IF I COULD BE WITH YOU (ONE HOUR TONIGHT)
(Lyrics: Henry Creamer / Music: James P. Johnson)
McKinney's Cotton Pickers (vocal: George Thomas) - 1930
Louis Armstrong - 1930
Mound City Blue Blowers - 1930
Gene Austin - 1930
Seger Ellis - 1930
Tom Gerun & His Orch. (vocal: Pinky Tomlin) - 1930
Jack Teagarden & His Orch. - 1930
Hal Swain & His Band (vocal: Tom barratt) - 1930
Jack Albin Hotel Penn. Music (vocal: Bill Coty) - 1930
Wingy Manone & His Orch. (vocal: Kay Starr) - 1944
Eddy Duchin & His Orch. (Instr.) - 1945
Peggy Lee - 1947
Helen Humes - 1949
Billy Daniels - 1951
Woody Herman & Erroll Garner - 1954
Bing Crosby - 1954
The Fontane Sisters - 1955
Sunny Gale - 1955
Big Maybelle - 1956
Frank Sinatra (feat. in the film "The Joker Is Wild") - 1957
Julie London - 1957
Jimmy Rushing with Humphrey Lyttleton & His Band - 1957
Amos Milburn - 1957
Carmen McRae - 1959
Warren Barker Orch. - 1959
Rose Murphy - 1962
Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen - 1962
Nancy Harrow - 1986
Marty Grosz & The Hot Winds - 2010
Also recorded by:
Doris Day; Count Basie; Fats Waller; Rusty Draper; Stan Kenton; Tony Bennett;
Les Elgart; Ruth Etting; Nancy King; Larry Adler; Benny Goodman; Ruby Braff;
Bechet-Spanier Big 4; Earl Hines; Bobby Hackett; Terry Blaine; Eddie Condon;
Blue Room Boys; Ella Fitzgerald; Buffalo Bills; Nat King Cole; Bill Henderson;
....... and many others.
As recorded by McKINNEY'S COTTON PICKERS, 31st January 1930:
I'm so blue, I don't know what to do
All night long I seem to say to you
I did wrong when I let you go away
Now I dream about you night and day
I'd be happy if I had you by my side
I'd be happy if I knew you were my bride
If I could be with you one hour tonight
And free to do the things I might
I want you to know that you couldn't go
Until I showed you that I loved you so
If I could be with you, I'd love you strong
If I could be with you, I'd love you all night long
I'm telling you true, you'd be anything but blue
If I could be with you, for just one hour
If I could be with you
Be with you one hour tonight
And free to do the things I might
I want you to know that you couldn't go
Bah-bee-dee-bah-dee-dee-dit
If I could be with you, I'd love you strong
If I could be with you, I'd love you all night long
I'm telling you true, you'd be anything but blue
If I could be with you, just for one hour
If I could be with you
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - May 2012)
********************
As recorded by JACK TEAGARDEN:
I'm so blue, I don't know what to do
All day through, I seem to say to you
I did wrong when I let you go away
'Cause now I dream about you night and day
I'm so unhappy and dissatisfied
I'll be happy if I had you by my side
If I could be with you one li'l hour tonight
And free to do all those little things I might
I want you to know you wouldn't go
Until I told you that I loved you so
If I could be with you I'd love you long
If I could be with you I'd love you strong
And I'm telling you for true, you'd be anything but blue
If I could be with you
(Contributed by Bill Huntley - February 2005)
********************
As performed by RUTH ETTING and JAY VELIE
in the 1930 short film "One Good Turn":
RUTH:
I'm so blue, I don't know what to do
All day through, I'm pining jut for you
I did wrong when I let you go away
And now I dream about you night and day
I'm unhappy and dissatisfied
But I'd be happy if I had you by my side
If I could be with you I'd love you strong
If I could be with you I'd love you long
I want you to know that I wouldn't go
Until I told you, honey, that I love you so
JAY:
If I was free to do the things with you
If I could do the things I know I'd do
I'm telling you true, I'd be anything but blue
If I could be with you
RUTH:
If I could be with you I'd love you strong
If I could be with you I'd love you long
I want you to know that I wouldn't go
Until I told you, honey, that I love you so
If I could be with you one hour tonight
If I was free to do the things I might
I'm telling you, I'd be anything but blue
If I could be with you, for just one hour
If I could be with you
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - August 2017)
