A FINE ROMANCE
From the film "Swing Time" (1936)
(Music: Jerome Kern / Lyrics: Dorothy Fields)
Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire (Film Soundtrack) - 1936
Rudy Valleé & His Connecticut Yankees - 1936
Fred Astaire ( with Johnny Green & His Orch.) - 1936
Billie Holiday & Her Orch. - 1936
Henry King & His Orch. (vocal: Joe Sudy) - 1936
Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (vocal: Carmen Lombardo) - 1936
Bing Crosby & Dixie Lee (with Victor Young's Orch.) - 1936
The Connecticut Collegians - 1936
Jay Wilbur & His Band (vocal: Sam Costa) - 1936
Henry Hall & The BBC Dance Orch. (vocal: Dan Donovan) - 1936
Roy Fox & His Orch. (vocal: Denny Dennis) - 1936
Ambrose & His Orch. (vocal: Sam Browne) - 1936
Johnny Mercer & Martha Tilton - 1947
Peggy Lee (Radio Transcript) - 1948
Sammy Davis Jr. & Carmen McRae - 1955
Joe Williams with Count Basie & His Orch. - 1956
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - 1957
Mel Tormé - 1958
Diahann Carroll - 1958
Jennie Smith - 1959
Margaret Whiting - 1960
Eydie Gorme & Steve Lawrence - 1961
Frank Sinatra - 1961
Ella Fitzgerald - 1963
Lena Horne - 1966
Mark Murphy - 1977
Nancy Harrow - 1979
Judi Dench - 1981
Susannah McCorkle - 1986
Mary Coughlan - 1993
Kiri Ti Kanawa - 1993
Jaye P. Morgan & Kaye Ballard - 1996
Ann Hampton Calloway - 1996
Rebecca Kilgore - 2010
Karen Mok - 2013
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDINGS:
Geraldo & His Orch. - 1936
Les Brown & His Orch. - 1950
Marian McPartland - 1955
Dave Brubeck Quartet- 1955
Benny Goodman Sextet - 1956
Ray Martin & His Piccadilly Strings - 1956
Lawrence Welk & His Orch. - 1957
Malcolm Lockyer Quartet - 1957
Ian Stewart - 1957
Ted Heath & His Music - 1959
Tony Kinsman & His Orch. - 1959
Paul Weston & His Orch. - 1960
Oscar Peterson - 1961
Peter Duchin, His Piano & Orch. - 1963
Yehudi Menuhin & Stephane Grapelli - 1973
Also recorded by:
Victor Feldman; Dorothy Fields; Emma Francis; Erroll Garner; Greta Keller;
Beverly Kenney; Julius LaRosa; Barbara Lea; Christina Lind; Cathy Winter;
Wingy Manone & His Orch.; Dave McKenna; Sylvia McNair & André Previn;
The Cliff Adams Singers; Ray Anthony Orch.; Shelly Burns; Barbara Carroll;
Van Craven; Buddy DeFranco; Joe Derise; Michael Feinstein; Kenny Burrell;
Bobby Rydell; Skinnerhead; Stacey Kent ......... and many others.
As performed by GINGER ROGERS and
FRED ASTAIRE in the 1936 film "Swing Time":
GINGER ROGERS:
A fine romance, with no kisses
A fine romance, my friend, this is
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes
A fine romance, you won't nestle
A fine romance, you won't wrestle
I've never mussed a crease in your blue serge pants
I never had the chance
This is a fine romance
A fine romance, my good fellow
You take romance, I'll take jello
You're calmer than the seals in the Arctic Ocean
At least they flap their fins to express emotion
A fine romance, with no quarrels
With no insults, and all morals
You're just as hard to land as the Ile de France
I never get the chance
This is a fine romance
FRED ASTAIRE:
A fine romance, with no kisses
A fine romance, my friend, this is
True love should have the thrills that a healthy crime has
We don't have half the thrills that "The March of Time" has
A fine romance, with no clinches
A fine romance, with no pinches
You never give the orchids I send a glance
No, you like cactus plants
This is a fine romance
********************
As recorded by FRED ASTAIRE
with Johnny Green & His Orchestra:
A fine romance, with no kisses
A fine romance, my friend, this is
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes
A fine romance, you won't nestle
A fine romance, you won't wrestle
You're just as hard to land as the Ile de France
I haven't got a chance
This is a fine romance
(Instrumental Break)
A fine romance, my good woman
My strong aged-in-the-wood woman
You're calmer than the seals in the Arctic Ocean
As least they flap their fins to express emotion
A fine romance with no clinches
A fine romance, with no pinches
You never give the orchids I send a glance
No, you like cactus plants
This is a fine romance
Oh boy, what a romance! Hmm!
********************
As recorded by ELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS ARMSTRONG:
ELLA:
A fine romance, with no kisses
A fine romance, my friend, this is
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes
A fine romance, you won't nestle
A fine romance, you won't wrestle
I might as well play bridge with my old maid Aunts
I haven't got a chance
This is a fine romance
LOUIS:
Yes, a fine romance, with no kisses
A fine romance, my friend, this is
We two should be like clams in a dish of chowder
But we just fizz like parts of a Seidlitz powder
Yes, a fine romance with no clinches
A fine romance, with no pinches
You're just as hard to land as the Ile de France
I haven't got a chance
This is a fine romance
ELLA:
A fine romance, my good fellow
You take romance and I'll take jello
You're calmer than the seals in the Arctic Ocean
At least they flap their fins to express emotion
A fine romance with no quarrels
With no insults and all morals
I've never mussed a crease in your blue serge pants
I never get the chance
This is a fine romance
LOUIS:
Yes, a fine romance, my dear Duchess
Two old fogies who need crutches
True love should have the thrills that a healthy crime has
Oh, we don't have the thrills that "The March of Time" has
Bah-dab-ooh-day
A fine romance, my good woman
My strong aged-in-the-wood woman
You never give the orchids I send a glance
No, you like cactus plants, hah-hah
This is a fine romance
A fine romance, my dear Duchess
Two old fogies who need crutches
ELLA:
True love should have the thrills that a healthy crime has
You know, Louis, we don't have half the thrills that "The March of Time" has
LOUIS:
You're tellin' me, a fine romance, my very good woman
My strong aged-in-the-wood woman
You never give the orchids I send a glance, yeah
ELLA: No, I prefer cactus plants
BOTH: This is a fine romance
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - January 2016)
