Ain't She Sweet

"Ain't She Sweet" is a song composed by Milton Ager (music) and Jack Yellen (lyrics) and published in 1927 by Edwin H. Morris & Co., Inc./Warner Bros., Inc. It became popular in the first half of the 20th century, one of the hit songs that typified the Roaring Twenties. Like "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1929), it became a Tin Pan Alley standard. Both Ager and Yellen were elected to membership in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Milton Ager wrote "Ain't She Sweet" for his daughter Shana Ager, who in her adult life was known as the political commentator Shana Alexander.

Recorded versions

• Ben Bernie and his Orchestra - 1927
• Gene Austin - 1927
• Johnny Marvin - 1927
• Lillian Roth -1933
• Mr. Goon-Bones & Mr. Ford - 1949
• Paul Ash and his Orchestra
• Winifred Atwell - Decca Records
• Frank Banta
• Pearl Bailey - 1949 Harmony Records
• Bunny Berigan & His Orchestra - 1940
• Sally Blair - EMI Records Group, N.A.
• Eddie Cantor
• Judy Carmichael - 1985
• Benny Carter - Contemporary Records
• Bill Coleman, Stephane Grappelli - Classic Jazz Records
• Jackie Davis - Capitol Records
• Eric Delaney and his Band - EMI Records Group, N.A.
• Tommy Dorsey - Decca Records
• The Dukes of Dixieland - Audio Fidelity Records
• Erroll Garner
• Ken Griffin - Columbia Records
• Annette Hanshaw - 1927 - PATHÉ Actuelle
• Fletcher Henderson - Disques Swing Records
• Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson - Pye UK Records
• The Milt Herth Trio - Coral Records
• Michael Holliday - EMI Records Group, N.A.
• Ferlin Husky - 1959
• Jack Hylton and his Orchestra - EMI Records Group, N.A.
• Harry James & His Orchestra - 1945
• Sammy Kaye - 1960
• Enoch Light and his Orchestra
• Meade “Lux” Lewis
• Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians - 1966
• Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra - 1939 - Columbia Records
• Johnny Maddox - Dot Records
• The Johnny Mann Singers - Liberty Records
• Billy May - Capitol Records T578 - 1955
• The Modernaires - Coral Records
• The Moms and Dads - Crescendo Records
• Joyce Moody and Earl Wentz - Sixpence, Inc.
• Russ Morgan and his Orchestra - Capitol Records
• Eddie Peabody
• Mel Powell Trio
• Duffy Power
• Frank Sinatra - 1962
• Jimmy Smith
• Big Joe Turner - Classic Jazz Records
• Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps - 1956 Capitol Records
• Ben Webster, Frank Rosolino - Contemporary Records
• Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra - Ranwood Records Inc.
• Lena Zavaroni - Hold Tight, It's Lena BBC Records (UK, 1982)
• Raul Seixas and his Band - 1992 - Raul Vivo

Other recordings

"Ain't She Sweet" was also performed by the Beatles with John Lennon on lead vocals. It was recorded on June 23, 1961 at the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Hamburg, Germany with Pete Best on drums, and produced by Bert Kaempfert, released as a single in 1964, May 29 on Polydor NH 52-317 (UK).,^[1] and included on the Anthology 1 album in 1995. A different rendition, recorded during a jam session in 1969 with Ringo Starr on drums, was released on the Beatles' Anthology 3 - it is the only song which appears on two of the Anthology records. A solo version of the song was also included in the John Lennon Anthology box set.

Personnel

• John Lennon - lead vocal, rhythm guitar
• George Harrison - lead guitar
• Paul McCartney - bass
• Pete Best - drums

"Ain't She Sweet" was recorded by Fabian Forte; Hoosier Hot Shots; Ray Anthony; Nat King Cole; Tiny Hill & the Hilltoppers; the Playboys; the Viscounts; Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers; and many others. The song was also covered in 1990 on the album Funk of Ages, by Bernie Worrell and several former members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

Selected appearances in film/TV shows

• Duck Soup (Paramount Pictures, 1933)
• Force of Arms (Warner Brothers, 1951) Italian cafe scene on piano
• East of Eden (Warner Brothers, 1955) instrumental in background of carnival scene, film set 10 years before song composed
• The Eddy Duchin Story (Columbia Pictures, 1955)
• Picnic (MGM, 1955) Sung by the townspeople of Salina, Kansas when Kim Novak's character is floating down the river in a swan-shaped boat after she was elected Queen of Neewollah.
• Coronation Street Sung by Sylvia Goodwin and others.
• Strangers on a Train (Warner Brothers, 1951) instrumental in background of carnival scenes
• You're My Everything (Twentieth Century Fox, 1949)
• You Were Meant for Me (Twentieth Century Fox, 1948)
• House M.D. Season 2, Episode 9: "Deception"
• You Rang, M'Lord? Season 2, Episode 5: "The Wounds of War"
• Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics, 2011)
• Bunheads Season 1, Episode 1: "Pilot" (2012)

References