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Lady in Satin Billie Holiday & Ray Ellis - But Beautiful (Columbia Records 1958)

4,869 views · Published 11 November 2011 · 4:34 · Indexed 15 October 2026

Channel: RoundMidnightTV · 2011 · Music

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"But Beautiful" is a popular song with music written by Jimmy Van Heusen, the lyrics by Johnny Burke. The song was published in 1947.  One of five songs written by Burke and Van Heusen featured in the Paramount Pictures movie Road to Rio (1947), it was introduced by Bing Crosby and is also associated with his leading lady Dorothy Lamour. The original key is G major and has the form A-B1-A-B2. It is usually performed as a ballad.  Lady in Satin is an album by jazz singer Billie Holiday released in 1958 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1157 in mono and CS 8048 in stereo. It is the next to final album completed by the singer and released in her lifetime (her final album, Billie Holiday, being recorded in March 1959 and released just after her death). The original album was produced by Irving Townsend, and engineered by Fred Plaut.  Unlike the bulk of Holiday's recordings, rather than in the setting of a jazz combo Holiday returns to the backdrop of full orchestral arrangements as done during her Decca years. The album consists of songs Holiday had never recorded before. The arrangements were by bandleader Ray Ellis. Soloists on the album included Mel Davis, Urbie Green, and bebop trombone pioneer J.J. Johnson.

Billie's accompanied by Billy Butterfield, Mel Davis, Bernie Glow (trumpet) Urbie Green (trombone) Gene Quill (alto saxophone) Hank Jones (piano) Barry Galbraith (guitar) Milt Hinton (bass) Osie Johnson (drums), Ray Ellies (arranger, conductor) unidentified strings, harp, vocal choir, and others.  Recorded in New York City, February 19, 1958.  (Columbia Records)

Love is funny or it's sad
 Or it's quiet or it's mad
 It's a good thing or it's bad
 
But beautiful
 Beautiful to take a chance and if you fall, you fall
 And i'm thinking i wouldn't mind at all
 Love is tearful or it's gay
 It's a problem or it's play
 It's heartache anyway
 
But beautiful
 And i'm thinking if you were mine
 I'd never let you go
 And that would be
 But beautiful
 I know

Love is tearful or it's gay
 It's a problem or it's play
 It's heartache anyway
 
 And i'm thinking if you were mine
 I'd never let you go
 And that would be
 But beautiful
 I know

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