I Didn't Know What Time It Was Explained

I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Type:	song
Artist:	Richard Kollmar
Genre:	Pop
Composer:	Richard Rodgers
Lyricist:	Lorenz Hart

"I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is a popular song composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the 1939 musical Too Many Girls. Introduced by Richard Kollmar and Marcy Westcott in the stage musical,^[1] early hit versions were recorded by Benny Goodman (vocal by Louise Tobin) and by Jimmy Dorsey (vocal by Bob Eberly).^[2]
It was then performed by Trudy Erwin (dubbing for Lucille Ball) and Richard Carlson in the 1940 film adaptation produced by RKO.^[3] The song was later interpolated into the score of the 1957 film Pal Joey, sung by Frank Sinatra, and has become a jazz standard.

Recordings

• Artie Shaw - Shadows / I Didn't Know What Time It Was (1939)
• Charlie Parker – Charlie Parker with Strings (1949)
• Peggy Lee – Black Coffee (1953)
• Louis Jordan (1954)
• Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook (1956)
• Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan – Gerry Mulligan Meets Stan Getz (1957)
• Billie Holiday – Songs for Distingué Lovers (1957)
• Bobby Darin - Love Swings (1958)
• Benny Golson with Curtis Fuller – Groovin' with Golson (1959)
• Barry Harris – Listen to Barry Harris (1961)
• Art Blakey with Wayne Shorter – Ugetsu (1963)^[4]
• Timi Yuro - The Amazing Timi Yuro (1964)
• The Crampton Sisters - their 1964 revival for the DCP label was a Hot 100 entry, peaking at #92.^[5]
• McCoy Tyner with Bobby Hutcherson – Time for Tyner (1968)
• Ray Charles - #74 in Canada, March 17, 1969^[6]
• Betty Carter – Betty Carter at the Village Vanguard (1970)
• David "Fathead" Newman – Captain Buckles (1971)
• Shirley Horn – All of Me (1987)
• Cassandra Wilson – Blue Skies (1988)
• Chick Corea – Expressions (1994)
• Brad Mehldau – The Art of the Trio Vol. 1 (1997)
• Richard Wyands Trio - Lady of the Lavender Mist (1998)
• Cécile McLorin Salvant – WomanChild (2013)
• Sue Raney - Late in Life (2015)
• Barbra Streisand – The Music...The Mem'ries...The Magic! (2017)

Apart from those listed, there are hundreds more versions of the song.^[7]

See also

• List of 1930s jazz standards

Notes and References

1. Web site: Internet Broadway Database . ibdb.com . December 29, 2020.
2. Book: Whitburn . Joel . Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 . 1986 . Record Research Inc. . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin . 0-89820-083-0 . 513.
3. Web site: Internet Movie Database . imdb.com . December 29, 2020.
4. Book: Gioia . Ted . The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire . 2012 . Oxford University Press . New York City . 978-0-19-993739-4 . 162–163.
5. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 199.
6. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - March 17, 1969.
7. Web site: secondhandsongs.com . secondhandsongs.com . December 29, 2020.