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Cole Porter

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 film.

Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, Porter defied his grandfather's wishes for him to practice law and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn to musical theatre. After a slow start, he began to achieve success in the 1920s, and by the 1930s he was one of the major songwriters for the Broadway musical stage. Unlike many successful Broadway composers, Porter wrote the lyrics as well as the music for his songs.

After a serious horseback riding accident in 1937, Porter was left disabled and in constant pain, but he continued to work. His shows of the early 1940s did not contain the lasting hits of his best work of the 1920s and 1930s, but in 1948 he made a triumphant comeback with his most successful musical, Kiss Me, Kate. It won the first Tony Award for Best Musical.

Porter's other musicals include Fifty Million Frenchmen, DuBarry Was a Lady, Anything Goes, Can-Can and Silk Stockings. His numerous hit songs include "Night and Day", "Begin the Beguine", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "Well, Did You Evah!", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "You're the Top". He also composed scores for films from the 1930s to the 1950s, including Born to Dance (1936), which featured the song "You'd Be So Easy to Love"; Rosalie (1937), which featured "In the Still of the Night"; High Society (1956), which included "True Love"; and Les Girls (1957).

Birth and Death Data: Born 1891 (Peru), Died October 15, 1964 (Santa Monica)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1956

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

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 314 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-18459 10-in. 9/25/1916 I've a shooting box in Scotland Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-23496 10-in. 11/24/1919 Old fashioned garden Olive Kline Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor C-23885 12-in. 4/6/1920 Nobody but you Palace Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Victor BVE-34962 10-in. 3/22/1926 Yale medley no. 1 Roland B. Guild ; Yale University Band Band composer  
Victor BVE-38394 10-in. 5/9/1927 I'm in love again Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal chorus lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-38776 10-in. 5/23/1927 I'm in love again The Revelers Male vocal quartet, with piano composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-42526 10-in. 3/1/1928 Let's misbehave Irving Aaronson ; Commanders Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and chorus composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-43761 10-in. 5/3/1928 Two little babes in the wood Irving Aaronson ; Irene Bordoni ; Commanders Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-43762 10-in. 5/3/1928 Let's misbehave Irving Aaronson ; Irene Bordoni ; Commanders Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-43764 10-in. 5/3/1928 Don't look at me that way Irving Aaronson ; Irene Bordoni ; Commanders Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-47749 10-in. 10/16/1928 Let's do it (let's fall in love) Irving Aaronson ; Jack Armstrong ; Commanders ; Phil Saxe Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-56809 10-in. 2/11/1930 What is this thing called love? Jesse Crawford Pipe organ solo composer  
Victor BVE-57587 10-in. 12/9/1929 You do something to me Leo Reisman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-57588 10-in. 12/9/1929 You've got that thing Leo Reisman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-57949 10-in. 12/24/1929 You do something to me Chick Endor Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-58183 10-in. 1/10/1930 What is this thing called love? Leo Reisman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-58522 10-in. 1/25/1930 You've got that thing Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-58591 10-in. 2/20/1930 What is this thing called love? Frank Luther Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-67733 10-in. 12/24/1930 Love for sale Pennsylvanians ; Three Waring Girls ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with female vocal trio composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-67734 10-in. 12/24/1930 Where have you been? Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal chorus composer, lyricist  
Victor BRC-68941 10-in. 3/27/1931 I'm getting myself ready for you Blanche Calloway and her Joy Boys ; Blanche Calloway Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-73977 10-in. 11/22/1932 Night and day Fred Astaire ; Leo Reisman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-73978 10-in. 11/22/1932 I've got you on my mind Fred Astaire ; Leo Reisman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-74769 10-in. 1/5/1933 After you Don Bestor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-75011 10-in. 1/30/1933 Noche y dia Giulietta Morino Orchestra Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
(Results 1-25 of 314 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Porter, Cole," accessed March 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102688.

Porter, Cole. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102688.

"Porter, Cole." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102688

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