Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

First recorded by Gertrude Niesen (1933).
Hit versions by Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra (US #1 1934), Artie Shaw & the Gramercy Five (US #24 1941), The Platters (US#1/R&B #3/UK #1/AUS #1/NETH #4 1958), Blue Haze (US #27/NETH #4 1973), Bryan Ferry (UK #17 1974).
Also recorded by Jerry Garcia (1990).

From the wiki: “‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’ is a show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for their 1933 musical Roberta. It was sung in the original show by Tamara Drasin and was first recorded by Gertrude Niesen on October 13, 1933. It was performed by Irene Dunne for the 1935 film adaptation, co-starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger.

“The song has been covered by numerous artists, beginning with Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra with Bob Lawrence on vocal, which went to the top of the charts in 193, and Artie Shaw’s Gramercy Five in 1941. The most famous version was recorded in 1958 by The Platters, which became a #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 — it reached #3 on the R&B charts – and topped both the UK and Australians singles charts.

“British songwriting team, Johnny Arthey and Phil Swern, put together a neo-doo wop band called Blue Haze that covered ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’ in 1972. The resulting single, released in 1973 in the midst of the ‘oldies’ revival, had no chart impact in the UK, their homeland, but peaked in the U.S. at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a Top-5 hit in the Netherlands.

“British rocker Bryan Ferry released a quavering version of the song in 1974 on the album Another Time, Another Place. His single peaked at #17 on the UK Singles chart. Jerry Garcia, who was named after Jerome Kern, released a music video in the early 1990s covering the song in a blues arrangement, with actress Ashley Judd sitting in the background listening.”

Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1934):

Artie Shaw & the Gramercy Five, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1941):

The Platters, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1958):

Blue Haze, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1972):

Bryan Ferry, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1974):

Jerry Garcia, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1990):

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