I'll Be Seeing You (song)
| "I'll Be Seeing You" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1938 by Marlo Music Corporation |
| Composer(s) | Sammy Fain |
| Lyricist(s) | Irving Kahal |
"I'll Be Seeing You" is a popular song about missing a loved one, with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Irving Kahal.[1] Published in 1938, it was inserted into the Broadway musical Right This Way, which closed after fifteen performances.[2] The title of the 1944 film I'll Be Seeing You was taken from this song at the suggestion of the film's producer, Dore Schary. The song is included in the film's soundtrack.
Background
[edit]A resemblance between the main tune's first four lines and a passage within the theme of the last movement of Gustav Mahler's Third Symphony (1896) was pointed out by Deryck Cooke in 1970.[3]
Other versions
[edit]- The earliest recording of the song was by Dick Todd in 1940 on the Bluebird label.[4]
- The recording by Bing Crosby became a nostalgic wartime hit in 1944, reaching number one for the week of July 1.[5]
- Frank Sinatra's version with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra from 1940 charted in 1944 and peaked at No. 4.[6][7] A new recording of the song by Frank Sinatra was included in 1961's I Remember Tommy.[8] This new version went to No. 12 on the Easy Listening chart and No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.[9]
- A recording by the Poni-Tails reached number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending November 16, 1959.[10]
- Dinah Shore and André Previn recorded the song in Dinah Sings, Previn Plays, (Capitol Records, 1960).[11]
- Brenda Lee recorded the song as the final track of her 1962 album Sincerely, Brenda Lee, with the second verse spoken rather than sung. This version features as a significant recurring theme in the 2018 film Out of Blue.[12]
Other appearances
[edit]- Billie Holiday's 1944 recording of the song was the final transmission sent by NASA to the Opportunity rover on Mars when its mission ended in February 2019.[13] Holiday's version was also featured in both the 2004 film The Notebook and the 2014 film Before I Disappear.
- Norah Jones recorded a version in 2020 in support of the New York Restoration Project during the COVID-19 pandemic and released a video of the performance.[14]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Leonard, Hal (January 1, 1995). I'll Be Seeing You: 51 Songs of World War II. Hal Leonard Corp. p. 47. ISBN 978-0793537617.
- ^ Leonard, Hal (January 1, 1995). I'll Be Seeing You: 51 Songs of World War II. Hal Leonard Corp. p. 12. ISBN 978-0793537617.
- ^ Cooke's radio broadcast is described in Hans Keller, 'Truth & Music', Music and Musicians Magazine, November 1970
- ^ "I'll Be Seeing You by Dick Todd". Internet Archive. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
Digitized at 78 revolutions per minute. Four stylii were used to transfer this record.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 109. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 138. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ Gilliland, John (January 15, 1972). "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #10". UNT Digital Library.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 223.
- ^ "Poni-Tails I'll Be Seeing You Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Dinah Shore & The André Previn Trio – Dinah Sings, Previn Plays". Discogs. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ^ "I'll Be Seeing You: Falling Apart and Together in Out of Blue". Flip Screen. September 18, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Berger, Eric (February 13, 2019). "Opportunity did not answer NASA's final call, and it's now lost to us". Ars Technica.
- ^ Todd, Nate (May 21, 2020). "Norah Jones Covers 'I'll Be Seeing You' For New York Restoration Project". Jambase. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
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