On A Slow Boat To China
New York: Susan Publications, Inc., 1948. Presumed First Edition, First printing thus. Sheet Music. Format is 18 inches by 12 inches, folded in half to make four 9 inch by 12 inch panels. Small tear at bottom spine, Cover worn, creased and soiled. Decorative cover. Back panel is an advertisement from the Edwin H. Morris & Company, Inc. for several hit songs. The inside two panels contain the musical score and lyrics. The Melrose Music Corp. was the sole selling agent for this work. Frank Henry Loesser (June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows as well as shared the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the latter. He also wrote songs for over 60 Hollywood films and for Tin Pan Alley, many of which have become standards, and was nominated for five Academy Awards for best song, winning once for "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Loesser was the lyricist of over 700 songs. "On A Slow Boat to China" is a popular song by Frank Loesser, published in 1948. The song is a well-known pop standard, recorded by many artists, including a duet between Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby (for their album Fancy Meeting You Here (1958)), Ella Fitzgerald, Joni James, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Buffett, Fats Domino and Liza Minnelli. In the UK, the biggest hit version was recorded in 1959 by Emile Ford and the Checkmates peaking at #3 in the official singles chart. Ronnie Dove recorded the song for his 1966 album Ronnie Dove Sings the Hits for You. Bette Midler and Barry Manilow recorded the song for Midler's album Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook (2003). Miss Piggy performed the song with actor Roger Moore in an episode of The Muppet Show. Paul McCartney sang this song to honor Frank Loesser. Frank Loesser's daughter, Susan Loesser, authored a biography of her father, A Most Remarkable Fella (1993), in which she writes: "I'd like to get you on a slow boat to China" was a well-known phrase among poker players, referring to a person who lost steadily and handsomely. My father turned it into a romantic song, placing the title in the mainstream of catch-phrases." The idea is that a slow boat to China was the longest trip one could imagine. Loesser moved the phrase to a more romantic setting, yet it eventually entered general parlance to mean anything that takes an extremely long time. Condition: Good.
Keywords: Sheet Music, Lyrics, Sea Travel, Boat, China, Love Song, Romantic Song, Embrace, Briny, Moon, Weeping, Shore, Chorus, Interlude, Popular Music
[Book #82619]
Price: $50.00