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Cheek to Cheek
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Wikipedia article
"'Cheek to Cheek'" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 193435,[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.scdb.200033879/default.html Irving Berlin Collection description] from the Library of Congress's online Performing Arts Encyclopedia; retrieved 2012-03-07. specifically for the star of his new musical, Fred Astaire. The movie was 'Top Hat', co-starring Ginger Rogers.[http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG03/Jukebox/popups/cheek.html "Cheek to Cheek" by Fred Astaire, 1935] ; from the University of Virginia's American Studies website, subsection "[http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG03/Jukebox/front.html Manufacturing Memory] : 1935-1939"; retrieved 2012-03-07. In the movie, Astaire sings the song to Rogers as they dance. The song was nominated for the Best Song Oscar for 1936, which it lost to "Lullaby of Broadway".[http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1936 The 8th Academy Awards (1936) Nominees and Winners], from the website of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science (www.oscar.org); retrieved 2012-03-07. The song spent five weeks at #1 on Your Hit Parade and was named the #1 song of 1935. Astaire's 1935 recording with the Leo Reisman Orchestra was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000.[http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame#c Grammy Hall of Fame page] from www.grammy.org; retrieved 2012-04-07. In 2004, Astaire's version finished at No. 15 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
Release
On June 26, 1935, Fred and Leo Reisman, along with his Orchestra, got to work at ARC (parent company of Brunswick Records at the time) Studios in New York City. They recorded two Irving Berlin compositions, "Cheek To Cheek" and "No Strings (I'm Fancy Free)". The next day, with Johnny Greene's Orchestra, "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" were completed. Both singles were released in August, and then at the end of the month, "Top Hat" premiered. The timing must have been perfect, because "Cheek to Cheek" headed straight to #1, where it stayed for eleven weeks, and finished the #1 hit of 1935. Fred topped his career high of ten weeks for "Night And Day".
Recorded versions
According to the database of secondhandsongs.com, "Cheek to Cheek" has been recorded by 438 different artists as of July 2021.
In popular culture
*A sequence from 'Top Hat' with Fred Astaire singing the song while dancing is shown on an outdoor moviescreen in the Oscar-winning 1996 film 'The English Patient'.
*"Heaven on the 7th Floor," a 1977 hit song by Paul Nicholas, quotes the opening line of "Cheek to Cheek" in its backing vocals.
*It was featured prominently in the 1999 film 'The Green Mile'.
*The song was heard in the 2017 animated film 'The Boss Baby'.
*A rendition was also heard at the work Christmas party in the 2020 film 'Godmothered'.
*The song was used as a parody called 'Seven Goldfish' for 'Sesame Street'.
*An instrumental version is used as background music in a dance scene at a party at Mrs Pumfreys house in season 1, episode 2 of All Creatures Great and Small.
*The song was used as a parody in an episode of 'Arthur (TV Series)' for its 6th Season.
*The song is played at the Summer Hunt Ball in a first series episode of 'To The Manor Born' with Audrey and DeVere dancing to it on Audrey's terrace. It is reprised in the final episode of the third series as the two dance together again at the manor house during Audrey's homecoming party.
*This song was also sung and danced to in a later episode of 'Taxi''Taxi', season five, episode 10, 'Elaine and the Monk', written by James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, and directed by Danny DeVito. It was produced by Brooks, Daniels, Cary Matsumura, Ken Estin, Sam Simon, Richard Sakai and Ed Weinberger for John-Charles-Walters Productions and Paramount Television, then broadcast first on ABC, Thursday, the second of December, 1982.
References
Category:1935 songs
Category:1935 singles
Category:Al Jolson songs
Category:Billie Holiday songs
Category:Bing Crosby songs
Category:Doris Day songs
Category:Ella Fitzgerald songs
Category:Eva Cassidy songs
Category:Frank Sinatra songs
Category:Fred Astaire songs
Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
Category:Lady Gaga songs
Category:Louis Armstrong songs
Category:Peggy Lee songs
Category:Rod Stewart songs
Category:Sammy Davis Jr. songs
Category:Songs about dancing
Category:Songs written for films
Category:Songs written by Irving Berlin
Category:Tony Bennett songs
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