Tea for Two (song)

"Tea for Two"
Record label for a 1924 recording by Marion Harris
Record label of 1925 number one hit by Marion Harris[1]
Single by Marion Harris
B-side"The Blues Have Got Me"
Written1924
PublishedJune 10, 1924 (1924-06-10) Harms, Inc.[2]
ReleasedJanuary 1925 (1925-01)
RecordedOctober 15, 1924 (1924-10-15)[3]
StudioBrunswick Studios, 799 Seventh Avenue, New York City
GenrePopular music, musical theater
LabelBrunswick 2747
Composer(s)Vincent Youmans
Lyricist(s)Irving Caesar
Official audio
"Tea for Two" (Recorded November 1924) on YouTube

"Tea for Two" is a 1924 song composed by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Irving Caesar.[4][5] It was introduced in May 1924 by Phyllis Cleveland and John Barker during the Chicago pre-Broadway run of the musical No, No, Nanette.[6][4] When the show finally hit Broadway on September 16, 1925, Nanette was played by Louise Groody, and her duet with Barker of "Tea for Two" was a hit. The song went on to become the biggest success of Youmans's career.[7]

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop memories, 1890–1954 : the history of American popular music : compiled from America's popular music charts 1890–1954. The Archive of Contemporary Music. Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-083-6.
  2. ^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1924). Catalog of Copyright Entries, 1924 Musical Compositions New Series Vol 19 Part 3. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  3. ^ "Brunswick matrix 13957-13959. Tea for two / Marion Harris – Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Lewens, Alan (2001). Popular Song: Soundtrack of the Century. New York: Billboard Books. p. 50. ISBN 0823084361. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  5. ^ Grossiels, Dirk. "Tea for Two". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  6. ^ "No, No, Nanette (Pre-Broadway Production, 1924)". Ovrtur. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Zinsser, William Knowlton (2001). Easy To Remember: The Great American Songwriters And Their Songs (1st ed.). Jaffrey, N.H.: David R. Godine. p. 52. ISBN 1567921477. Retrieved April 8, 2019.