I Surrender Dear
"I Surrender Dear" (sometimes written as "I Surrender, Dear") is a song composed by Harry Barris with lyrics by Gordon Clifford, first performed by Gus Arnheim and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra with Bing Crosby in 1931, which became his first solo hit. This is the song that caught the attention of William Paley, president of CBS, who signed him for $600 a week in the fall of 1931.
| "I Surrender Dear" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Gus Arnheim and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra, vocal refrain by Bing Crosby | |
| B-side | "La Rosita" |
| Published | 1931 Freed and Powers Ltd., EMI Mills Music Inc. |
| Released | February 5, 1931 |
| Recorded | January 19, 1931 take 2 |
| Studio | Victor Hollywood Recording Studio, Studio 2, Los Angeles, California |
| Genre | Jazz Big Band |
| Length | 3.43 |
| Label | Victor 22618 |
| Composer(s) | Harry Barris |
| Lyricist(s) | Gordon Clifford |
In 1931, it was performed by Sam Lanin, as well as Ben Selvin, under the pseudonym "Mickie Alpert". It has been covered by many artists, making it a jazz and pop standard. The first jazz vocalist to record the song was Louis Armstrong in 1931.
"I Surrender Dear" inspired two motion pictures bearing that title: a 1931 Bing Crosby musical short I Surrender Dear produced by Mack Sennett, and a 1948 feature film starring one of Crosby's co-stars, singer Gloria Jean. An instrumental 1930s-esque Jazz cover of this song was recorded for the 1996 movie Kansas City as part of the soundtrack. This song was also the comical introduction to the pre-code film, The Tip Off 1931, in which actor Eddie Quillan is a window singer at a radio repair shop. He mouths the song while it is being played over a new "Human Voice Amplifier".