(Up A) Lazy River Explained

(Up A) Lazy River
Published:	1930
Artist:	Louis Armstrong
Genre:	Jazz standard, pop standard
Composer:	Hoagy Carmichael, Sidney Arodin

"(Up A) Lazy River" is a popular tune and song by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin, published in 1930. The melody is by Arodin, arranged and with words modified by Carmichael.^[1] It is considered a jazz standard and pop standard, and has been recorded by many artists as listed below.

Recorded versions

• Acker Bilk
• Adam Faith (1963)
• Art Mooney and his orchestra (vocal: Cathy Ryan and The Clover Leafs) (1952)
• Benny Goodman and his orchestra (vocal: Helen Forrest) (1941)
• Betty Johnson (1950)
• Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong for their 1960 album Bing & Satchmo.
• Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys (1947)
• Bobby Darin (1961) #14 hit on the Hot 100,^[2] #16 Canada^[3]
• Brenda Lee (1962)
• Casa Loma Orchestra (1938)
• Chet Atkins
• Cliff Richard on his album Bold As Brass
• Chris Barber
• Sidney Bechet
• Mina
• Crystal Gayle (1999)
• Dick Todd
• Eddy Howard
• Gene Vincent (1956)
• Georgie Fame and Annie Ross (1981)
• Glenn Miller and his orchestra
• Hank Thompson (1972)

• Harry Connick Jr. (1988)
• Harry James and his orchestra
• Hoagy Carmichael (1930)
• Hugh and Karl Farr
• Julia Lee
• Kay Starr
• Kenny Ball
• Leon Redbone
• Les Brown and his Band of Renown
• Les Paul Trio
• Louis Armstrong and his orchestra (1931)
• Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang (1936)
• Manhattan Transfer
• Megan Mullally
• Merle Travis
• Michael Bublé
• Nat King Cole Trio with vocals by Anita Boyer ^[4]
• Pat Boone (1958)
• Paul Whiteman and his orchestra (1956)
• Peggy Lee
• Pete Fountain

• Phil Harris and his orchestra (1932)
• Ray Anthony
• Rex Allen (1961)
• Rickie Lee Jones
• Roberta Sherwood (Sepia CD Sepia 1099 - orig rec: 1956)
• Rockapella
• Rosemary Clooney (1956)
• Rusty Draper (1957)
• Sam Butera and The Witnesses
• Sammy Davis Jr. (1963)
• Si Zentner and his orchestra (1961)
• Svend Asmussen
• Tennessee Ernie Ford
• Tex Beneke and his orchestra
• The Ames Brothers
• The Blind Rats (2020)
• The Four Lads
• The Gatlin Brothers (1994)
• The Mills Brothers (1952)
• The Platters
• The Three Suns
• Woody Herman and his orchestra (1941)
• January Jones – Scopitone video^{[5] [6]}

Popular culture

• The song was stored in music box format in a permanent outdoor display in Cathedral Park under the St. John's Bridge in Portland, Oregon.
• A bit of the song is played by Carmichael in the 1946 Oscar-winning film The Best Years of Our Lives.^[7]
• "(Up A) Lazy River" can also be heard in the 1959 film Hey Boy! Hey Girl!.
• A cover of the song is featured in Shredder Orpheus, sung by Hades (Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi).
• Bullets Over Broadway features the song heavily as the mobster Cheech's calling card.

See also

• List of 1930s jazz standards

Notes and References

1. Web site: Red Hot Jazz Archive. Sidney Arodin (1901-1948).
2. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 216.
3. Web site: CHUM Hit Parade - March 6, 1961.
4. The King Cole Trio: The MacGregor Years, 1941-1945, Music and Arts Programs of America, Inc.
5. Web site: K-Chuck Radio: 1960's Music Videos, courtesy of the Scopitone . Chuck Miller . August 24, 2011 . Times Union . April 1, 2015 . March 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053325/http://blog.timesunion.com/chuckmiller/k-chuck-radio-1960s-music-videos-courtesy-of-the-scopitone/9918/ . dead .
6. Web site: Scopitone Archive by Artist: G to L . Bob Orlowsky . Scopitone Archive . April 1, 2015.
7. Web site: IMDB. The Best Years of Our Lives - Soundtracks. IMDb.