FROM THE ARCHIVE 241 -1959-

From the 1959 Phillips album The Bewitching Miss Bassey the song My Funny Valentine (from musicals “Babes in Arms” and “Pal Joey”)

My Funny Valentine  first became a hit record in 1945, released by bandleader, Hal McIntyre, with Ruth Gaylor on lead vocals. That effort peaked at #16 on the US Billboard Singles Chart.

Since its release in 1937, My Funny Valentine has become a jazz standard and one of the most popular songs in the “Great American Songbook“. The song has been recorded by over 600 artists, and has appeared on over 1,300 albums. Some of the most notable recordings of My Funny Valentine include those by Chet Baker (1952), Frank Sinatra (1955), Ella Fitzgerald (1956), and Miles Davis (1956).

Shirley Bassey recorded My Funny Valentine for her 1959 album, “The Bewitching Miss Bassey“, released in 1959 on the Philips label. The song was released as a single but it did not chart.  The B-side of My Funny Valentine was  How About You? She was accompanied on this track by Wally Stott and His Orchestra.

Lyrics:

My funny valentine
Sweet comic valentine

You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable
Unphotographable
Yet you’re my favourite work of art

Is your figure less than greek
Is your mouth a little weak
When you open it to speak
Are you smart?

But don’t change a hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little valentine stay
Each day is valentines day

Is your figure less than greek
Is your mouth a little weak
When you open it to speak
Are you smart?

But don’t you change one hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little valentine stay
Each day is valentines day