"Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)"[1] is a show tune and popular song from the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey. It is part of the Great American Songbook. The song was introduced by Vivienne Segal on December 25, 1940, in the Broadway production during Act I, Scene 6, and again in Act II, Scene 4, as a reprise.[1] Segal also sang the song on both the 1950 hit record and in the 1952 Broadway revival. It was performed by Carol Bruce in the 1954 London production.
| "Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1941 by Chappell & Co. |
| Composer(s) | Richard Rodgers |
| Lyricist(s) | Lorenz Hart |
Chart versions edit
- Doris Day with The Mellomen and orchestra conducted by John Rarig
- Bill Snyder
- Gordon Jenkins and orchestra with vocal chorus by Bonnie Lou Williams
- Decca 24983[5]
- Peak Billboard chart position: No. 6
- Billboard year-end top 30 singles of 1950 No. 26[4]
- Jan August orchestra and The Harmonicats
- Larry Green
- RCA Victor 20-3726[2]
- Peak Billboard chart position: No. 15
- Mel Tormé & Dave Lambert Singers with orchestra directed by Pete Rugolo
Rod Stewart and Cher version edit
| "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Rod Stewart and Cher | ||||
| from the album As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II | ||||
| Released | October 2003 | |||
| Genre | Jazz standard | |||
| Label | J Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Richard Perry | |||
| Rod Stewart singles chronology | ||||
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| Cher singles chronology | ||||
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| Licensed audio | ||||
| "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" on YouTube | ||||
In 2003 the song was released as a duet by Rod Stewart and Cher, as single from his second pop standards album, As Time Goes By: the Great American Songbook 2. It was released in 2003 by J Records. The song was called a 'delicious duet' in a review by Billboard Magazine.[6] The cover also became a moderate hit on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States, peaking at number 17.
Weekly charts edit
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[7] | 17 |
References in popular culture edit
It is mentioned several times in the TV series Dynasty as being the favorite song of Blake (John Forsythe) and Alexis (Joan Collins). They dance to it in Season 7 Episode 28, "Shadow Play", which originally aired on May 6, 1987.
A reference to the song is also made in the title of one episode of Bewitched (Season 8 Episode 5), "Bewitched, Bothered and Baldoni".[8]
It is sung and performed on piano by Hannah's parents during a Thanksgiving gathering at home in the 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters.
The song appeared twice on The Crown (episodes "Hyde Park Corner" and "Ritz", the latter played at the ending credits), it was sung in a duet by King George VI (Jared Harris) and Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby). [9]
The song was featured in both the 2004 play and the 2006 movie, The History Boys, as sung by Samuel Barnett’s character, Posner, a young, love-struck Jewish gay boy in reference to his unrequited crush on Dominic Cooper’s character, Dakin.[10]
Walt Kelly created three recurring characters for his comic strip Pogo, named Bewitched, Bothered, and Bemildred, who were anthropomorphic bats wearing derby hats. [11]
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" takes its name from the song.
The 9-1-1 episode titled "Buck, Bothered and Bewildered" (Season 7 Episode 4) is a reference to the song.
References edit
- ^ a b "Page scan of the original playbill for the opening night (12/25/1940) of Pal Joey (1940)". NYPL Digital Gallery. 1940. Image ID 1801557. Archived from Playbill scan for Pal Joey. Image ID 1801552.
- ^ a b c d "The Nation's Top Tunes". Billboard magazine. May 27, 1950. p. 20. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ Zellner, Xander (May 13, 2019). "Doris Day's Biggest Billboard Chart Hits: 'Que Sera Sera' & More". Retrieved August 31, 2019.
- ^ a b "The Year's Top Popular Records according to Retail Sales" (PDF). The Billboard. January 13, 1951. p. 18. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ a b "Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys". Billboard magazine. May 27, 1950. p. 24. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard". 2003-11-15.
- ^ "Rod Stewart Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
- ^ Asher, William (13 October 1971). "Bewitched, Bothered and Baldoni". Ashmont Productions, Screen Gems.
- ^ Elena Fernandez, Maria (November 5, 2016). "Vanessa Kirby and Jared Harris on Singing Together on The Crown and Why the Royals Will Approve of the Show". Vulture. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ The History Boys: Bewitched, retrieved 2023-05-14
- ^ "Pogo Possum". 24 May 2014.