Irving Kahal

Irving Kahal (March 5, 1903, Houtzdale, Pennsylvania – February 7, 1942, New York City) was a popular American song lyricist active in the 1920s and 1930s. He is best remembered for his collaborations with composer Sammy Fain which started in 1926 when Kahal was working in vaudeville sketches written by Gus Edwards. Their collaboration lasted 16 years, until Kahal's death in 1942.

Among many fine songs, the stand-out was "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" on which Pierre Norman lent a hand, which was sung by Maurice Chevalier in the film The Big Pond (1930) effectively becoming his signature tune, and featured by Frank Sinatra on his magisterial album Songs For Swingin' Lovers.

The Fain/Kahal catalogue also includes "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella" (1928) with Francis Wheeler, "Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine" (1929) with Willie Raskin, "By a Waterfall" (1930), "When I Take My Sugar to Tea" (1931) with Pierre Norman, "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (1938) and "I'll Be Seeing You", which was written in 1938, but became a hit in 1943 especially among the families of servicemen sent overseas.

In 1970, Irving Kahal was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 5, 1903 (Houtzdale), Died February 7, 1942 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer, vocalist, translator

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 151-175 of 272 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 148797 10-in. 7/11/1929 Don't hang your dreams on a rainbow Sam Lanin Orchestra ; Arthur Seelig Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W148877 10-in. 8/14/1929 Sweetheart's holiday Campus Boys ; Ted Wallace Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia [W]148948 10-in. 8/29/1929 Sweetheart's holiday Walter Cummins Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia W148953 10-in. 8/29/1929 That's where you come in Sunshine Boys Male vocal duet lyricist  
Columbia W148992 10-in. 9/11/1929 Sweetheart's holiday Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Columbia W149827 10-in. 3/23/1930 You brought a new kind of love to me Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia [W]150170 10-in. 4/4/1930 You brought a new kind of love to me Hotel Pennsylvania Music [Lloyd Keating and his Music] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia [W]150388 10-in. 5/5/1930 I've got it (But it don't do me no good) Annette Hanshaw and her Sizzlin' Syncopators Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Columbia [W]150420 10-in. 5/14/1930 You brought a new kind of love to me Sammy Fain Male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia [W]150422 10-in. 5/14/1930 Mia cara Sammy Fain Male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W150563 10-in. 6/3/1930 You brought a new kind of love to me Ethel Waters Female vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W150855 10-in. 10/3/1930 Homemade sunshine Ted Lewis and his Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W151104 10-in. 12/8/1930 You brought a new kind of love to me Slim Bryant ; Clayton McMichen Male vocal duet, with fiddle (violin) and guitar lyricist  
Columbia W151475 10-in. 3/27/1931 When I take my sugar to tea Billy "Uke" Carpenter Male vocal solo, with ukulele and piano songwriter  
Columbia W151487 10-in. 4/6/1931 When I take my sugar to tea Teddy Raph and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W151527 10-in. 4/29/1931 (There ought to be a) Moonlight saving time Carmen Lombardo ; Guy Lombardo ; Royal Canadians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W151570 10-in. 5/26/1931 (There ought to be a) moonlight saving time Ruth Etting Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Columbia W151681 10-in. 7/14/1931 Hikin' down the highway Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet songwriter  
Columbia W152066 10-in. 1/15/1932 We've got to put that sun back in the sky Campus Boys ; Ted Wallace Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio lyricist  
Columbia W152248 10-in. 8/1/1932 Having a good time, wish you were here The Four New Yorkers ; Frances Langford Female vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Columbia W152297 10-in. 9/9/1932 Three's a crowd Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W152394 10-in. 4/19/1933 Moonlight millionaires Ted Lewis and his Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W152488 10-in. 9/8/1933 By a waterfall John Ingram ; Meyer Davis Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W152622 10-in. 7/10/1934 When you were a smile on your mother's lips (and a twinkle in your daddy's eye) Hal Kemp Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W152712 10-in. 2/8/1934 Like two little flies on a lump of sugar Little Jack Little Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
(Results 151-175 of 272 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kahal, Irving," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116675.

Kahal, Irving. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116675.

"Kahal, Irving." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116675

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