Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
(Brunswick – 7486)
Recorded June 26th, 1935 at ARC studios in New York.
Fred Astaire With Leo Reisman And His Orchestra
Vocal by Fred Astaire
"Cheek to Cheek" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1934–35, specifically for Fred Astaire, the star of his new musical, Top Hat, co-starring Ginger Rogers. In the movie, Astaire sings the song to Rogers as they dance. The song was nominated for the Best Song Oscar for 1936, which it lost to "Lullaby of Broadway". The song spent five weeks at #1 on Your Hit Parade and was named the #1 song of 1935. Astaire's 1935 recording with the Leo Reisman Orchestra was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2004, Astaire's version finished at No. 15 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
On June 26, 1935, Fred and Leo Reisman, along with his Orchestra, got to work at ARC (parent company of Brunswick Records at the time) Studios in New York City. They recorded two Irving Berlin compositions, "Cheek To Cheek" and "No Strings (I'm Fancy Free)". The next day, with Johnny Greene's Orchestra, "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" were completed. Both singles were released in August, and then at the end of the month, "Top Hat" premiered. The timing must have been perfect, because "Cheek to Cheek" headed straight to #1, where it stayed for eleven weeks, and finished the #1 hit of 1935. Fred topped his career high of ten weeks for "Night And Day".
(Brunswick – 7486)
Recorded June 26th, 1935 at ARC studios in New York.
Fred Astaire With Leo Reisman And His Orchestra
Vocal by Fred Astaire
"Cheek to Cheek" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1934–35, specifically for Fred Astaire, the star of his new musical, Top Hat, co-starring Ginger Rogers. In the movie, Astaire sings the song to Rogers as they dance. The song was nominated for the Best Song Oscar for 1936, which it lost to "Lullaby of Broadway". The song spent five weeks at #1 on Your Hit Parade and was named the #1 song of 1935. Astaire's 1935 recording with the Leo Reisman Orchestra was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2004, Astaire's version finished at No. 15 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
On June 26, 1935, Fred and Leo Reisman, along with his Orchestra, got to work at ARC (parent company of Brunswick Records at the time) Studios in New York City. They recorded two Irving Berlin compositions, "Cheek To Cheek" and "No Strings (I'm Fancy Free)". The next day, with Johnny Greene's Orchestra, "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" were completed. Both singles were released in August, and then at the end of the month, "Top Hat" premiered. The timing must have been perfect, because "Cheek to Cheek" headed straight to #1, where it stayed for eleven weeks, and finished the #1 hit of 1935. Fred topped his career high of ten weeks for "Night And Day".


![Harry Richman - Singing A Vagabond Song 1930 (Remastered) (From Puttin on the Ritz)
(Brunswick 4678)
Recorded 12/11/1929 Los Angeles, California.
Puttin on the Ritz [Motion picture] (Work title)
Harry Richman (vocalist : baritone vocal)
Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra (Musical group)
Earl Burtnett (leader)
Val Burton (songwriter)
Sam Messenheimer (songwriter)
Harry Richman (composer)
Singing a Vagabond Song is a popular song from 1930 written by Harry Richman, Val Burton, and Sam Messenheimer.
Puttin On the Ritz is a 1930 American pre-Code musical film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Harry Richman, Joan Bennett, and James Gleason. The screenplay was written by Gleason and William K. Wells based on a story by John W. Considine Jr. It was the first of many films to feature the popular song Puttin On the Ritz, which was written and published by Irving Berlin in 1929.
Harry Richman (born Henry Reichman Jr.; August 10, 1895 – November 3, 1972) was an American singer, actor, dancer, comedian, pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and nightclub performer, at his most popular in the 1920s and 1930s. In his peak years, he was one of the highest‐paid performers in show business. Harry Richman - Singing A Vagabond Song 1930 (Remastered) (From Puttin on the Ritz)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ScI1NgZrVWw/mqdefault.jpg)



![Paul Whiteman - You’re The Top 1935 (Peggy Healy & John Hauser) (Cole Porter Collection)
(Victor 24769)
Recorded 10/26/1934 New York, New York. Victor Studio 2 [155 E. 24th St.]
Paul Whiteman Orchestra (Musical group)
Peggy Healy (vocalist)
Johnny Hauser (vocalist)
Paul Whiteman (leader)
Eli E. Oberstein (session supervisor)
Ken Macomber (session supervisor)
Cole Porter (composer)
Cole Porter (lyricist)
Tú eres el todo (Parallel (translated) title)
Anything goes (Work title)
Youre the Top is a list song by Cole Porter, from the 1934 musical Anything Goes. It is about a man and a woman who take turns complimenting each other. The best-selling version was Paul Whitemans Victor single, which made the top five. It was the most popular song from Anything Goes at the time, with hundreds of parodies. Some of the lyrics were re-written by P. G. Wodehouse for the British version of Anything Goes. Composer Robert Kapilow refers to Youre the Top as one of Porters greatest songs.
Porter is believed to have written the song in Paris, while eating dinner at the Le Bœuf sur le toit with Lela Emery, the wife of Alastair Mackintosh. The two of them spent the time amusing themselves with a word game, making up a list of superlatives that rhymed.
Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in Hollywood films.
Porter died of kidney failure at age 73 on October 15, 1964, in Santa Monica, California. He is interred in Mount Hope Cemetery in his native Peru, Indiana, between his wife and father.
Full Lyrics:
At words poetic, Im so pathetic
That I always have found it best
Instead of getting em off my chest
To let em rest unexpressed
I hate parading my serenading
As Ill probably miss a bar
But if this ditty is not so pretty
At least itll tell you
How great you are
Youre the top!
Youre the Coliseum
Youre the top!
Youre the Louver Museum
Youre a melody from a symphony by Strauss
Youre a Bendel bonnet
A Shakespeares sonnet
Youre Mickey Mouse
Youre the Nile
Youre the Tower of Pisa
Youre the smile on the Mona Lisa
Im a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop
But if, baby, Im the bottom, youre the top
Youre the top
Youre Mahatma Gandhi
Youre the top
Youre Napoleon Brandy
Youre the purple light
Of a summer night in Spain
Youre the National Gallery
Youre Garbos salary
Youre cellophane
Youre sublime
Youre a turkey dinner
Youre the time of a Derby winner
Im a toy balloon thats fated soon to pop
But if, baby, Im the bottom
Youre the top
Youre the top
Youre an Arrow collar
Youre the top
Youre a Coolidge dollar
Youre the nimble tread
Of the feet of Fred Astaire
Youre an ONeill drama
Youre Whistlers mama
Youre camembert
Youre a rose
Youre Infernos Dante
Youre the nose
On the great Durante
Im just in the way
As the French would say, de trop
But if, baby, Im the bottom
Youre the top
Youre the top
Youre a Waldorf salad
Youre the top
Youre a Berlin ballad
Youre the baby grand of a lady and a gent
Youre an Old Dutch master
Youre Mrs. Aster
Youre Pepsodent
Youre romance
Youre the steppes of Russia
Youre the pants on a Roxy usher
Im a lazy lout, whos just about to stop
But if, baby, Im the bottom
Youre the top Paul Whiteman - You’re The Top 1935 (Peggy Healy & John Hauser) (Cole Porter Collection)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Tekj2n7XR_0/mqdefault.jpg)



![Rudy Vallee - As Time Goes By 1931 (First To Record) (Remastered)
(Victor 22773)
Recorded 7/25/1931 New York, New York. Studio 2.
Connecticut Yankees (Musical group)
Rudy Vallée (vocalist : tenor vocal)
Rudy Vallée (director)
Rob Smith (session supervisor)
Herman Hupfeld (composer)
Herman Hupfeld (lyricist)
Song from Casablanca [Motion picture] (Work title)
As Time Goes By is a jazz song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became famous when it was featured in the 1942 film Casablanca, performed by Dooley Wilson as Sam. The song was voted No. 2 on the AFIs 100 Years...100 Songs special, commemorating the best songs in film (surpassed only by Over the Rainbow sung by Judy Garland).
Herman Hupfeld wrote As Time Goes By for the Broadway musical Everybodys Welcome, which opened on October 31, 1931. In the original show, the song was sung by Frances Williams. It was first recorded by Rudy Vallée on July 25, 1931, for Victor Records.
The song was reintroduced in the 1942 film Casablanca, where it was sung by Sam, portrayed by Dooley Wilson.
Sams piano accompaniment was played by a studio pianist, Jean Vincent Plummer; Wilson was a drummer. The melody is heard throughout the film as a leitmotif. Wilson was unable to make a commercial recording of the song at the time due to the 1942–44 musicians strike. Unable to record new versions of the song, RCA Victor reissued the 1931 recording by Rudy Vallée, which became a number one hit eleven years after it was originally released. Rudy Vallee - As Time Goes By 1931 (First To Record) (Remastered)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1bQr5s0sYk/mqdefault.jpg)