Gershwin–The Man I Love, Rebecca Luker

George and Ira Gershwin wrote 8 songs that never made it into the final score for Lady, Be Good! that opened on Broadway in 1924. Many of the minor songs that stayed with the show must have seemed, at the time, to combine the right blend of humor and romance; however, they have not remained popular with singers or the public.

On the other hand, one of the 8 songs cut after the Philadelphia tryout was published as a popular song by T.B. Harms in 1927. Adele Astaire had sung the song in the Philadelphia tryout; and, according to Howard Pollack, “Ira recalled, Astaire ‘sang the song charmingly and to an appreciative hand. But sweetness and simplicity in style do not make for vociferous applause given dancing duets and novelty numbers. So, after a week, “The Man I Love” was withdrawn.’ ”

Lady Edwina Mountbatten insisted on taking a copy of the song back to London, where it became a favorite with dance bands. In the United States, singers such as Marion Harris and Helen Morgan made hit recordings.

In the final analysis, the song that did not fit in Lady, Be Good! turned out to be one of Gershwin’s most popular songs, and “it would remain a favorite of may instrumentalists and singers, including Billie Holiday and Barbra Streisand.”

More than that, according to Pollack, the song also garnered more critical praise than practically any other Gershwin song.”

We are going to start our musical exploration by looking at and listening to the beautiful Rebecca Luker as she sings “The Man I Love” with the Boston Pops Orchestra and guest conductor John McGlinn. The full 1990 performance ran a little over 57 minutes and has an all-star cast; Kitty Carlisle Hart gave a brief explanation about the composers and the songs. Each song was played in its original orchestration; because “The Man I Love” was cut from the 1924 show, Lady, Be Good! it uses the T.B. Harms 1927 orchestration.