Almost Like Being in Love

Original show tune by Lerner and Loewe; from the 1947 musical "Brigadoon"

"Almost Like Being in Love" is a show tune with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was written for the score of their 1947 musical Brigadoon.^[1] The song was first sung by David Brooks and Marion Bell, in the Broadway production. It was later performed in the 1954 film version by Gene Kelly.^[2]

Michael Johnson version

"Almost Like Being in Love" was revived in a downbeat ballad version by singer Michael Johnson (U.S. no. 32, 1978).^[3] His rendition became a Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit in both the U.S. (no. 4) and Canada (no. 10).

Other versions

• There were three hit versions of the song in the United States in 1947: Frank Sinatra's version^[5] was the highest charting at no. 20. Mildred Bailey and Mary Martin both charted with the song at no. 21 that year.^[6]
• Nat King Cole recorded more than one version of the song, including a later version that was used as the closing song in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. Cole's version, in the key of G major like the original, features a ii–V–I turnaround (2-5-1) in G, a pair of similar 2-5-1 sequences in E major and D major for the bridge, after which it raises the refrain a half-step with a 2-5-1 in A flat major.
• Frank Sinatra rerecorded the song for his 1961 album Come Swing with Me!.
• The song was also made popular by Shirley Bassey. Like Judy Garland, Bassey performed this song as a medley with the song, "This Can't Be Love".
• Bradley Walsh recorded his version of the song for his 2016 debut album Chasing Dreams.
• Red Garland recorded his version with Paul Chambers and Art Taylor on his 1957 album Red Garland's Piano.
• Ella Fitzgerald recorded a version with Dizzy Gillespie and his orchestra, released on her 1962 album, Ella Sings Broadway.
• Erroll Garner recorded a version of the song for his 1966 live album Campus Concert.
• Seth MacFarlane recorded his version of the song for his 2017 album In Full Swing.
• Diana Krall included the song in her 2020 album This Dream of You.
• Vic Damone recorded an excellent version of the song in 1956.
• James Taylor included the song in the 2020 album American Standard.^[7]
• Rod Stewart with Jools Holland recorded a version on the 2024 Swing Fever
• Bleachers (band) recorded a version for the soundtrack of The New Look (TV series), produced by Jack Antonoff.^[8]

In popular culture

• It was sung by Dennis Day in the ′Don Invites Gang to Dinner′ episode of The Jack Benny Program in 1956.
• In the 1957 Goon Show episode, "The Great Regent's Park Swim", Eccles parodies the song, singing "with a smile on my face for the whole human race, it's almost like being insane."
• A portion of the song was sung by Jack Soo’s character Detective Nick Yemana in the third season episode of Barney Miller entitled ‘Hash’ in 1976.
• The song was used in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day (film).
• The song was used in the 1995 movie Grumpier Old Men
• It was sung by the ant Z (voiced by Woody Allen) in the 1998 Dreamworks animated film Antz.^[9][10]
• The song was used in the 2003 movie The Cooler.
• It was performed in an episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel by Darius de Haas.^[11]

References

1. Hischak, Thomas S. (2008). The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. Oxford University Press. p. 93. ISBN 978-0195335330.
2. "Jazz Standards: Almost Like Being in Love". Jazz Standards.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. Jasen, David A. (2013). A Century of American Popular Music. Taylor & Francis. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-135-35271-4.
4. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
5. Gilliland, John. (2020-03-23). "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #19 - All Tracks UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
6. Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890–1954. Record Research Inc. p. 470. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
7. "www.allmusic.com". Retrieved July 26, 2023.
8. https://www.nme.com/news/music/bleachers-release-almost-like-being-in-love-from-jack-antonoffs-soundtrack-for-the-new-look-3612901
9. Brigham, William (2019). Historical Dictionary of Woody Allen. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 23. ISBN 9781538120200. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
10. Neupert, Richard (2016). John Lasseter. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. p. 141. ISBN 9780252098352. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
11. "All The Songs In 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Season 3". Bustle. Retrieved 2 January 2020.