"But Beautiful" is a popular

song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

with music written by

Jimmy Van Heusen James Van Heusen (born Edward Chester Babcock; January 26, 1913 – February 6, 1990) was an American composer. He wrote songs for films, television, and theater, and won an Emmy and four Academy Award for Best Original Song, Academy Awards for ...

, the lyrics by Johnny Burke. The song was published in

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

. One of five songs written by Burke and Van Heusen featured in the

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

movie '' Road to Rio'' (1947), it was introduced by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

and is also associated with his leading lady

Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the ''Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing C ...

. The song was a hit in 1948 for

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

(reaching the No.14 spot), Bing Crosby (#20),

Margaret Whiting Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American singer of popular music who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.Mapes, Jillian.Margaret Whiting, Iconic Standards Singer, Dies at 86. ''Billboard'', January 12, ...

(#21) and Art Lund (#25). The original key is G major and has the form A-B1-A-B2. Chick Corea recorded a piano solo version of it in the original key of G major, but it has been recorded in many different keys, including F major (later Sinatra), C major (Bill Evans and Stan Getz), D major (Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga), Billie Holiday (B-flat major) and Nat King Cole (E major). It is usually performed as a ballad.

Other versions

* Tex Beneke released a version in 1947 with Garry Stevens on vocal. *

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

on his first album with the jazz pianist

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

- '' The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album'' (1975) * Royce Campbell on his CD, ''Plays for Lovers'' *

The Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. With hits including "Searchin'", "Young Blood (The Coasters song), Young Blood", "Charlie Brown (The Coasters song), Charlie Bro ...

on their album ''One by One'' (1960). * Alma Cogan - '' With You in Mind'' (1962) *

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...

on his album '' The Very Thought of You'' (1958). *

Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home". Early life Colvin was born Shawna Lee Colvin in Vermillion, South Dakota, and ...

sang the song for

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

's concert for the benefit of the Walden Woods Project and The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods, which was released on the album '' Stormy Weather'' (1998). *

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

on his albums, ''Solo Piano - Standards'' (2000) and Trilogy 2. *

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...

released a version in 1957 on her '' Day by Day'' album. (Columbia Records CL-942) Recorded Sept. 17–20, 1956, conducted by Paul Weston. *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

- '' Triplicate'' (2017) *Jazz pianist

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias (born 19 March 1960) is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger. Biography Elias was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on 19 March 1960. She started studying piano when she was seven, and at age twelve she was transcribing ...

included the composition in her 2008 album '' Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans'' *In 1996, an album titled '' But Beautiful'' was released that featured live recordings by

and

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

made in 1974. The album includes a version of the Burke/Van Heusen standard. *

has recorded also the song on the albums ''Homecoming'' (1979) and ''Getting Sentimental'' (1978). *

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

on her album '' Soft and Beautiful'' (1969). * The Four Freshmen on their album ''Voices in Latin/The Freshman Year'' (2001). *

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

and

covered this song on their jazz album '' Cheek to Cheek'' (2014). *

and

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

performed a notable rendition at Umbria Jazz Festival in 1989 * Johnny Hartman recorded the song for his 1959 album, '' And I Thought About You''. *

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

on her album '' Lady in Satin'' (1958). *

Shirley Horn Shirley Valerie Horn (May 1, 1934 – October 20, 2005) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and oth ...

recorded the song for her 1989 Verve album, '' Close Enough For Love''. *

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

recorded the song for his album '' Open Sesame'' (1960). * Engelbert Humperdinck included the song on his album ''A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening'' (1985). * Linda Lawson on her album ''Introducing Linda Lawson'' (1960) *

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orvill ...

- '' In Full Swing'' * Carmen McRae on her album '' Torchy!'' (1956). * Mike Moreno recorded a version for his 2011 album ''First in Mind'' * Gregory Porter, jazz singer, recorded the song on his 2010 album ''Water''. *

Della Reese Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early; July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017) was an American singer, actress, television personality, author and ordained minister. As a singer, she recorded blues, gospel, jazz and pop. Several of her singl ...

recorded "But Beautiful" in the recording of her album ''Della Reese Live in Hollywood in 1966''. *German jazz and pop artist Marc Secara recorded the song on the CD ''You're Everything'' (2008)''You're Everything'' CD, Marc Secara and Berlin Jazz Orchestra arranged by Steve Gray, track #15
/ref> *

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

on her album '' The Movie Album'' (2003). * Nancy Wilson on her album '' But Beautiful'' (1969). * Lorez Alexandria led off her album '' More of the Great Lorez Alexandria'' (1964) with her rendition of the song. * Samara Joy included the tune as the last track on her eponymously named 2021 album. *

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard (magazi ...

on her album '' This Dream of You'' (2020) *Carmen McRae & Betty Carter "But Beautiful" (Live At The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco) (1987)

External links

"But Beautiful" at jazzstandards.com

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:But Beautiful 1940s jazz standards 1947 songs Aretha Franklin songs Barbra Streisand songs Bing Crosby songs The Coasters songs Doris Day songs Jazz compositions in G major Nat King Cole songs Real Book Song Songs with lyrics by Johnny Burke (lyricist) Songs with music by Jimmy Van Heusen