These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)

"These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)" is a standard with words by Eric Maschwitz and music by Jack Strachey, both Englishmen. Harry Link, an American, sometimes appears as a co-writer; his input is probably limited to an alternative "middle eight" (bridge) which many performers prefer.^[1] It is one of a group of "Mayfair songs", like "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square".^[2] Maschwitz wrote the song under his pen name, Holt Marvell, for Joan Carr for a late-evening revue broadcast by the BBC.^[3] The copyright was lodged in 1936.^[4] Maschwitz was romantically linked to the Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong while working in Hollywood, and the lyrics are evocative of his longing for her after they parted and he returned to England.^{[citation needed]}

Creation

When the song was written, Maschwitz was Head of Variety at the BBC.^[5] It is a list song (Maschwitz calls it a "catalogue song" in his biography), in this case working through the various things that remind the singer of a lost love. The lyrics – the verse and three choruses – were written by Maschwitz during the course of one Sunday morning at his flat in London. Within hours of crafting the lyrics, he dictated them over the phone to Jack Strachey and they arranged to meet the same evening to discuss the next step. Strachey suggested an alternative title, These Little Things,^[6] but this was not taken up.^[7]

Rise to popularity

The song was not an immediate success and even Keith Prowse, Maschwitz's agent, refused to publish it, releasing the copyright to Maschwitz himself – a stroke of luck for the lyricist. Writing in 1957, he claimed to have made £40,000 from the song.^[8] Despite being featured in Spread it Abroad, a London revue of 1936,^[9] it aroused no interest until the famous West Indian pianist and singer, Leslie Hutchinson ("Hutch") discovered it on top of a piano in Maschwitz's office at the BBC. "Hutch" liked it and recorded it, whereupon it became a great success and was recorded by musicians all over the world.^[8] This first recording by "Hutch" was by HMV in 1936. It was featured in the 1949 film Tokyo Joe, with Humphrey Bogart.^[10]

Interpretations

Various other versions have been recorded including vocal arrangements featuring: Nat King Cole (on Just One of Those Things in 1957), Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, (with Teddy Wilson in 1936)^[11] Johnny Hartman, Frankie Laine, Sam Cooke, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Aaron Neville, Frank Sinatra, (Point of No Return, 1961), Sammy Davis Jr ("When the Feeling Hits You!", 1965), Bryan Ferry and Rod Stewart. James Brown recorded the song three times: a 1963 recording with strings which charted #25 R&B and #50 Pop,^[12] a live version on 1964's Pure Dynamite! Live at the Royal, and a second studio version for 1974's Hell.

Instrumental jazz arrangements of the song have been recorded by Stan Getz, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, Count Basie, Lester Young and numerous other artists.

The line "The song that Crosby sings" features in some versions, yet Bing Crosby himself omitted these words in his 1955 recording.^[13]

Frank Sinatra in his 1945 version of the song changes the line "The smile of Garbo" for "The smile of Turner".

Bryan Ferry covered the Dorothy Dickson version of the song for the title track of his first solo album These Foolish Things by Island Records in 1973.^[14]

Paris Bennett covered the song on the fifth season of American Idol.

The Italian singer Mina covered the song on the album-tribute to Frank Sinatra, L'allieva, in 2005.

Michael Bublé covered the song on the album A Taste Of Buble in 2008.

The film 120 Days of Sodom uses the song, arranged by Ennio Morricone.

Examples

References