I Loves You, Porgy
| "I Loves You, Porgy" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Released | 1935, 1942 |
| Recorded | 1935 |
| Genre | Opera, Jazz |
| Label | RCA |
| Songwriter(s) | Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin |
| Producer(s) | George Gershwin |
"I Loves You, Porgy" is a duet from the opera Porgy and Bess with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was published in 1935.
Background
Originally a duet by Anne Brown and Todd Duncan in the 1935 production and in the 1942 revival of the opera, "I Loves You, Porgy" has been recorded as a solo number by a number of popular vocalists and jazz musicians, most notably Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Bill Evans. Nina Simone's recording of the song (from Little Girl Blue, 1958) was a Top 20 pop hit in the United States in the autumn of 1959. Simone's version went to number eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the R&B charts.[1] A live version is featured in her 1964 album Nina Simone in Concert. Bill Evans's piano trio version recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1961, available on the CD re-issue of the album Waltz for Debby, is also acclaimed.
Cover versions
- James Brown recorded "I Loves You, Porgy" on the album Cold Sweat (1967)
- Chaka Khan recorded "I Loves You, Porgy" on the album Echoes of an Era (1982).
- Barbra Streisand recorded "I Loves You, Porgy" as a medley with "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" (sung as "Porgy, I's Your Woman Now") on her The Broadway Album (1985).
- Jex Saarelaht and Kate Ceberano recorded a version on their album Open the Door - Live at Mietta's (1992).
- Whitney Houston sang "I Loves You, Porgy" at the beginning of a medley with "I Have Nothing" at the 1994 American Music Awards. This performance was included on the 2014 CD/DVD release, Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances.[2] Houston performed the tune several times during her Bodyguard Tour in 1993, also during her HBO televised Classic Whitney: Live in Washington, D.C. in 1997.
- Christina Aguilera performed a critically acclaimed rendition of the song at the Grammy Nomination Concert in December 2008.[3][4][5]
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 528.
- ↑ "Live: Her Greatest Performances - Whitney Houston - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic".
- ↑ Jon Bream, "Lil’ Wayne, Coldplay grab the most Grammy nods", Star Tribune, December 3, 2008.
- ↑ "Best pop-tart makeover", LA Times.
- ↑ Sarah Rodman, "Lil Wayne tops Grammy nods amid a British invasion", The Boston Globe, December 4, 2008.
