"They Say" is a jazz standard and popular song written in 1938. It has music by Stephan Weiss and Paul Mann and with lyrics by Edward Heyman.[1][2]
| "They Say" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Released | 1938 |
| Genre | jazz |
| Songwriter(s) | Edward Heyman |
| Composer(s) | Paul Mann Stephan Weiss |
It was one of the highest-selling pieces of sheet music in January 1939.[3] It peaked at #5 on Your Hit Parade.[4]
It is ranked the 987th most recorded standard by JazzStandards.com.[5]
Notable recordings
edit- Billie Holiday performed the vocals on the Benny Carter-arranged Teddy Wilson orchestra recording (1938)[6][7][8][9]
- Helen Forrest (1938) performed the vocals on the Artie Shaw orchestra recording[10][4][11]
- Mildred Bailey (1938)[12]
- Tommy Ryan performed the vocals on the Sammy Kaye orchestra recording (1939)[4]
In film
edit"They Say" was used in the films Daughters Courageous (1939) and King of the Lumberjacks (1940).
References
edit- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1967.
- ^ Studwell, William Emmett (2000-01-01). They Also Wrote: Evaluative Essays on Lesser-known Popular American Songwriters Prior to the Rock Era. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3789-8.
- ^ "Sheet-Music Leaders" (PDF). The Billboard. 1939-01-28. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ a b c Tyler, Don (2007-03-19). Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-2946-2.
- ^ "Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (They Say)". www.jazzstandards.com. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
- ^ Orodenker, M.H. (1938-12-31). "Off the Records". The Billboard. p. 67 – via Proquest Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive.
- ^ Decatur 507
- ^ Berger, Morroe; Berger, Edward; Patrick, James (2001–2002). Benny Carter : a life in American music (2nd ed.). Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 199. ISBN 0-8108-4111-8. OCLC 47443996.
- ^ Brunswick 8270
- ^ Belaire, David. (1996). A guide to the big band era : a comprehensive review of all the recorded hits and all the hitmakers (1st ed.). Santa Ana, CA: Winged Note Press. p. 100. ISBN 0-9653681-0-6. OCLC 36127030.
- ^ Forrest, Helen; Libby, Bill (1982-01-01). I Had the Craziest Dream. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. ISBN 978-0-698-11096-0.
- ^ Orodenker, M.H. (1939-01-28). "Off the Records". The Billboard. p. 15 – via Proquest Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive.