If you've seen the 1949 movie "It Happens Every Spring" or watched the trailer, you must have notice that it had a catchy title song, which was sung over the opening credits!
Well, said song was placed with all of the big record labels at the time, and they had some of their top artists record it. So, let's give 'em a listen!
Columbia Records had Frank Sinatra record it, backed by his usual collaborator Axel Stordahl:
Decca released this one by Dick Haymes with Gordon Jenkins:
And Capitol had Margaret Whiting with backing from Frank DeVol:
Those are three very talented singers and they all get outstanding arrangements. Stordahl, Jenkins and DeVol, all big band veterans, really knew what they were doing!
Next, we have former Benny Goodman vocalist Art Lund on the newish MGM Records label with Johnny Thompson (whom I don't know other than he backed Art Lund on several MGM records):
I like the vocal backing by The Crew Chiefs, who had formed with Glenn Miller's Army Air Force band, where they often backed Johnny Desmond!
RCA Victor issued the only big band version, by Freddy Martin and his Orchestra with a vocal from young Merv Griffin:
1949 was the same year that Merv recorded "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" with Freddy's band. I remember Merv joking about that being his only hit record!
In addition to those regular commercial releases, we also have a couple of 1949 versions from alternate sources!
The first is Kay Starr, who recorded it on a transcription disc:
Then we have what I've always thought of as the definitive version. It's by Spike Jones, who included it as the serious song on the June 25, 1949 broadcast of his show, sung by Dick Baldwin:
I knew the song from that LP release, which I listened to over and over before I had ever seen the movie!
OK, now I really have spring fever!
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