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"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is a song which was written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926. It was recorded several times in 1927—first by Charles Hart, with successful versions by Vaughn De Leath and the duet of Jerry Macy and John Ryan. In 1950 the Blue Barron Orchestra version reached the top twenty on the ''Billboard's'' Pop Singles chart. In April 1960, after Elvis Presley's two-year service in the United States Army, he recorded the song at the suggestion of manager Colonel Tom Parker; "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was Parker's wife, Marie Mott's, favorite song. Its release was delayed by RCA Records executives, who thought the song did not fit Presley's new (and publicized) style. When "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was released in November 1960 it was an immediate success in the U.S., topping ''Billboard's'' Pop Singles chart and reaching number three on the R&B chart. A month after the song's release, it topped the UK Singles Chart. Presley's version was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1961 and upgraded to double platinum in 1992. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was later recorded by several other artists, with versions by Donny Osmond and Merle Haggard becoming top-twenty hits on the pop and country charts respectively. ''Billboard'' ranked "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" number 81 on its "Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs" list in 2008. ==Composition and early versions== The song was written in 1926 by vaudevillians Lou Handman and Roy Turk with three verses, followed by a spoken bridge. They based the bridge on a line in Ruggero Leoncavallo's ''Pagliacci'', and "You know someone said that the world's a stage. And each must play a part" refers to "All the world's a stage" from William Shakespeare's ''As You Like It''. This recitation is printed on the inside back cover of the original 1927 sheet music, and is sung in Al Jolson's recording made in 1949;〔https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg4VFtB0aI8it〕 may have also been included in his earlier versions of the song. Billboard reported in 1960 its discovery that it was written by songwriter and vaudeville pianist Dave Dreyer. Several versions of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" were recorded in 1927. The first, by Charles Hart, was recorded on May 9 and released on Harmony Records (431-H) as the B-side of "Sweet Marie". On June 13, Vaughn De Leath recorded the song as the B-side of "It's a Million to One You're in Love" for Edison Records (Ed-52044). De Leath had the first hit version of the song, which peaked at number four in November. On July 10, 1927, the Newport Society Orchestra recorded the song with Irving Kaufman the vocalist; it was released on Harmony Records (511-H) with "I'm Walkin' On Air". A version by the duet of Jerry Macy and John Ryan was released on Okeh Records (Ok-40866) as the B-side of "Carolina Mine". Henry Burr's version peaked at number ten, and Little Jack Little had a hit with the song for Columbia Records. The Carter Family recorded it in 1936, changing several elements of the original version. Although Gene Austin included the song in his shows during the 1930s, he never recorded it. In March 1950 the Blue Barron Orchestra released "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" with "Penny Wise and Love Foolish" on the B-side, and it peaked at number nineteen on ''Billboard's'' Top Pop Singles chart. In April Don Cornell released a version without the narrative bridge as the B-side of his RCA Victor single, "Stay With the Happy People". ''Billboard'' called it a: "dreamy waltz ... (that) gets effective treatment (on the recording)". Based on votes sent to ''Billboard'', the song received 78 points from disc jockeys, 78 from record dealers, 79 from jukebox operators and 78 points overall; on the magazine's 100-point scale, it was rated "Good". Al Jolson recorded a version with the spoken bridge on April 28, 1950 in Los Angeles; Gordon Jenkins conducted the orchestra. With "No Sad Songs For Me" on the B-side, it was released by Decca Records in June. According to ''Billboard'', although the version was "revived" by Jolson's "schmaltz style" his recitation of the bridge was "hamboned". Based on votes sent to the magazine, the song received 71 points from disc jockeys, 71 from record dealers and 71 from jukebox operators; with an overall score of 71, it was rated "Good". In 1959 Jaye P. Morgan released the song on MGM Records, with "Miss You" on the B-side, and her version peaked at number 65 on ''Billboard's'' Pop Singles chart. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Are You Lonesome Tonight? (song)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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