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"Without a Song" is a popular song composed by Vincent Youmans with lyrics later added by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, published in 1929. It was included in the musical play, Great Day. The play only ran for 36 performances but contained two songs which became famous, "Without a Song" and "Great Day".[1]
Lawrence Tibbett, Nelson Eddy and Frank Sinatra recorded versions of the song with what appears to be the original lyrics, including the line, "A darkie's born, but he's no good no how, without a song." In subsequent recordings, Sinatra didn't use the term "darkie", and later recorded versions included the altered text "a man is born, but he's no good no how, without a song."[8] The original was played in error on BBC Radio 4's PM program on the 9th April 2020, prompting an apology on the same program four days later.
In addition to popular artists like Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, John Gary, Keely Smith and Neil Sedaka, and opera singers like Lauritz Melchior, Jan Peerce and Mario Lanza, many African-American artists of varying styles also successfully recorded the song after Billy Eckstine first did so in 1946, including a version in "gospel style" by Mahalia Jackson in concert in Berlin, 1967; also versions by Ray Charles, George Benson, The Ravens, Roy Hamilton, The Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes (for their album I Hear A Symphony), and jazz singer Jimmy Scott on his 2006 album Milestone Profiles - Jimmy Scott on Milestone Records. Billy Preston recorded a version for his 1971 album I Wrote A Simple Song, but two years earlier, while working with the Beatles, he improvised it with John Lennon and Ringo Starr and this recording was ultimately included in 2021 on Let It Be: Special Edition. Instrumental versions have been recorded by Sonny Rollins, on his 1962 "comeback" album, The Bridge, Stanley Turrentine on his album Never Let Me Go (Blue Note 90838), Clare Fischer on Surging Ahead (Pacific Jazz PJ 67), and Bill Evans on You Must Believe in Spring (reissued on Rhino Records). Others include Oscar Peterson, Louis Armstrong, Art Blakey, Art Tatum, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Art Pepper, Nana Mouskouri and Adam Rogers.
Al Jolson sang "Without A Song" on request from Oscar Levant, and as the show's closing number, on the CBS Kraft Music Hall radio program, on the 21st of October 1948, accompanied by Lou Bring & His Orchestra & Chorus.
James Cleveland and the Cleveland Singers recorded "Without a Song" on the Savoy Records label in 1965, its much-loved gospel rendition that features Cleveland's powerful lead complemented by striking vocal harmonies.
"Without a Song" was released as a single in the UK by Gary Shearston in 1974 and by Noah Stewart in 2011.
The Carpenters included a partially a cappella rendition of “Without a Song” in their 1980 TV special The Carpenters: Music, Music, Music.
Willie Nelson used it as the title track of a 1983 album.
