Jazz Standards.com : Jazz Standards : Songs : History : Biographies

Home

Overview

Songs

Biographies

History

Search

Bookstore

About

Cheek to Cheek (1935)

Origin and Chart Information
“... the song was a genuine emotional outburst and, possibly, this genuineness accounted for its subsequent standard status.”

- Vernon Duke

Rank 187
Words and Music

Irving Berlin

Singer/dancer/actor Fred Astaire introduced Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek” in the RKO motion picture Top Hat in 1935. The song immediately roared into the charts:

  • Fred Astaire (1935, vocal, #1)
  • Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra (1935, #2)
  • Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (1935, #2)
  • Phil Ohman and His Orchestra (1935, #5)
  • Boswell Sisters (1935, vocal, #10)

The American public went crazy for the duo of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the mid-1930s. Their RKO musicals were the perfect escapist fare, showing how the “other half lived” during the tough days of the Depression. Astaire (dressed to the nines, suave and debonair) and Rogers (coquettish and elegantly clad in evening attire) along with superb music and choreography made these films sure-fire hits.

Top Hat was Berlin’s second musical for Astaire/Rogers. “Cheek to Cheek” is one of the best songs he wrote for their films. In typical Berlin fashion, part of the tune had already been written with a working title of “Moon Over Napoli” and intended for an un-produced Broadway show titled More Cheers. Berlin effortlessly reworked the number into “Cheek to Cheek.” In Edward Jablonski’s biography, Irving Berlin: American Troubadour, Berlin related the effect Astaire had on him: “He’s a real inspiration for a writer. I’d never have written Top Hat without him.”

The radio program “Your Hit Parade” debuted in 1935. On September 29, 1935, the program featured all five Berlin songs written for Top Hat, the first time music from a film had received such coverage from the program. Astaire’s version of “Cheek to Cheek” was in the charts for 18 weeks, and his versions of the other songs from the show, “No Strings,” “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails,” “Isn’t This a Lovely Day,” and “The Piccolino,” were in the charts from six to eleven weeks.

“Cheek to Cheek” took some time to become comfortable to jazz musicians. Its unusual, 72-bar length and A-A-B-C-A structure proved a bit daunting for some players, but the more advanced ones found the tune the perfect challenge with its engaging melodic and chordal structure.

Berlin’s song is a perfect evocation of Astaire’s dancing with Rogers, explaining how his film character is in “heaven” and seems to find “happiness” when “dancing cheek to cheek.” On the C section of the tune, where it goes into minor, Astaire pleads “dance with me, I want my arms about you.” Then in the return to the A section he confesses “my heart beats so that I can hardly speak” when “dancing cheek to cheek.”

Music and Lyrics Analysis

Musical analysis of “Cheek to Cheek”

Original Key C major; temporary tonal shifts to C minor and A minor in section “B”
Form A - A - B - C - A
Tonality Predominantly major, except for the minor tonalities of “C”
Movement A repeated note with lower embellishing tones, then ascending by step with upper neighbor tones. Descends in a pattern of thirds, ascends by step, and then descends to the tonic by step. “B” consists of arpeggiated figures in both directions; “C” uses repeated notes interspersed with dramatic downward leaps.

Comments     (assumed background)

The melody spans a fairly large range of a minor tenth; there is a passage in section “C” consisting of descending sixths, while the lead-in to “C” itself is an entire octave. Fortunately, these happen in predictable patterns--a tribute to Berlin’s instinctive use of compositional devices such as melodic development which makes the tune easier to learn.

The harmonic progression of “C” is of interest in its complete contrast to the rest of the song and Berlin’s idea of tension and delayed resolution. The song turns suddenly to the parallel minor (C major to C minor). The movement from i to V7 is embellished by VI (C minor -Ab7 - G7). Instead of resolving back to i, however, the V7 resolves deceptively to a minor chord a whole step higher (in the original, G7 -Am), which is the relative minor of the original tonic key. It therefore becomes a simple matter to return to the initial key.

K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com

Check out K. J. McElrath's book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com).
Musician's Comments

Are you a published Vocalist or Instrumentalist?

Add a comment and we'll credit you with a link to your site. (more...)

CD Recommendations for This Tune
Click on a CD for more details at Amazon.com
Stephen Scott

Vision Quest
1999 Enja 9347
Ron Carter lays down the funkiest of bass lines in service to pianist Scott’s exuberance and agility on this lively, original reading of the song.
Gene Ammons

The Big Sound
1991 Original Jazz Classics 651
Original recording 1958
Tenor saxophonist Ammons leads an all-star group through an energetic romp distinguished by the airy flute of Jerome Richardson and a rare appearance by John Coltrane on alto sax.
Jane Monheit

Live at the Rainbow Room
2003 N-Coded Music 4249
Original recording 2002
The Rainbow Room audience enjoyed a treat the night Monheit recorded this rendition. The singer swings this one with the highest of energy, elevating the giddy emotion of the song.
Red Mitchell

Presenting Red Mitchell
1996 OJC 158
Original recording 1957
On this early album the bassist displays the qualities of lyricism and rhythm that would soon put him at the top of the game. His quartet swings this one with relish. Texas tenor James Clay and pianist Lorraine Geller have fun trading licks while a young Billy Higgins keeps things rolling from behind the drum kit.
Jazz History Notes

A stroke of brilliance led producer Norman Granz to engage Fred Astaire in 1952 for a session revisiting his 1930s movie hits. Backed by an all-star group of players culled from Granz’ Jazz at the Philharmonic touring bands, Astaire’s 1952 version of “Cheek to Cheek” is almost half the tempo of the 1935 recording done with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra, and it is decidedly groovier.

Vibraphonist Red Norvo, who had been a swing-era bandleader of both big and small bands, ventured into modern jazz in 1945 in a session with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. His 1950 group, which included innovative bassist Charlie Mingus and guitarist Tal Farlow, did a stunning interpretation of Irving Berlin’s song.

Another Norman Granz session, from 1951, featured tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips with trombonist Bill Harris in a smoking, up-tempo performance.

Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian


Fred Astaire

Let’s Face the Music & Dance
Prism Platinum 125

Fred Astaire

Steppin’ Out: Astaire Sings
Polygram Records 23006

Red Norvo

Red Norvo Trio with Tal Farlow and Charles Mingus: The Savoy Sessions
Savoy Jazz 267

Flip Phillips

Flip Wails: Best of the Verve Years
Polygram Records 21645
Written by the Same Composer or Team...
This section shows the jazz standards written by the same writing team. Click on a name to see all of a writer's jazz standards.

Irving Berlin

Year Rank Title
1932 49 How Deep Is the Ocean? (How High Is the Sky?)
1927 129 Blue Skies
1935 187 Cheek to Cheek
1925 302 Always
1946 345 They Say It’s Wonderful
1925 362 Remember
1940 404 White Christmas
1927 469 Russian Lullaby
1911 578 Alexander’s Ragtime Band
1927 598 The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)
1935 616 Let’s Face the Music and Dance
1932 639 Say It Isn’t So
1933 662 Easter Parade
1924 751 What’ll I Do
1950 789 The Best Thing for You
1928 838 Marie
1936 884 I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket
1937 904 I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
1937 912 This Year’s Kisses
1924 918 All Alone
1937 926 Change Partners
1933 959 Heat Wave
1938 970 Now It Can Be Told
1921 986 All By Myself
Reading and Research

Additional information on “Cheek to Cheek” may be found in:


2 pages including the following types of information: lyric analysis.

1 paragraph including the following types of information: history and performers.

1 page including the following types of information: music analysis.

1 paragraph including the following types of information: summary.

1 paragraph including the following types of information: history and performers.

5 paragraphs including the following types of information: anecdotal and history.

Includes the following types of information: song lyrics.

2 paragraphs including the following types of information: lyric analysis and music analysis.

1 paragraph including the following types of information: lyric analysis and music analysis.

Copyright 2005 - JazzStandards.com - All Rights Reserved          Permission and contact information

Home | Overview | Songs | Biographies | History | Search | Bookstore | About