be the score for the all-black Broadway musical Blackbirds of 1928
starring Adelaide Hall
and Bill Bojangles Robinson, which jump-started the fledgling duo’s career with the memorable songs “I Can't Give You Anything But Love,” “Diga Diga Doo” and “I Must Have That Man.”
Other hits written for the stage were soon to follow, including what is arguably their most famous composition, 1930’s “On the Sunny Side of the Street
” for Lew Leslie
’s International Revue, which also contained the favorite “Exactly Like You”; “Blue Again” for The Vanderbilt Revue; and in 1932, “Don’t Blame Me
,” which was featured in the Chicago revue Clowns In Clover.
McHugh and Fields contributed title songs for films include "Cuban Love Song", "Dinner at Eight" and "Hooray For Love", as well as “I Feel A Song Comin’ On” and “I'm in the Mood for Love
” from 1935’s Every Night at Eight. In the artistically fruitful years 1930 through 1935, McHugh and Fields wrote over 30 songs for the film world.
He wrote "It's a most unusual day" for Jane Powell to sing in the film "A date with Judy" (1948),that became her trademark theme along her career.She sang it in 2010 with Pink Martini at the Hollywood Bowl.
credits
There was a medley of his songs in the 1979 Broadway
show Sugar Babies
, which starred Ann Miller
and Mickey Rooney
. The songs included were "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "I'm Shooting High", "Roll Your Blues Away" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street
".
Other well known songs of his include "I'm in the Mood for Love
", "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
", "Cuban Love Song", and hundreds more.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. One of the most prolific songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s from the 1920s to the 1950s, he composed over 270 songs. His songs were recorded by such artists as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
, Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
, Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...
, June Christy
June Christy
June Christy , born Shirley Luster, was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a solo career from 1954 and is best known for her debut album Something Cool...
, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin is a Canadian-born, Southern California-raised retired singer and actress, who appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias....
, and Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
.
Career
After struggling in a variety of jobs, including rehearsal pianist for the Boston Opera HouseBoston Opera House (1909)
The Boston Opera House was an opera house located on Huntington Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. It opened in 1909 as the home of the Boston Opera Company and was demolished in 1958 after years of disuse....
and pianist/song plugger for Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
’s publishing company, in 1921, at the age of 26, McHugh relocated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Eventually finding employment as a professional manager with the prominent music publisher Jack Mills Inc., it was here that McHugh published his first song “Emaline”, and briefly teamed up with Irving Mills
Irving Mills
Irving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
as The Hotsy Totsy Boys to write the hit song “Everything Is Hotsy Totsy Now”.
This songwriting partnership was just the first of McHugh’s many illustrious collaborations, among them Ted Koehler
Ted Koehler
Ted L. Koehler was an American lyricist.-Life and career:Koehler was born in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver but was attracted to the music business, where he started out as a theater pianist for silent films. He moved on to write for vaudeville shows and Broadway, and he also...
(“I’m Shooting High”), Al Dubin
Al Dubin
Alexander "Al" Dubin was an American lyricist. He became known through his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren.-Life and works:...
(“South American Way”) and the great Harold Adamson
Harold Adamson
For the Toronto Police Chief see Harold Adamson Harold Adamson was an American lyricist during the 1930s and 1940s.- Biography :...
(“It’s a Most Unusual Day”). As impressive as these master lyricists were, perhaps McHugh’s best symbiotic musical relationship was with the school teacher and poet Dorothy Fields
Dorothy Fields
Dorothy Fields was an American librettist and lyricist.She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films...
. Having written material for many of Harlem’s Cotton Club revues, it was no coincidence that their first combined success would be the score for the all-black Broadway musical Blackbirds of 1928
Blackbirds of 1928
Blackbirds of 1928 was a hit Broadway revue with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. It contained the songs "Diga Diga Do", the duo's first hit, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", and "I Must Have That Man" all sung by Adelaide Hall....
starring Adelaide Hall
Adelaide Hall
Adelaide Hall was an American-born U.K.-based jazz singer and entertainer.Hall was born in Brooklyn, New York and was taught to sing by her father...
and Bill Bojangles Robinson, which jump-started the fledgling duo’s career with the memorable songs “I Can't Give You Anything But Love,” “Diga Diga Doo” and “I Must Have That Man.”
Other hits written for the stage were soon to follow, including what is arguably their most famous composition, 1930’s “On the Sunny Side of the Street
On the Sunny Side of the Street
"On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a song with music composed by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, which was introduced in the Broadway musical Lew Leslie's International Revue, starring Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence....
” for Lew Leslie
Lew Leslie
Lew Leslie was a Broadway writer and producer. Although white, he was the first impressario to present black artists on stage...
’s International Revue, which also contained the favorite “Exactly Like You”; “Blue Again” for The Vanderbilt Revue; and in 1932, “Don’t Blame Me
Don't Blame Me (song)
"Don't Blame Me" is a popular song with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was published in 1933.The song received two significant "rock era" remakes: a mellow ballad version by the Everly Brothers, released by Warner Bros...
,” which was featured in the Chicago revue Clowns In Clover.
McHugh and Fields contributed title songs for films include "Cuban Love Song", "Dinner at Eight" and "Hooray For Love", as well as “I Feel A Song Comin’ On” and “I'm in the Mood for Love
I'm in the Mood for Love
"I'm in the Mood for Love" is a popular song. The music was written by Jimmy McHugh, the lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was published in 1935. It was introduced by Frances Langford in the movie Every Night at Eight released that year...
” from 1935’s Every Night at Eight. In the artistically fruitful years 1930 through 1935, McHugh and Fields wrote over 30 songs for the film world.
He wrote "It's a most unusual day" for Jane Powell to sing in the film "A date with Judy" (1948),that became her trademark theme along her career.She sang it in 2010 with Pink Martini at the Hollywood Bowl.
Works
BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
credits
- 1928 - Blackbirds of 1928Blackbirds of 1928Blackbirds of 1928 was a hit Broadway revue with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. It contained the songs "Diga Diga Do", the duo's first hit, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", and "I Must Have That Man" all sung by Adelaide Hall....
(lyrics by Dorothy FieldsDorothy FieldsDorothy Fields was an American librettist and lyricist.She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films...
) - 1928 - Hello, Daddy (lyrics by Fields)
- 1930 - International Revue (lyrics by Fields)
- 1939 - The Streets of Paris (lyrics by Al DubinAl DubinAlexander "Al" Dubin was an American lyricist. He became known through his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren.-Life and works:...
) - 1940 - Keep Off The GrassKeep Off The GrassKeep Off the Grass is a musical revue with sketches by Mort Lewis, Parke Levy, Alan Lipscott, S. Jay Kaufman, and Panama & Frank, lyrics by Al Dubin and Howard Dietz, and music by Jimmy McHugh. The choreography was by George Balanchine....
(lyrics by Dubin and Howard DietzHoward DietzHoward Dietz was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist.-Biography:Dietz was born in New York City and studied journalism at Columbia University...
) - 1948 - As the Girls GoAs the Girls GoAs the Girls Go is a musical with music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Harold Adamson and a book by William Roos.After an out-of-town tryout at the Opera House in Boston in October 1948, the original Broadway production of As the Girls Go opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on November 13, 1948,...
(lyrics by Harold AdamsonHarold AdamsonFor the Toronto Police Chief see Harold Adamson Harold Adamson was an American lyricist during the 1930s and 1940s.- Biography :...
)
There was a medley of his songs in the 1979 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show Sugar Babies
Sugar Babies
Sugar Babies is a musical revue conceived by Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby, with music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin and various others. The show is a tribute to the old burlesque era...
, which starred Ann Miller
Ann Miller
Johnnie Lucille Collier, better known as Ann Miller was an American singer, dancer and actress.-Early life:...
and Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
. The songs included were "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "I'm Shooting High", "Roll Your Blues Away" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street
On the Sunny Side of the Street
"On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a song with music composed by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, which was introduced in the Broadway musical Lew Leslie's International Revue, starring Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence....
".
Other well known songs of his include "I'm in the Mood for Love
I'm in the Mood for Love
"I'm in the Mood for Love" is a popular song. The music was written by Jimmy McHugh, the lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was published in 1935. It was introduced by Frances Langford in the movie Every Night at Eight released that year...
", "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
"A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" is a popular song with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Harold Adamson, published in 1943.The song is considered a pop standard, recorded by many artists.-Recorded versions:*The Angels*Shirley Bassey*Shocky...
", "Cuban Love Song", and hundreds more.
- "A Lovely Way to Spend an EveningA Lovely Way to Spend an Evening"A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" is a popular song with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Harold Adamson, published in 1943.The song is considered a pop standard, recorded by many artists.-Recorded versions:*The Angels*Shirley Bassey*Shocky...
" – June Christy (McHugh/Adamson) (Capitol/EMI) - "Blue Again" – Louis Armstrong (McHugh/Fields) (Okeh/Sony BMG)
- "Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer" – Bing Crosby (McHugh/Adamson) (Decca/UMG)
- "Cuban Love Song" – Edmundo Ros (McHugh/Stothart/Fields) (London/WMG)
- "Diga Diga Doo" – The Mills Brothers w/ Duke Ellington (McHugh/Fields) (Brunswick/Sony BMG)
- "Doin' the New Low Down" – Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (McHugh/Fields) (Brunswick/Sony BMG)
- "Don't Blame MeDon't Blame Me (song)"Don't Blame Me" is a popular song with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was published in 1933.The song received two significant "rock era" remakes: a mellow ballad version by the Everly Brothers, released by Warner Bros...
" – The Everly Brothers (McHugh/Fields) (Warner Bros./WMG) - "Dream Dream Dream" – Joni James (McHugh/Parish/Melle/Mottier) (MGM/UMG)
- "Exactly Like You" – Aretha Franklin (McHugh/Fields) (Columbia/Sony BMG)
- "Happy Times" – Hal Kemp & His Orchestra (McHugh/Fields) (Brunswick/Sony BMG)
- "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" – Dean Martin (McHugh/Gaskill) (Capitol/EMI)
- "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, BabyI Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby"I Can't Give You Anything but Love" is an American popular song and jazz standard by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields .The song was introduced by Adelaide Hall at Les Ambassadeurs Club in New York in January 1928 in Lew Leslie's Blackbird Revue, which opened on Broadway later that year as the...
" – Judy Garland (McHugh/Fields) (Capitol/EMI) - "I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night" – Frank Sinatra (McHugh/Adamson) (Columbia/Sony BMG)
- "I Just Found Out About LoveI Just Found Out About Love"I Just Found Out About Love" is a popular song composed by Jimmy McHugh, with lyrics by Harold Adamson....
" – Dinah Washington (McHugh/Adamson) (Mercury/UMG) - "I Love to Whistle" – Fats Waller (McHugh/Adamson) (RCA/Sony BMG)
- "I Must Have That Man" – Billie Holiday (McHugh/Fields) (Brunswick/Sony BMG)
- "I’m Shooting High" – Ann Richards (McHugh/Koehler) (Capitol/EMI)
- "It’s a Most Unusual Day" – Andy Williams (McHugh/Adamson) (Columbia/Sony BMG)
- "I’ve Got My Fingers Crossed" – Louis Armstrong (McHugh/Koehler) (Decca/UMG)
- "Let's Get Lost" – Chet Baker (McHugh/Loesser) (Pacific)
- "On the Sunny Side of the StreetOn the Sunny Side of the Street"On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a song with music composed by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, which was introduced in the Broadway musical Lew Leslie's International Revue, starring Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence....
" – Frank Sinatra (McHugh/Fields) (Capitol/EMI) - "South American Way" – The Andrews Sisters (McHugh/Dubin) (Capitol/EMI)
- "There’s Something in the Air" – Ruth Etting (McHugh/Adamson) (Decca/UNI)
- "Too Young to Go Steady" – Nat King Cole (McHugh/Adamson) (Capitol/EMI)
- "Warm and Willing" – Nat King Cole (McHugh/Livingston/Evans) (Capitol/EMI)
- "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" – Peggy Lee (McHugh/Austin/Mills) (Capitol/EMI)
- "Where Are You?" – Johnny Mathis (McHugh/Adamson) (Columbia/Sony BMG)