| "Love Is the Sweetest Thing" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Ray Noble and His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, vocal Al Bowlly | |
| B-side | I'll Do My Best to Make You Happy[1] |
| Published | November 9, 1932 by Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd., London, UK[2] |
| Released | June 30, 1933[1] |
| Recorded | September 8, 1932[3] |
| Studio | Abbey Road Studios 2, London, UK[3] |
| Genre | Popular Music, British dance band |
| Length | 3:18 |
| Label | Victor 24333[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Ray Noble[2] |
| Official Audio | |
| "Love Is the Sweetest Thing" on YouTube | |
"Love Is the Sweetest Thing" is a popular song written in 1932 by British band leader and singer Ray Noble. Using guest vocalist Al Bowlly, Noble's recording was a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic, bringing Noble his first American success.[4] It was published by Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd.[2] Like most compositions published in the period (commonly called Tin Pan Alley songs), its main refrain (in thirty-two bar A-A-B-A form) is preceded with what were then called "sectional verses" or "introductory verses" which are usually omitted from early recordings and modern performances.
- ^ a b c "Victor 24333 (Black label (popular) 10-in. double-faced) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
- ^ a b c Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1932). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1932 Musical Compositions New Series Vol 27 Pt 3 For the Year 1932. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
- ^ a b "Gramophone matrix 0B3196. Love is the sweetest thing / New Mayfair Dance Orchestra ; Ray Noble - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
- ^ "A Century of Song: Part One". www.m-magazine.co.uk. PRS for Music. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
Love is the Sweetest Thing was a massive hit for Ray on both sides of the Atlantic, earning him his first US number one. Its success brought him a few Hollywood acting roles, where he played alongside Fred Astaire and Joan Fontaine in the 1937 film A Damsel in Distress.