[Dixielandjazz] Coquette

[Bill Haesler]

Dear friends,
There are two songs called "Coquette", both composed in 1928 by:
1.  Irving Berlin for the 1929 film [based on the 1928 Helen Hayes stage
musical] starring Mary Pickford in her first 'talkie'. I believe this to be
a waltz. The film was apparently a box office flop notwithstanding
Pickford's Oscar for best actress, which did not help promote the song.
2.  Carmen Lombardo and Johnny Green, music - Gus Kahn, lyrics.
This is the one we all play, know and love. The best version by far being
the one recorded in Nov 1937 by Bob Crosby's Bob Cats.
A friend is trying to locate a recorded example of the rarer Berlin
composition.
Anyone?
He said there is a record of it by Ben Selvin, which I can't find in my
files.
Do not be misled by claims on some record labels citing Berlin's authorship.
I have several of these, which in each case turn out to be the
Lombardo-Green-Kahn opus.

The following lyrics for the Berlin version came off the internet:
"Just a sweet coquette, so they say and yet
I know how true you can be
Just a butterfly, so they say but I
Know just how much you love me

The others you've met may call you Coquette
But I'll always call you "sweetheart"

They think of Coquette as something to pet
But I think of you as "sweetheart"

They say you're a devil with wonderful charms
But I held an angel that night in my arms

So try and forget the name of Coquette
And only remember "sweetheart"

[2]
Now that I love you, and you love me too
I'll keep you close to my heart
Now that I can see you belong to me
Nothing can keep us apart."


Kind regards,
Bill.