Do It Again (George Gershwin and Buddy DeSylva song)


"Do It Again" is an American popular song by composer George Gershwin and lyricist Buddy DeSylva. The song premiered in the 1922 Broadway show The French Doll, as performed by actress Irène Bordoni.

Background

Gershwin recounted the origin of the song in 1934: Gershwin began playing the song, at parties. Upon hearing the song, Irène Bordoni insisted that she perform the song in her show. "Do It Again" first appeared in the Broadway play The French Doll, which premiered on February 20, 1922 at the Lyceum and ran for a total of 120 performances.

Construction

In Edward Jablonski's book Gershwin: With a New Critical Discography, he writes that "Do It Again" has "bar-to-bar modulations, distinctive harmonies and un-Tin Pan Alley long-lined melody that mark it as one of Gershwin's finest creations."

Success

Bordoni, the actress who performed the song in The French Doll, earned praise and success with the song's premiere. Alice Delysia's performance of the song in the 1922 London revue Mayfair and Montmartre was also well received. That same year, the Paul Whiteman Orchestra's recording found success and helped forge an "auspicious association" between the bandleader and Gershwin. While Bordoni never recorded the song, Delysia did in 1933. Other notable performances include Marilyn Monroe's 1952 live rendition before thousands of marines at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, which caused a "near riot", as well as the version that appears on Judy Garland's 1961 live album Judy at Carnegie Hall.

Notable recordings