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"Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1935 film Top Hat, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire.
The song title refers to the formal wear required on a party invitation: top hat, white tie, and a tailcoat. Popular recordings in 1935 were by Fred Astaire and by Ray Noble and his Orchestra (vocal by Al Bowlly and The Freshmen).[1]
Other notable recordings
- The Boswell Sisters recorded the song on October 8, 1935 for Decca Records.[2]
- Carroll Gibbons with the Savoy Orpheans (1935) [3]
- Fred Astaire included the song in the album The Astaire Story (1952)[4]
- Mel Tormé included the song in the album Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire (1956)[5]
- Louis Armstrong - for his album Louis Under the Stars (1958)[6]
- Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook (1958)[7]
- Fred Astaire recorded the song again in 1975 and it can be found on the album The Complete London Sessions.[8]
- Tony Bennett - Steppin' Out (1993)[9]
- Cherry Poppin' Daddies – The Boop-A-Doo (2016)[10]
Other appearances
- The popular Norwegian meteorologist Kristian Trægde sang the song (and step-danced to it) on the TV show Skjemtegauken, in 1968.[11]
- In 1977 ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev sang the song on The Muppet Show, complete with tap dancing.[12]
- In another episode of, "The Muppet Show" Gonzo tap danced to the song as well – except in a vat of oatmeal.
- In Episode 1 of the ninth season of M*A*S*H, "The Best of Enemies", the character Hawykeye is singing "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails" in the first scene.
- In a 1981 SCTV television skit, "Al's Sanitone Drycleaning", Eugene Levy sings the song and tap dances as he promotes the fictional company in a mock commercial.[13]
- In a 1982 episode of Three's Company, Jack dances to the song while drunk at a party, and knocks things over as he does so.
- The song is performed in 1989's Secret Policeman's Third Ball by comedian/satirist Willie Rushton, accompanied by Richard Vranch on piano, with Rushton dressing according to the lyrics of the song, noting that the lyrics neglect to mention the donning of trousers.
- In the 1995 film Batman Forever, the character Edward Nygma sings a brief parody of "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails" using the lyrics "I'm, sucking up your I.Q., vacuuming your cortex, feeding off your brain!"[14]
- Jim Carrey also parodied the song at the 69th Academy Awards when referring to Dirt Devil vacuum commercials featuring Fred Astaire footage: "I'm, sucking up the lint balls, getting in the corners, dump it out the back!"
- The Fred Astaire version of the song makes an appearance in the 2000 film Billy Elliot.[15]
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 598. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ "The Boswell Sisters Discography". guymcafee.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ "Carroll Gibbons - Top Hat, White Tie and Tails". YouTube.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ NRK 1: Med lisens til å glede, July 24, 2010.
- ^ McKim, D. W.; Brian Henson. "Muppet Central Guides - The Muppet Show: Rudolf Nureyev". Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- ^ SCTV - Al Peck's Sanitone Drycleaning, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-06-14
- ^ Carey, Jim. "Batman Forever". Youtube. Fandango/Google. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
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