Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"
Song by Fred Astaire
B-side"Shall We Dance"
PublishedFebruary 27, 1937 (1937-02-27) by Gershwin Publishing Corp., New York[1]
ReleasedApril 3, 1937[2]
RecordedMarch 3, 1937[3]
StudioLos Angeles, California
GenreJazz, pop vocal
LabelBrunswick 7857[4]
Composer(s)George Gershwin
Lyricist(s)Ira Gershwin
Fred Astaire singles chronology
"They All Laughed"
(1937)
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"
(1937)
"A Foggy Day"
(1938)
The first four bars of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"

"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as part of a celebrated dance duet on roller skates.[5][6] The sheet music has the tempo marking of "Brightly".[7] The song was ranked No. 34 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.[8]

  1. ^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1937). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1937 Musical Compositions New Series Vol 32 Pt 3 For the Year 1937. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  2. ^ "Cover versions of Let's Call the Whole Thing Off by Fred Astaire with Johnny Green and His Orchestra | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  3. ^ "BRUNSWICK 78rpm numerical listing discography: 7500 - 8000". 78discography.com. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  4. ^ "Fred Astaire – Let's Call The Whole Thing Off / Shall We Dance (Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  5. ^ Philip Furia (1997). Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist. Oxford University Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-19-535394-5.
  6. ^ YouTube
  7. ^ The Joy of... George Gershwin. Yorktown Music Press. 1 January 2011. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-78323-824-8.
  8. ^ "America's Greatest Music in the Movies" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-10-04.