We pick up the word‑association thread and wander from Duke Ellington’s “Lost in Meditation” to the 1942/43 Frank Loesser–Jimmy McHugh charmer Let’s Get Lost.
The tune debuted on screen in Happy Go Lucky (Paramount, 1943), introduced by Mary Martin. Mary didn’t cut a commercial record, but a few bands managed to sneak versions onto wax just in time before the recording ban hit in 1942 for release in 1943:
Vaughn Leads the Way
Vaughn Monroe was first out of the gate, and his Victor release became the big 1943 hit:
A relaxed, conversational reading from Vaughn and the Four Lee Sisters — easygoing and elegant.
Kyser Keeps It Cozy
Kay Kyser followed with a popular version on Columbia, with Harry Babbitt joined by Julie Conway, Trudy Erwin, Jack Martin, and Max Williams:
The Kyser band was making some truly lovely sides in the early ’40s, leaving the ’30s novelty gimmicks behind.
Teddy & Peggy's Underrated Gem
The underrated Teddy Powell band turned in a Bluebird version featuring a lovely vocal by the equally underrated canary Peggy Mann:
This was the first version I ever heard — and it still might be my favorite!
Hallett Hits It
Another canary, Kay Marie Baird, is featured with Mal Hallett's orchestra on the Hit label:
The records from the Hit label can be hit or miss, but the ones featuring an actual name bandleader, such as Mr. Hallett, tend to be pretty good. I think Kay Marie is also good, but all I really now about her is that she was the sister of the more prominent Eugenie Baird.
Jimmy & Bob Step Up
Jimmy Dorsey’s Decca take features Bob Eberly in prime form:
When you hear Bob on a side like this, it’s easy to understand why young Frank Sinatra kept an eye on the competition.
Frankie on the Airwaves
By the time “Let’s Get Lost” hit big in 1943, Frank had left Tommy Dorsey and didn’t get a commercial recording — but he did sing it on Your Hit Parade:
No wonder Olive Oyl swooned when Frankie sang it in the 1945 Paramount Cartoon Shape Ahoy!
Dinah Drops By
Staying in radio land, here’s Dinah Shore from the Eddie Cantor show:
Pure Dinah — warm, clear, and effortless. You can understand why she was on her way to major stardom.
Shep & Meredith's Encore
We had recently heard an aircheck of Meredith Blake singing Let's Get Lost with Shep Fields' all-reed band. Let's hear it again:
Still sounds great!
Adelaide Across the Atlantic
We do have one more 1943 studio version: Adelaide Hall on British Decca:
Another lovely, poised reading.
Chet Chimes In
After 1943, the tune went quiet for a while — one of those songs that had its moment and then drifted into the fog. But in 1955, Chet Baker brought it back on Prestige:
To be honest, I’ve never been fully sold on Chet’s vocal style, but he undeniably helped turn the tune into a modern standard. I'd say he's the artist most associated with the song.
Johnny's Jaunty Detour
And because I always like to slip in a snappy instrumental, here’s pianist Johnny Coates, Jr. from his 1960 Savoy album Portrait:
Snappy indeed — a bright little spotlight on the tune’s bones.
With guides like these, Let’s Get Lost never really got lost at all.
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