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How Deep Is the Ocean?
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Wikipedia article
"'How Deep Is the Ocean?'" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin in 1932. The song was developed from an earlier Berlin song "To My Mammy" which was sung by Al Jolson in his film 'Mammy' (1930). In the earlier song, the lyrics include the questions "How deep is the ocean? / How high is the sky?" and this was the genesis of "How Deep Is the Ocean?".
Background
The song was written at a low point in Berlin's professional and personal life, and is among the select few of his numbers that were introduced on the radio rather than on stage or film. The song is a series of questions posed one after another, the only exception being the second line, "I'll tell you no lie." This song, together with "Say It Isn't So", were huge hits in 1932 and brought Berlin back to the top again.
Early recordings
Popular versions of "How Deep Is the Ocean?" in 1932 were by Guy Lombardo (vocal by Carmen Lombardo), Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (with vocals by Jack Fulton), Rudy Valle and Ethel Merman. Bing Crosby was another who recorded the song for Brunswick on October 14, 1932. In the 1940s Alfredo Antonini and his orchestra collaborated with Victoria Cordova and John Serry Sr. to record the song for Muzak.[https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=10072&recCount=25&recPointer=7&bibId=12506525 Victoria Cordova & The Alfredo Antonini Orchestra performing "How Deep Is the Ocean' for Muzak (circa 1949)] as archived at the Library of Congress Online Catalog at catalog.loc.gov]
Dutch composer Pierre Courbois wrote a song based on the chords of "How Deep Is The Ocean" called "OPAQUE" and recorded it on CD.
Other recordings
* Paul Whiteman 1932
* Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee 1941
* Coleman Hawkins 1943
* Nat King Cole 1946
* Charlie Parker 1947
* Billie Holiday 'Recital by Billie Holiday' (1954)
* John Coltrane, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Hank Mobley 'Tenor Conclave' (1956)
*Kay Starr - Rockin' with Kay (1958)
* Frank Sinatra - 'Nice 'n' Easy' (1960)
* Bill Evans Trio - 'Explorations' (1961)
* Brenda Lee - 'Sincerely, Brenda Lee' (1962)
* Miles Davis
* Stan Getz
* Oscar Peterson - 'A Portrait Of Frank Sinatra' (1973)
* Tom Jones - 'Do You Take This Man (1979)
* Art Blakey with Wynton Marsalis 'Straight Ahead' (1981)
* Chet Baker and Paul Bley 'Diane' (1985)
* Liza Minnelli - 'Liza Minnelli At Carnegie Hall' (1987)
* Allan Holdsworth - None Too Soon (1996)
* Diana Krall - 'Love Scenes' (1997), 'This Dream of You' (2020)
* Roy Haynes with Kenny Barron 'Love Letters' (2002)
* Fred Hersch 'Night and the Music' (2006)
* Al Hirt 'Trumpet and Strings' with arrangements by Marty Paich. The album peaked at No. 96 on the 'Billboard' 200 chart.[http://www.allmusic.com/album/trumpet-and-strings-mw0000910613 Al Hirt, 'Trumpet and Strings'] Retrieved April 8, 2013.
* Artie Shaw
* Eric Clapton - 'Clapton' (2010)
* Barbra Streisand (with Jason Gould) - 'Partners' (2014)
*Bob Dylan - 'Triplicate' (2017)
*Rufus Wainwright - 'Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live' (2021)
See also
*List of 1930s jazz standards
References
Category:Songs about oceans and seas
Category:1932 songs
Category:1932 singles
Category:1930s jazz standards
Category:Songs written by Irving Berlin
Category:Ethel Merman songs
Category:Al Hirt songs
Category:Guy Lombardo songs
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