Love Makes the World Go 'Round (1961 song)
Encyclopedia
"Love Makes the World Go 'Round" is a popular
song
written by Bob Merrill
for the 1961
for the musical
Carnival!
which debuted on Broadway
in 1961.
Carnival!s equivalent of "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
" the signature song from the musical's parent film Lili
, "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" is played on a concertina
at the play's opening and is later sung by the characters Lili and Paul Berthalet, with the latter being concealed while his puppet
s apparently sing.
In scoring Carnival! Bob Merrill had hoped to utilize French folk music as his touchstone eschewing the conventional Tin Pan Alley
style of song predominant in Broadway shows. During the development phase of Carnival! Gower Champion
and Michael Stewart
- respectively set to direct the musical and write its book - would visit Merrill's apartment every morning and leave each afternoon disappointed by the lack of any evident hit song in the proposed score Merrill had played for them. When seeing out Champion and Stewart one afternoon Merrill became irate at his visitors' attitude telling them: "While you're waiting for this f**king elevator I can write the song I know you want" and improvising a tune reminiscent of Rodgers and Hammerstein
's "Carousel
Waltz". Whether or not Merrill was making a serious song pitch Champion and Stewart's response to Merrill's impromptu composition was so positive as to demand its development into a full show tune for Carnival!, the result being "Love Makes the World Go 'Round".
Jane Morgan
released a single of "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" which served as the title cut of her August 1961 album release on the Kapp label. The Everly Brothers
also recorded the song for their album "Instant Party", it's title appearing there as "Carnival". "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" has also been recorded by Ann-Margret
and Wayne Newton
.
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...
written by Bob Merrill
Bob Merrill
Bob Merrill was an American songwriter, theatrical composer, lyricist, and screenwriter.Merrill was born Henry Merrill Levan in Atlantic City, New Jersey and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following a stint with the Army during World War II, he moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a...
for the 1961
1961 in music
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for the musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Carnival!
Carnival!
Carnival is a 1961 musical with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film Lili.-Background:...
which debuted on 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...
in 1961.
Carnival!s equivalent of "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
"Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" is a popular song with music by Bronislau Kaper, and lyrics by Helen Deutsch. The song was published in 1952. The song was featured in the movie Lili which starred Leslie Caron.-Recorded versions:...
" the signature song from the musical's parent film Lili
Lili
Lili is an American film. An MGM release, it stars Leslie Caron as a touchingly naïve French girl, whose emotional relationship with a carnival puppeteer is conducted through the medium of four puppets...
, "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" is played on a concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
at the play's opening and is later sung by the characters Lili and Paul Berthalet, with the latter being concealed while his puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
s apparently sing.
In scoring Carnival! Bob Merrill had hoped to utilize French folk music as his touchstone eschewing the conventional Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
style of song predominant in Broadway shows. During the development phase of Carnival! Gower Champion
Gower Champion
Gower Carlyle Champion was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer.-Early years:Champion was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Carlisle. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School...
and Michael Stewart
Michael Stewart (playwright)
Michael Stewart was an American playwright and librettist.Born Michael Stuart Rubin in Manhattan, Stewart attended Queens College, and is a graduate of Yale School of Drama with a Master of Fine Arts from 1953. Michael Stewart (August 1, 1924 – September 20, 1987) was an American playwright...
- respectively set to direct the musical and write its book - would visit Merrill's apartment every morning and leave each afternoon disappointed by the lack of any evident hit song in the proposed score Merrill had played for them. When seeing out Champion and Stewart one afternoon Merrill became irate at his visitors' attitude telling them: "While you're waiting for this f**king elevator I can write the song I know you want" and improvising a tune reminiscent of Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
's "Carousel
Carousel (musical)
Carousel is the second stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II . The work premiered in 1945 and was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline...
Waltz". Whether or not Merrill was making a serious song pitch Champion and Stewart's response to Merrill's impromptu composition was so positive as to demand its development into a full show tune for Carnival!, the result being "Love Makes the World Go 'Round".
Jane Morgan
Jane Morgan
Jane Morgan is an American popular singer, specializing in traditional pop music. Her first broad fame came in Europe....
released a single of "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" which served as the title cut of her August 1961 album release on the Kapp label. The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
also recorded the song for their album "Instant Party", it's title appearing there as "Carnival". "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" has also been recorded by Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret Olsson is a Swedish-American actress, singer and dancer whose professional name is Ann-Margret. She became famous for her starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, The Cincinnati Kid, Carnal Knowledge, and Tommy...
and Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
.