Songs of Spring

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Chronological list (blue links are for Songbook feature pages or posts):

1884 — The Fountain in the Park (Ed Haley) — “While strolling through the park one day / In the merry merry month of May”

1920 — April Showers Bring May Flowers* (m. Jack Shilkret, Nathaniel Shilkret, w. Leo Wood) — copyright: 14 April 1920, 8 June 1920

1921 — April Showers (m. Louis Silvers, w. B. G. “Buddy” DeSylva)

1924 — Maytime (m. Vincent Rose, Buddy De Sylva) — 1924 recordings by Bennie Kreuger’s Orchestra, Fred Waring & his Pennsylvanians, Vincent Lopez And his Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra, Lanin’s Arcadians, Sam Lanin’s Dance Orchestra, Paul Specht And his Hotel Alamac Orchestra, The Varsity Eight, Bailey’s Lucky Seven, and vocalist Lewis James

1924 — Tell Her in the Springtime (Irving Berlin) — introduced by Grace Moore in the 1924 Music Box Revue, where it was danced by Ula Sharon

1929 — Like a Breath of Springtime (m. Joe Burke, w. Al Dubin) — copyrighted on 20 May 1929 under the title “Like a Breath of Spring-Time,” and used in the 1929 romance film Hearts in Exile, which is considered a lost film — 1929 recordings include those by Roy Ingraham and his Orchestra, Harold “Scrappy” Lambert, Henry Busse and his Orchestra (vocal: Burt Lorin), Sam Lanin Orchestra (vocal: Marvin Young), Pete Woolery, and Adrian Schubert and his Salon Orchestra (vocal: Scrappy Lambert). — lyric (chorus only): International Lyrics Playground

1930 — It Seems to be Spring (m. Richard A. Whiting, w. George Marion, Jr.) — recording by The Sunshine Boys (Joe Mooney and Dan Mooney) on 12 September 1930, according to the Discography of American Historical Recordings; issued on the 78 rpm single (US) Columbia 2303-D, and on (UK) Columbia DB 345, c/w “I Like a Little Girl Like That” in each case — Like “June in January,” the song is about a love interest that seems to turn January into a warmer month.

1932 — April in Paris (m. Vernon Duke, w. E. Y. Harburg) — composed in 1932 for the Broadway musical Walk A Little Faster

1933 — One Morning in May (m. Hoagy Carmichael, w. Mitchell Parish)

1933 — When You’ve Got a Little Springtime in Your Heart (Harry Woods) — copyrighted on 28 December 1933; introduced by Jessie Matthews in the 1934 musical film Evergreen

Bertini and The Tower Blackpool Dance Band, vocal: Maurice Elwin — recorded in London on 22 May 1934 (matrix JW 1891-2); issued on the single (UK) Eclipse 750, b/w “Hot Punch” — “Bertini” was the stage name of the violin-playing, British dance band leader Bertram Harry Gutsell.

audio file from the British Dance Band sound files at Mike Thomas’ website (mgthomas.co.uk):

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1935 — Paris in the Spring (m. Harry Revel, w. Mack Gordon)

1935 — March Winds and April Showers (Walter G. Samuels, Leonard Whitcup, Teddy Powell)

1935 — When April Comes Again (w.m. Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes, Jerry Livingston)** — copyright, 15 October 1935 (1), (2) — The song was included in the 1936 Broadway show “Hollywood Revels of 1936.”

1935 — Santa Claus Came in the Spring (Johnny Mercer)***

1936 — I Got the Spring Fever Blues (Sue Werner, Kay Werner, Dave Bauer) — Chick Webb and his Orchestra, vocal: Ella Fitzgerald

1937 — Spring Cleaning — recorded by Fats Waller and his Rhythm

1938 — Spring Is Here (m. Richard Rodgers, w. Lorenz Hart) – introduced in the 1938 Rodgers & Hart musical I Married an Angel

1938 — Spring Again (m. Vernon Duke, w. Ira Gershwin) — written for and introduced by Kenny Baker in the 1938 film musical The Goldwyn Follies — recordings by Garwood Van and his Orchestra (1938), Mitzi Gaynor (1959)

1939 — Some Other Spring (m. Irene Kitchings, w. Arthur Herzog, Jr.) — copyright, 1939; Billie Holiday recording, 5 July 1939; issued on Vocalion 5021 (1, 2, 3), c/w “Them There Eyes”

1939 — Love Turns Winter to Spring — m. Matt Dennis, w. Frank Killduff (Brigham Townsend) — copyright, 13 September 1939 — Martha Tilton with Bobby Sherwood and his Orchestra in a 1941 Soundie of the same title; also recorded by Stan Kenton, The Four Freshmen, June Christy

1941 — I’ll Remember April (m. Gene De Paul, w. Don Raye and Patricia “Pat” Johnston)

1941 — Soft As Spring (Alec Wilder) —  see our feature page on selected Alec Wilder songs of the early 1940s; recordings include those by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra, vocal: Helen Forrest (1941), The Five (1955), Pete Jolly Quintet (1955), Al Cohn and his Orchestra (1956), Helen Merrill (1957), Sauter-Finegan Orchestra (1958)

1941 — Spring Will Be So Sad (When She Comes This Year) – w.m. Margaret Bonds, Harold Dickinson — 1941 recordings by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, v. Ray Eberle & The Modernaires (recorded 20 February 1941; issued 28 March 1941 on the 78 rpm single Bluebird B-11095, as the B-side of “Perfidia”); Harry James and his Orchestra, v. Dick Haymes; Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra, v. Gary Stevens; 2018 recording by Althea Kilgore

1942 — Little April Shower (m. Frank Churchill, w. Larry Morey) — from the 1942 Disney animation film Bambi — lyric: Disney Wiki

1942 — Let’s Sing a Gay Little Spring Song (m. Frank Churchill, w. Larry Morey) — from the 1942 Disney animation film Bambi — lyric: Disney Wiki

1943 — Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year (Frank Loesser)

1943 — Suddenly It’s Spring (m. Jimmy Van Heusen, w. Johnny Burke)

1944 — April Snow (m. Sigmund Romberg, w. Dorothy Fields) — from the 1945 Broadway musical Up in Central Park

1944 — It’s Anybody’s Spring (m. Jimmy Van Heusen, w. Johnny Burke) — recorded by Bing Crosby on 17 July 1944; issued on Decca 18743, as the B-side of “Welcome to My Dreams” — According to IMDb, in the 1945 film Road to Utopia the song was “[p]layed during the opening credits and also as background music,” and “[p]layed on a concertina by Bob Hope and sung by Bing Crosby.”

1945 — In the Middle of May (m. Fred Ahlert, w. Al Stillman) – 1945 recordings by Gene Krupa and his Orchestra, with vocals by Buddy Stewart and Anita O’Day; The Pied Pipers with Paul Weston and his Orchestra; Freddy Martin & his Orchestra, vocal by The Martin Men; Johnny Desmond and The Crew Chiefs (1945 transcript from radio series “I Sustain the Wings”)

1945 — It Might as Well Be Spring (m. Richard Rodgers, w. Oscar Hammerstein II) — from the musical film State Fair (1945)

1946 — Spring Isn’t Everything (m. Harry Warren, w. Ralph Blane) — copyright, 8 April 1946; copyright 17 January 1947 — recordings by Margaret Whiting, Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra (v. Stewart Foster), The Ralph Sharon Trio, Maxine Sullivan, Joyce Breach, Meredith d’Ambrosio, Justin Hayford, Lynn Kearney, Sherri Roberts – lyric: poetrynook.com

1947 — In the Spring of the Year (m. Alec Wilder, w. Lee Kuhn) — According to WilderWorld podcast 129 the song was written in 1947. However, the copyright date is 20 April 1949. Recordings include the following: Joe Graydon Orchestra with Four Hits and a Miss, 1949; Lee Kuhn sings, with piano accompaniment, 1951; Mabel Mercer, 1958; Joyce Breach with The Keith Ingham Trio, 2003.

1948 — Lost April (Eddie DeLange, Emil Newman, Herbert Spencer) — recorded on 20 December 1947 by Nat King Cole Trio with Orchestra conducted by Carlyle Hall; issued 29 March 1948 on the single Capitol Records 15054, as the B-side of “Nature’s Boy” — YouTube

1949 — Younger Than Springtime (m. Richard Rodgers, w. Oscar Hammerstein II) — introduced by William Tabbert in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific

1949 — It Happens Every Spring (m. Josef Myrow, w. Mack Gordon) — introduced in the 1949 film It Happens Every Spring — Recorded by Frank Sinatra, Margaret Whiting, Kay Starr, Art Lund and the Crew Chiefs, The Four Freshmen, Gogi Grant

1950 — Ho Hum, It’s Spring (m. Jeanne Burns, w. Harold Mott) — copyright, 3 March 1950 —  1950 recordings by Fran Warren, Marjorie Hughes; Jack Haskell (1955)

1950 — When April Comes Again (m. Paul Weston, w. Doris Schaefer) — copyright, 8 March 1950 — recordings by Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his Orchestra (1950), Paul Weston and his Orchestra (1955), Mel Tormé with The Marty Paich Dek-Tette (1956), The Singers Unlimited (1977), Frank Foster (1996), Ian Bargh (2000)

1951 — After All It’s Spring (m. Walter Kent, w. Kim Gannon) — copyright, 18 May 1951 (unpublished), 15 June 1951 (published) — recordings by Teddi King, Peggy Lee, Sherri Roberts

1952 — The Ol’ Spring Fever (m. Harry Warren, w. Leo Robin) — recorded by Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra on 21 February 1952, in Los Angeles, CA

1953 — Spring, Spring, Spring (m. Gene de Paul, w. Johnny Mercer) — copyright registration, 26 October 1953 and 7 July 1954; introduced in the 1954 musical film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; recording by Johnny Mercer with the Paul Smith Trio and The Notables released on the 1956 album Sings Just for Fun, Jupiter Records JLP 1001

1955 — Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most (m. Thomas Wolf, Jr., w. Frances Landesman) Tommy Wolf and Fran Landesman — recording by Tommy Wolf released on his 1958 LP Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most, Fraternity Records F-1010; album recorded on 5 & 6 September 1957

1956 — The April Age (m. Alec Wilder, w. William Engvick) — Thanks to visitor Thomas Birr, who, in a 25 Feb 2018 comment, informed me of the Cleo Laine EP, which resulted in the addition of this song to the page. Cleo Laine’s recording appears on the EP The April Age (1), (2), (UK) Pye Nixa / Jazz Today Series NJE 1026, released in December 1956.

1956 — April Fooled Me (m. Jerome Kern, w. Dorothy Fields) — copyright date: 5 September 1956 — SecondHandSongs.com says, “The lyrics to this unused Kern melody were added by Fields a decade after his death.”

1956 — A Fine Spring Morning (Bob Haymes) — 1956 recording by Blossom Dearie appeared on her 1957 album Blossom Dearie, Verve Records MG V-2037; album recorded 11-12 September 1956

1956 — Melancholy March (m. Herm Saunders, w. Dory Langdon) — copyright, 2 August 1956 — recording by Julie London released on the 1956 album Calendar Girl, (US) Liberty Records SL 9002, SL-9002 — “Dory Langdon” was a pseudonym of Dory Previn, née Dorothy Veronica Langan, that she used in the late 1950s before her 1959 marriage to André Previn.

1957 – April Love (m. Sammy Fain , w. Paul Francis Webster) – Wikipedia, SecondHandSongs.com

1957 — So It’s Spring (m. Tommy Wolf, w. Wayne Arnold) – recording by Tommy Wolf released on the 1958 LP Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most (dr. chilledaire),(Discogs.com), Fraternity Records F-1010; album recorded on 5 & 6 September 1957; recording by Jackie & Roy with Bill Holman’s Orchestra released on the 1958 album Free and Easy!, ABC-Paramount ‎ABC-207; recording by Carol Lawrence with orchestra conducted by Harry Betts, released on the 1962 album This Heart of Mine, album produced by Jackie Mills and Tommy Wolf

1957 — They Say It’s Spring (Bob Haymes, Marty Clark)

1957 — Their Hearts Were Full of Spring (Bobby Troup)

1959 — There’ll Be Another Spring (Peggy Lee, Hubie Wheeler) — Peggy Lee and the George Shearing Quintet, recorded live in Miami on 29 May 1959; released in 1959 on Beauty and the Beat!, Capitol Records T 1219 (Mono), ST 1219 (Stereo)

1960 — Who Cares About April? (m. Ken Hanna, w. Henry Levy) – copyright, 19 September 1960; lyrics: International Lyrics Playground — recording by June Christy released on her 1960 album Off Beat, Capitol Records T 1498 (Mono), ST 1498 (Stereo); music arranged and conducted by Pete Rugolo

1963 — Spring in Manhattan (m. Anthony Scibetta, w. Alice S. Reach) — copyright registered on 23 April 1963 — recording by Tony Bennett — issued in April 1964 on the single (US) Columbia 4-42779 (1) (2), as the B-side of “The Good Life”; also included on the 1964 LP The Many Moods of Tony, (US) Columbia CL 2141

1965 — April Come She Will (Paul Simon) — originally recorded by Paul Simon and included on his debut LP The Paul Simon Song Book, released in 1965 on CBS Records in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and, under the title The Sounds of Simon: The Paul Simon Song Book, on Columbia Records in Canada

1967/1972 — La chanson de Maxence (m. Michel Legrand, w. Jacques Demy) and the English-language version, You Must Believe in Spring (lyric: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman) — “La chanson de Maxence” was introduced in the 1967 film Les demoiselles de Rochefort, where it is performed by Jacques Perrin, dubbed by Jacques Revaux, and a chorus. The earliest recording of “You Must Believe in Spring” listed by SecondHandSongs.com is a 1972 recording by Marlena Shaw.

1969 – The April Fools (m. Burt Bacharach, w. Hal David)

1972 — Pieces of April (Dave Loggins) — Three Dog Night

1976 — Blackberry Winter (Alec Wilder, Loonis McGlohon) — Teddi King recording released on her 1976 album Lovers & Losers, Audiophile AP 117

2001 — Springtime in New York (Jonathan Richman) — Jonathan Richman, from his 2001 album Her Mystery Not Of High Heels And Eye Shadow, Vapor Records ‎9 48216-1 (LP), 9 48216-2 (HDCD)

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Alphabetical list, Songbook feature pages or posts only:

• April Showers (m. Louis Silvers, w. B. G. “Buddy” DeSylva) – published in 1921
• April in Paris (m. Vernon Duke, w. E. Y. Harburg) — composed in 1932 for the Broadway musical Walk A Little Faster
• Blackberry Winter (Alec Wilder, Loonis McGlohon) — Teddi King recording released on her 1976 album Lovers & Losers, Audiophile AP 11
• I’ll Remember April (m. Gene De Paul, w. Don Raye and Patricia “Pat” Johnston) – 1941
• In the Spring of the Year (m. Alec Wilder, w. Lee Kuhn) — According to WilderWorld podcast 129 the song was written in 1947. However, the copyright date is 20 April 1949.
• It Might as Well Be Spring (m. Richard Rodgers, w. Oscar Hammerstein II) — from the musical film State Fair (1945)
• Let’s Sing a Gay Little Spring Song (m. Frank Churchill, w. Larry Morey) — from the 1942 Disney animation film Bambi — lyric: Disney Wiki
• Like a Breath of Springtime (m. Joe Burke, w. Al Dubin) — copyrighted on 20 May 1929 under the title “Like a Breath of Spring-Time,” and used in the 1929 romance film Hearts in Exile, which is considered a lost film
• Little April Shower (m. Frank Churchill, w. Larry Morey) — from the 1942 Disney animation film Bambi — lyric: Disney Wiki
• March Winds and April Showers (Walter G. Samuels, Leonard Whitcup, Teddy Powell) – first recorded in 1935
• One Morning in May (m. Hoagy Carmichael, w. Mitchell Parish) — first recorded in 1933
• So It’s Spring (Tommy Wolf, Wayne Arnold) – recording by Tommy Wolf released on the 1958 LP Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most (dr. chilledaire),(Discogs.com), Fraternity Records F-1010; album recorded on 5 & 6 September 1957
• Some Other Spring (m. Irene Kitchings, w. Arthur Herzog, Jr.) —  copyright, 1939; Billie Holiday recording, 5 July 1939; issued on Vocalion 5021 (1, 2, 3), c/w “Them There Eyes”
• Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most (m. Thomas Wolf, Jr., w. Frances Landesman) Tommy Wolf and Fran Landesman — recording by Tommy Wolf released on his 1958 LP Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most, Fraternity Records F-1010; album recorded on 5 & 6 September 1957
• Spring Is Here (m. Richard Rodgers, w. Lorenz Hart) – introduced in the 1938 Rodgers & Hart musical I Married an Angel
• Spring, Spring, Spring (m. Gene de Paul, w. Johnny Mercer) — copyright registration, 26 October 1953 and 7 July 1954; introduced in the 1954 musical film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; recording by Johnny Mercer with the Paul Smith Trio and The Notables released on the 1956 album Sings Just for Fun, Jupiter Records JLP 1001
• Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year (Frank Loesser) – 1943
• Suddenly It’s Spring (m. Jimmy Van Heusen, w. Johnny Burke) – 1943
• They Say It’s Spring (Bob Haymes, Marty Clark) – 1957
• When You’ve Got a Little Springtime in Your Heart (Harry Woods) — copyrighted on 28 December 1933; introduced by Jessie Matthews in the musical film Evergreen, which was released in April 1934 in the UK, 31 December 1934 in the US, and in 1935 in other countries

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* April Showers Bring May Flowers (m. Jack Shilkret, Nathaniel Shilkret, w. Leo Wood) — copyright: 14 April 1920, 8 June 1920

• early recordings:
  • Van Eps Quartet — recorded in July 1920; issued on Aeolian Vocalion 14099, as the B-side of “Will You Remember or Will You Forget” (William Hewitt) — A-side songwriter credited on the label as “Hewett”
  • Harry Raderman’s Jazz Orchestra — recorded in February 1921 in NYC; issued in the US on the 78 rpm single OKeh 4281, and in Canada on Starr-Gennett 4281, in each case c/w “Wyoming,” flip-side recorded by the Green Brothers’ Novelty Band

** In the 15 October 1935 copyright entry for “When April Comes Again,” Jerry Livingston’s co-songwriter credit comes under his birth name, Jerry Levinson. The lyric transcription provided at International Lyrics Playground seems to be pretty accurate. However, the line given as as “A fire will hear a bluebird sing” is obviously wrong. The line should be “Up high we’ll hear a bluebird sing.” The same trio of songwriters also co-wrote the 1933 standards “It’s the Talk of the Town” and “Under a Blanket of Blue.”

early recordings:

• Joe Morrison and his Orchestra — recorded on 16 December 1935; released on the single Brunswick 7583, as the B-side of “Little Bit Independent.”
• Jay Randell and his Orchestra, with vocal by Dick Dickson — recorded in NYC on 27 December 1935; issued on the 78 rpm single Columbia 3113D, c/w “This is the Kiss of Romance”
• Recordings issued in 1936 include those by Abe Lyman and His Orchestra, Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra (vocal: Kenny Sargent), Leslie Hutchinson, Jack Payne and his Band, and Kitty Masters.

*** 1935 recordings of “Santa Claus Came in the Spring”

• Benny Goodman and his Orchestra — recorded on 27 September 1935; issued 11 December 1935 on Victor 25195 (1, 2, 3) b/w  “Eeny Meeny Miney Mo” (Matty Malneck, Johnny Mercer)
• Putney Dandridge and his Orchestra — issued in November 1935 on Vocalion 3083, as the B-side of “Eeny Meeny Miney Mo”