I'm Always Chasing Rainbows Explained

I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
Cover:I'm Always Chasing Rainbows 1918.jpg
Caption:Sheet music (1918)
Artist:the Dolly Sisters
Published:1917
Composer:Harry Carroll
Lyricist:Joseph McCarthy

"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" is a popular Vaudeville song. The music is credited to Harry Carroll, but the melody is adapted from Fantaisie-Impromptu by Frédéric Chopin. The lyrics were written by Joseph McCarthy, and the song was published in 1917. It was introduced in the Broadway show Oh, Look! which opened in March 1918.[1] The song was sung in the show by the Dolly Sisters. Judy Garland sang it in the 1941 film Ziegfeld Girl. It was subsequently sung by Jack Oakie in the 1944 film The Merry Monahans and was again featured in the 1945 film The Dolly Sisters (1945), where it was sung by John Payne. It was also included for part of the run (and in the cast album) of the 1973 revival of Irene. Additionally, the pre-chorus would not have been included until later covers in the 1940s, where the song would gain its iconic libretti.

Recorded versions

Hit versions in 1918

The biggest hit version in 1918 was recorded by Charles W. Harrison on July 26, 1918, and released by Victor Records as catalog number 18496A,[1] [2] [3] with the flip side “I Miss That Mississippi Miss That Misses Me”[4])

There were also very popular versions recorded by Harry Fox and by Prince's Orchestra (Columbia catalog number A-6064) in the same year.[1]

Harry Fox's version was recorded April 16, 1918, and released by Columbia Records as catalog number A-2557,[1] with the flip side “I Wonder What They're Doing Tonight”[5])

The Prince's Orchestra (referred to as Prince's Band on [6]) version was recorded July, 1918, and released by Columbia Records as catalog number A-6064, with the flip side “Oh, Frenchy”)

Hit versions in 1946

The biggest hit versions in the 1946 revival were by Perry Como, by Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes, and by Harry James's Orchestra with a vocal by Buddy DeVito.[1] There was also a recording by Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians, with a vocal by Erno Rapee, which had a degree of popularity that year.[1]

Perry Como's recording was made October 17, 1945,[7] and released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-1788,[1] with the flip side “You Won't Be Satisfied”.[8] It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on January 24, 1946, and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #7;[9] it was re-released by RCA Victor as catalog number 20-2663, with the flip side “If We Can't Be the Same Old Sweethearts”[10]

The recording by Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes was made on November 1, 1945, and released by Decca Records as catalog number 23472,[1] with the flip side “Tomorrow Is Forever”.[11] It reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on January 31, 1946, at #10, its only week on the chart.[9]

The recording by Harry James and his orchestra was made on November 7, 1945, released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36899,[1] with the flip side “Baby What You Do to Me”[12] and as catalog number 38434, with the flip side “I'm Beginning to See the Light”[13]

The recording by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians was released by Decca Records as catalog number 3586, with the flip side “Tea for Two”[14] and as catalog number 18789A,[1] with the flip side “Make Believe”[15])

Other recorded versions

Notes and References

  1. Book: Gardner, Edward Foote. Popular Songs of the 20th Century: Chart Detail & Encyclopedia, 1900-1949. Paragon House. St. Paul, Minnesota. 2000. 1-55778-789-1 .
  2. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn Presents a Century of Pop Music. Joel Whitburn. Record Research. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. 1999. 0-89820-135-7 .
  3. Web site: Victor matrix B-22181. I'm always chasing rainbows / Charles Harrison . Discography Of American Historical Recordings. October 9, 2024.
  4. Web site: VICTOR 78rpm numerical listing discography: 18000 - 18500. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  5. Web site: Columbia A Series 78rpm numerical listing discography: A2500 - A3000. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  6. Web site: Columbia A Series numerical listing discography: A6000 - A6300. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  7. Web site: I'm Always Chasing Rainbows. www.kokomo.ca. 7 April 2018.
  8. Web site: RCA Victor 78rpm numerical listing discography: 20-1500 - 20-2000. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  9. Book: Whitburn , Joel . Joel Whitburn . Top Pop Records 1940-1955 . Record Research . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin . 1973 .
  10. Web site: RCA Victor 20-prefix 78rpm numerical listing discography: 2500 - 3000. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  11. Web site: DECCA (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discographyL 23000 - 23500. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  12. Web site: COLUMBIA 78rpm numerical listing discography: 36500 - 37000. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  13. Web site: COLUMBIA 78rpm numerical listing discography: 38000 - 38500. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20160116234015/http://78discography.com/COL38000.htm. 16 January 2016. dead.
  14. Web site: DECCA (USA) numerical listing discography: 3500 - 3599. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  15. Web site: DECCA (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 18500 - 19000. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2w5hfLPSIU&f=
  17. Web site: MEDALLION 78rpm numerical listing discography. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  18. Web site: EMERSON 900/9000 series numerical listing discography. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  19. Web site: OKEH numerical listing discography: 1000 series. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  20. Web site: BLUEBIRD 78rpm numerical listing discography: 10500 - 11000. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1izy5TZufc&index=8&list=PLBohJ-Mq5mXziu3MJZ-E_WDxC7OrBCGvc "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows"
  22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TzgjCmmdxc Judy Garland
  23. Web site: COLUMBIA (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 36000 - 36500. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  24. Web site: COLUMBIA 78rpm numerical listing discography 35500 to 36000. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  25. Web site: COLUMBIA Records (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 40500 - 41000. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  26. Web site: Capitol 100 - 499, 78rpm numerical listing discography. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  27. Web site: Capitol 1000 - 1500, 78rpm numerical listing discography. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  28. Web site: Capitol 15000 series numerical listing discography. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  29. Web site: Gilliland, John. . Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #18 - All Tracks UNT Digital Library . Digital.library.unt.edu . 197X . 2021-01-26.
  30. Web site: OKEH 78rpm numerical listing discography: 41000 - 41499. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  31. Web site: MERCURY 2000-series 78rpm numerical listing discography. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  32. Web site: Capitol 1500 - 2000, 78rpm numerical listing discography. www.78discography.com. 7 April 2018.
  33. Web site: 78 Discography for Capitol Records - UK - CL 13000 series. Global Dog. Productions. www.globaldogproductions.info. 7 April 2018.
  34. Web site: Barbra Streisand Archives - Just for the Record (box set 1991). barbra-archives.com. 7 April 2018. 12 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160312194021/http://barbra-archives.com/record/albums/just_for_record_streisand.html. dead.
  35. Web site: 45 discography for Everest Records. Global Dog. Productions. www.globaldogproductions.info. 7 April 2018.
  36. http://www.78discography.com/Cosmo.htm Cosmo Records listings

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