Almost Like Being in Love

This article is about the song. For the novel, see Almost Like Being in Love (novel).

"Almost Like Being in Love" is a show tune with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was written for the score of their 1947 musical Brigadoon.^[1] The song was first sung by David Brooks and Marion Bell, in the Broadway production. It was later performed in the 1954 film version by Gene Kelly.^[2]

"Almost Like Being in Love"
Song
Published	1947
Composer(s)	Frederick Loewe
Lyricist(s)	Alan Jay Lerner

Michael Johnson version

"Almost Like Being in Love"
Single by Michael Johnson
from the album The Michael Johnson Album
B-side	"Ridin' in the Sky"
Released	August 1978
Genre	Pop
Length	3:25
Label	EMI
Composer(s)	Frederick Loewe
Lyricist(s)	Alan Jay Lerner
Producer(s)	Brent Maher, Steve Gibson
Michael Johnson singles chronology
"Bluer Than Blue" (1978) "Almost Like Being in Love" (1978) "This Night Won't Last Forever" (1979)

"Almost Like Being in Love" was revived in a downbeat ballad version by singer Michael Johnson (U.S. no. 32, 1978).^[3] His rendition became a Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit in both the U.S. (no. 4) and Canada (no. 10).

Chart (1978)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Singles	40
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary	10
US Billboard Hot 100[4]	32
US Billboard Adult Contemporary	4
US Billboard R&B	91
US Cash Box Top 100	37

Other versions

• There were three hit versions of the song in the United States in 1947: Frank Sinatra's version^[5] was the highest charting at no. 20. Mildred Bailey and Mary Martin both charted with the song at no. 21 that year.^[6]
• Nat King Cole recorded more than one version of the song, including a later version that was used as the closing song in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. Cole's version, in the key of G major like the original, features a ii–V–I turnaround (2-5-1) in G, a pair of similar 2-5-1 sequences in E major and D major for the bridge, after which it raises the refrain a half-step with a 2-5-1 in A flat major.
• Frank Sinatra rerecorded the song for his 1961 album Come Swing with Me!.
• The song was also made popular by Shirley Bassey. Like Judy Garland, Bassey performed this song as a medley with the song, "This Can't Be Love".
• Bradley Walsh recorded his version of the song for his 2016 debut album Chasing Dreams.
• Red Garland recorded his version with Paul Chambers and Art Taylor on his 1957 album Red Garland's Piano.
• Ella Fitzgerald recorded a version with Dizzy Gillespie and his orchestra, released on her 1962 album, Ella Sings Broadway.
• Erroll Garner recorded a version of the song for his 1966 live album Campus Concert.
• Seth MacFarlane recorded his version of the song for his 2017 album In Full Swing.
• Diana Krall included the song in her 2020 album This Dream of You.
• Vic Damone recorded a version of the song in 1956.
• James Taylor included the song in the 2020 album American Standard.^[7]
• Rod Stewart with Jools Holland recorded a version on the 2024 Swing Fever
• Bleachers (band) recorded a version for the soundtrack of The New Look (TV series), produced by Jack Antonoff.^[8]

In popular culture

• It was sung by Dennis Day in the ′Don Invites Gang to Dinner′ episode of The Jack Benny Program in 1956.
• In the 1957 Goon Show episode, "The Great Regent's Park Swim", Eccles parodies the song, singing "with a smile on my face for the whole human race, it's almost like being insane."
• A portion of the song was sung by Jack Soo’s character Detective Nick Yemana in the third season episode of Barney Miller entitled ‘Hash’ in 1976.
• The song was used in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day (film).
• The song was used in the 1995 movie Grumpier Old Men.
• It was sung by the ant Z (voiced by Woody Allen) in the 1998 Dreamworks animated film Antz.^[9][10]
• The song was used in the 2003 movie The Cooler.
• It was performed in an episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel by Darius de Haas.^[11]

References

1. Hischak, Thomas S. (2008). The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. Oxford University Press. p. 93. ISBN 978-0195335330.
2. "Jazz Standards: Almost Like Being in Love". Jazz Standards.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. Jasen, David A. (2013). A Century of American Popular Music. Taylor & Francis. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-135-35271-4.
4. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
5. Gilliland, John. (2020-03-23). "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #19 - All Tracks UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
6. Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890–1954. Record Research Inc. p. 470. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
7. "www.allmusic.com". AllMusic. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
8. "Bleachers release 'Almost Like Being in Love', from Jack Antonoff's soundtrack for 'The New Look'". NME. 3 April 2024.
9. Brigham, William (2019). Historical Dictionary of Woody Allen. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 23. ISBN 9781538120200. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
10. Neupert, Richard (2016). John Lasseter. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. p. 141. ISBN 9780252098352. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
11. "All The Songs In 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Season 3". Bustle. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.