thumb|Sheet music cover, 1929
"What Is This Thing Called Love?" is a 1929 popular song written by Cole Porter, for the musical Wake Up and Dream. It was originally published by Harms and first performed by Elsie Carlisle in March 1929. The song has become a popular jazz standard and one of Porter's most often played compositions.
Background
Wake Up and Dream ran for 263 shows in London. The show was produced on Broadway in December 1929; in the American rendition, "What Is This Thing Called Love" was sung by Frances Shelley.
Early recordings
Jazz musicians soon included the song in their repertoire. The recordings of Ben Bernie and Fred Rich (vocal by The Rollickers) made it to the charts in 1930, and the song was also recorded by stride pianist James P. Johnson, clarinetist Artie Shaw and guitarist Les Paul.
- Bing Crosby (1955) for use on his radio show and it was included in the box set The Bing Crosby CBS Radio Recordings (1954–56) issued by Mosaic in 2009.
- Tommy Dorsey – Sy Oliver's arrangement with vocalist Connie Haines and trumpeter Ziggy Elman
- Ella Fitzgerald (1956)
- Vince Guaraldi Trio – The Navy Swings (1965)
- Billie Holiday
- Libby Holman – (Brunswick, 1930) (rare rendition of the composition with the introductory verse)
- Bobby McFerrin and Herbie Hancock – The Other Side of 'Round Midnight (1986)
- Leo Reisman – 1930
- Artie Shaw
- Frank Sinatra – In the Wee Small Hours (1955)
- Keely Smith – Swingin' Pretty (1959)
- Jacky Terrasson and Stefon Harris – Kindred (2001)
- Hampton Hawes with Red Mitchell & Chuck Thompson (1955)
- Melody Gardot – Sunset in the Blue (2020)
- Barbra Streisand – Barbra Streisand in Concert (1994)
Influence
- The chord progression of the song forms the basis of several jazz compositions (contrafact), such as "Hot House" by Tadd Dameron and Subconscious Lee by Lee Konitz.
See also
- List of 1920s jazz standards