Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Al Dubin song)

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Published
  
1933

Lyricist(s)
  
Al Dubin

Composer(s)
  
Harry Warren

Language
  
English

"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a 1933 hit song by Al Dubin (lyrics) and Harry Warren (music), set in Paris. The narrator says "I walk along the street of sorrow/The Boulevard of Broken Dreams/Where gigolo and gigolette/Can take a kiss without regret/So they forget their broken dreams."

The song appeared in the 1934 film Moulin Rouge and was sung in the film by Constance Bennett. However, Bennett never made a recording of the song. It was originally recorded by Deane Janis with Hal Kemp's Orchestra on October 31, 1933, in Chicago before the release of the film and was issued on the Brunswick label as catalog number 6734.

This piece is written as a tango in the harmonic minor scale. The song is in the key of E minor.

Covers

  • Ted Weems and His Orchestra recorded the song with vocals by Elmo Tanner on December 5, 1933 in Chicago on the Bluebird label as catalog number 5288.
  • Jan Garber and His Orchestra recorded the song with vocals by Lee Bennett on December 14, 1933 on the Victor label as catalog number 24498. Their recording remained on the U.S. Billboard chart for 11 weeks and reached number six in 1934.
  • Ed Lloyd's Rhythm Boys recorded the song with vocals by Helen Ward on February 2, 1934 on Conqueror Records as catalog number 8261.
  • Bing Crosby sang the song with Jimmie Grier and His Orchestra on April 16, 1934 on his radio show Bing Crosby Entertains (the Woodbury series).
  • Connee Boswell recorded the song on April 27, 1934 on the Brunswick label for the b-side of the 78rpm single to "Carioca" as catalog numbers 6871 and 01783.
  • Bert Ambrose and His Orchestra recorded the song with vocals by Sam Browne in 1934 on the Brunswick label as catalog number 01721.
  • Harry Sosnik and His Orchestra recorded the song with vocals by Frances Langford on July 3, 1939 in Los Angeles on the Decca label for the b-side of the 78rpm single to "Moonglow" as catalog number 2861.
  • The King Cole Trio (featuring Jack Costanzo on bongos) recorded the song July 26, 1949.
  • It was one of the first records for Tony Bennett in 1950; Bennett made a more Latin sounding recording of the song in 1952 and it was a hit. He recorded it again in 1990 and 2007. Bennett recorded a duet of the song with Sting for his 2006 Duets: An American Classic album.
  • Instrumental versions of this song include the version by jazz piano virtuoso Art Tatum, from "The Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces".
  • Billy Eckstine's first greatest-hits compilation - "Billy's Best!" Mercury, 1958 with Bobby Tucker Orchestra, by arrangers Henry Mancini and Pete Rugolo.
  • It was covered by No Wave artist James White on his 1983 album Flaming Demonics.
  • Marianne Faithfull also covered it in her Hal Willner produced weary/lush album Strange Weather in 1987 and later on 20th Century Blues (1996).
  • Monsieur Camembert featured it one their ARIA award-winning self-titled album, Monsieur Camembert, sung by Jacqi Stoddard.
  • Diana Krall covered the song on her 1996 album All for You: a Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio and on the International Limited Edition version of her 2006 album From This Moment On, which was also released as a bonus track on iTunes.
  • This song was featured on a BBC Apprentice advertisement in 2010. It was also featured in all of the five concerts for Amy Winehouse's return tour in 2011 in Brazil.
  • It was covered by the progressive rock group Café Jacques on their 1978 album International.
  • Leslie Cheung covered it in 1996 and included the cover in the Japanese edition of his album Red.
  • The song was sung live on the ABC show Dancing with the Stars in 2010 (Season 11, episode 4) by the show's band during an Argentine Tango dance featuring Anna Demidova & Andrey Begunov.
  • Sylvia Brooks covered the song on her 2013 album Restless.
  • Haim Hefer wrote to this melody a Hebrew text in 1948: Ha-Peruta veha-Yareach (הפרוטה והירח)
  • Puddles Pity Party recorded a cover of the song in Doppler Studios, Atlanta GA on Sept 29th 2015.

    • References

    Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Al Dubin song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA