P.S. I Love You (Jenkins, Mercer)

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P. S. I Love You (m. Gordon Jenkins, w. Johnny Mercer) – Rudy Vallée’s popular recording, released in December 1934, introduced the song. A recording by the Hilltoppers peaked at #4 in June 1953 (charting for 21 weeks). Others to record the song include Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé, Rosemary Clooney, Kay Starr, the Starlets (#106), and Diana Krall. Film soundtrack recordings include Bette Midler: For the Boys (1991), and Nellie McKay: P.S. I Love You (2007).

Helpful links:

Rudy Vallée and his Connecticut Yankees, vocal: Rudy Vallée — recorded 9 September 1934 (Victor matrix BS-84243), NYC; issued on the 78 rpm single Victor 24723 as the B-side of “Strange”

Eddie Stone and his Orchestra, vocal: Eddie Stone — recorded 9 October 1934 in NYC; issued on Bluebird 5678, b/w “If I Had a Million Dollars” (m. Matty Malneck, w. Johnny Mercer)

Geraldo and his Sweet Music, vocal: Cyril Grantham — recorded on 26 October 1934, issued on Columbia CB-802, c/w “Just A-Wearyin’ For You” (Geraldo was a stage name for Gerald Bright)

Lew Stone and his Band — recorded in 1934, issued on Decca (UK) F.5241, b/w “Two Cigarettes in the Dark” (m. Lew Pollack, w. Paul Francis Webster)

The Four Vagabonds, with lead vocal by John Jordan — recorded on 26 March 1947; issued on Apollo 1057, c/w “The Freckle Song”

The Four Vagabonds profiles:

(below) 1953 reissue on Lloyds 45-102; much better audio quality than the one above

Sonny Stitt Quartet — recorded in NYC on 1 February 1951; issued on the 78 rpm 10-inch shellac single Prestige 757, c/w “Liza” — also found on various Sonny Stitt albums, including the 1957 LP Kaleidoscope, Prestige PRLP 7077

personnel:
Sonny Stitt – baritone sax
Charlie Bateman – piano
Gene Wright – bass
Teddy Stewart – drums

Billie Holliday and her Orchestra — recorded on 3 September 1954 at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles (Verve) — Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison (tp) Willie Smith (as) Bobby Tucker (p) Barney Kessel (g) Red Callender (b) Chico Hamilton (d) Billie Holiday (v)

Frank Sinatra with the Hollywood String Quartet — recorded on 8 March 1956 at the Capitol Tower, Hollywood — arranger, conductor: Nelson Riddle

Lee Morgan / Hank Mobley Quintet — recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ on 5 November 1956; issued on Introducing Lee Morgan, Savoy Records MG 12091 (Mono). “P.S. I Love You” was recorded as part of a “ballad medley” during the session, consisting of the following titles: “Easy Living” / “P.S. I Love You” / “Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise” / “That’s All” — the order of the titles in the medley, as provided by JazzDisco.org, differs from the order of the four corresponding tracks on the album.

Lee Morgan (trumpet)
Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone)
Hank Jones (piano)
Doug Watkins (bass)
Art Taylor (drums)

Mel Tormé — probably from the 1965 LP That’s All, Columbia CS 9118 (Stereo), CL 2318 (Mono)

The Hilltoppers, featuring Jimmy Sacca — recorded in January 1953; issued on Dot 45-15085 as the B-side of “I’d Rather Die Young”

Larry Clinton and his Orchestra, vocal by Anne Lloyd — issued on 1 September 1953 as the B-side of “Vaya Con Dios,” Bell 1004

Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra — pre-recorded on 20 September 1953 at Hollywood, California for the Bing Crosby Show (radio) presented by General Electric, for broadcast on 18 October 1953

Bob Manning with orchestra directed by Monty Kelly — from the 1955 LP Lonely Spell (Capitol)

The Starlets — issued in April 1960 on Astro Records AS202-1 / AS203-2, b/w “Where is My Love Tonight?” (Barbara Allbut)

Rosemary Clooney — from the LP Sings the Lyrics of Johnny Mercer, Concord Jazz CJ-333, released in August 1987 — vocal: Rosemary Clooney, guitar: Ed Bickert

album links: