| "Love Letters in the Sand" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1931 |
| Released | 1931 |
| Composer(s) | J. Fred Coots |
| Lyricist(s) | Nick Kenny, Charles Kenny |
"Love Letters in the Sand" is a popular song first published in 1931.
It began life as a poem by Nick Kenny. J. Fred Coots read the poem in the New York Daily Mirror, and obtained Kenny's permission to set the poem to music. He went through 4 different melodies before settling on the published version known today. The melody bears similarity to the 1881 song The Spanish Cavalier.[1] Lyrics were credited to both Nick Kenny and his brother Charles Kenny.
The song was first recorded on 26 August 1931, as a "vocal chorus" sung by Helen Rowland within a foxtrot played by the Majestic Dance Orchestra.[2] George Hall popularized the song on his radio show, later making it his theme song. Ted Black and His Orchestra, with vocalist Tom Brown, had the first major hit recording of the song in 1931. Pat Boone had a major hit with the song in 1957.[1]
The melody has been used for songs in at least eight other languages.[3]