Peggy Lee's Bio-Discography:
Over 250 Compositions
by Iván Santiago-Mercado
Page generated on Jul 16, 2020
Scope And Contents
The purpose of this miscellaneous page is to list all the songs that Peggy Lee is known to have penned and/or composed. At the time of the list's creation (late June 2020), the total amounted to 269 entries. Alphabetically organized, all 269 song titles are followed by songwriter name(s) and approximate year of conception. (The latter should not be taken to automatically be the same as the copyright year. Writers have the option to either file for copyright immediately or wait until any time into the future.) Viewers will also notice my insertion of various typographical symbols next to most song titles. The meaning of those symbols is explained in a guide or legend located down below, not far from this page's end. Preceding that guide, the page also offers two sections of potential interest to both fans and researchers. One section lists Lee's songwriting partners, while the other focuses on other artists' covers of her rarest compositions.
Photos
Above: two published shots, both featuring Peggy Lee in scenarios centered on the activity of writing. From around 1962, the first scenario casts her as a secretary, with typewriter and pencil readily at hand. This shot could be considered a callback to Lee's fictional copywriter role in a movie made for television in 1960. (Somewhat coincidentally, one of her two other TV movie acting roles also happens to cast her in a role relevant to this page's theme. It was for her 1972 appearance in the legal TV series Owen Marshall, Counselor At Law that she played a singer-songwriter embroiled in a song's plagiarism lawsuit.) Next up above: the second scenario finds Peggy Lee at a rehearsal, discussing an arrangement for a particular song. This second photo was taken during the filming of an educational TV documentary (1969), which focused on the preparation process that preceded Lee's music concerts. For specifics about all other images below, scroll down to this page's very last paragraphs (section V).
I. SONGS WRITTEN BY PEGGY LEE
1. All For You (Peggy Lee / Steve Allen) [1962]
2***. Angels On Your Pillow (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1980]
3. April Rhapsody (Peggy Lee / Steve Allen) [Year Unknown]
4. Are You A Dream? (Peggy Lee) [1958] †1
5Δ. Because I Love Him So (Peggy Lee / Milton Raskin)[1960]
6. Because I Love You (Peggy Lee)[1963]
7. Because We Love You So (Peggy Lee / Victor Young) [Year Unknown]
8Δ. Bella Notte (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke) [1955]
9***◊. Bird In A Gilded Cage, A (Adapted/Arranged By Peggy Lee) [1966]
10Δ◊. Birmingham Jail (Adapted/Arranged By Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1946]
11Δ. Bless You (For The Good That’s In You) (Peggy Lee / Mel Tormé) [1949]
12**. Blow Trumpet Blow (Peggy Lee/ __ Homes / Jack Marshall) [Probably 1958]
13. Blues For Basie (Peggy Lee) [1984]
14Δ. Blum, Blum (I Wonder Who I Am) (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1949]
15Δ. Boomerang (I'll Come Back To You) (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1989]
16Δ. Boston Beans (Peggy Lee / Milton Raskin / Bill Schluger)[1961]
17. Burn It Slow (Peggy Lee / Tish Oney) [1953; Set To Music 2007] †2
18. But Only For You (Peggy Lee / Gene DiNovi)[1965]
19***. Butterfly (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990]
20. Ciao Caro (Peggy Lee)
21Δ. Christmas Carousel (Peggy Lee)[1960]
22Δ. Christmas List, The (Peggy Lee, Based On A Theme By Josef Haydn) [1959]
23***. Christmas Lullaby (Peggy Lee / Cy Coleman)[1967] †3
24Δ. Christmas Riddle, The (Peggy Lee / Stella Castellucci)[1960]
25Δ. Circle In The Sky, A (Peggy Lee / Emil Palame) [1989]
26***. Clicky Clack (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1982]
27***. Clown Party (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1980]
28. Con-fu-sion Says (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour)[1948]
29. Copycat (Wack A Doo) (Peggy Lee, Quincy Jones)
30. Could You Love Somebody Like Me? (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour)[1948]
31***. Country Love (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990]
32Δ. Courage, Madame (Peggy Lee / Peter Moore) [1977]
33***. Cowboy And The Beaded Lady, The (Peggy Lee) [1993]
34***. Cross Country Blues (Peggy Lee / Quincy Jones)[1961]
35***. Daddy Was A Railroad Man (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner)[1980]
36Δ. Don’t Be So Mean To Baby (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1946]
37Δ. Don’t Forget To Feed The Reindeer (Peggy Lee) [1960]
38. Don’t Make Believe (Peggy Lee)[1953]
39Δ. Don't Smoke In Bed (Peggy Lee, Dave Barbour, Willard Robison) [1947] [Lee & Barbour Uncredited]
40Δ. Dreams Of Summer (Peggy Lee / Utakaka Kokakura) [1977]
41Δ. Easy Does It (Peggy Lee / Richard Hazard) [1979]
42***. Easy Goer (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990]
43***. El Toro (Peggy Lee / Laurindo Almeida)[1960]
44Δ. Embrasse Moi (Again, One More Time) (Peggy Lee / Aimé Barelli) [1961]
45Δ. Everybody Needs A Santa Claus (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990]
46Δ. Everything’s Movin’ Too Fast (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1947]
47. Fever (Eddie Cooley, John Davenport; additional lyrics by Sid Kuller, Pegg Lee) [1958]
48Δ. Fisherman’s Wharf (Peggy Lee / Milton Raskin)[1961]
49***. Flying Through The Sky (Together Forever) (Peggy Lee / Benny Golson) [Ca. 1971?]
50***. Flowers And Flowers (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1982]
51***. Folks Back Home, The (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1980] †4
52. France Theme (Peggy Lee / Robert Farnon)[1961]
53. Funny Little Ole Bluebird (Peggy Lee / Victor Young)[1954]
54. Garnet (January) (Peggy Lee - George H. Russell) [1997] †5
55***. Get Off Your Knees (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [Ca. 1982]
56. Goin’ Down The Road (Peggy Lee / Jack Marshall) [1958]
57Δ. Gold Wedding Ring, The (Peggy Lee / Harry Sukman) [1955]
58. Goodbye, Baby (Peggy Lee / Mundell Lowe) (1967)
59Δ. Goodbye, My Love (Peggy Lee / Victor Young) [1952]
60Δ. Got That Magic (Peggy Lee / Bill Schluger) [1963]
61Δ. Gotta Travel On - Movin' On (Traditional; Additional Lyrics By Peter Clayton, Peggy Lee)[1967]
62Δ. Grain Belt Blues, The (Peggy Lee / Milton Raskin / Bill Schluger)[1962]
63**. Great Big Love, A (Peggy Lee / Max Bennett / Jimmy Rowles)[1964]
64Δ. Gypsy Heart (I Love Your) (Peggy Lee / Harry Sukman) [1954]
65Δ. Gypsy With The Fire In His Shoes, The (Peggy Lee / Laurindo Almeida)[1954]
66Δ◊. Hand On The Plow (Traditional; Adapted And Arranged By Peggy Lee, Mundell Lowe) (1968)
67Δ. Happy Feet (Peggy Lee / Quincy Jones) [1966]
68Δ. Happy Monks, The (Instrumental) (Peggy Lee) [1955] †6
69Δ. Happy Music (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1950]
70. Happy New Year To You (Peggy Lee / Cy Coleman) [1967]
71Δ. Happy With The Blues (Peggy Lee / Harold Arlen)[1961]
72***. He’ll Make Me Believe That He’s Mine (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1982]
73Δ. He’s A Tramp (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke) [1955]
74Δ. Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, The (Peggy Lee / Dave Grusin) [1968]
75Δ. Here’s To You (Peggy Lee / Richard Hazard)[1967]
76***. Honey (Wishbone) (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [Ca. 1982]
77***. How Do You Erase A Memory? (Peggy Lee / Sid Kuller)[1959]
78Δ. How Strange (Peggy Lee / Victor Young) [1952]
79. I Can't Believe That I Can't Believe In You (Peggy Lee / ___ Feather)
80Δ. I Didn't Find Love (Peggy Lee) [Ca. 1962]
81Δ. I Don’t Know Enough About You (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1946]
82***. I Don't Know Where I Belong (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990]
83Δ. I Don’t Wanna Leave You Now (Peggy Lee / Richard Hazard / Jeanne Taylor) [1963]
84. I Don’t Want To Walk In The Dark (Peggy Lee)[1954]
85. I Gave It Everything I Had (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1980] †7
86. I Gotta Do Something Fast (Peggy Lee)[1951]
87Δ. I Just Want To Dance All Night (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1989]
88Δ. I Like Men (Peggy Lee / Jack Marshall) [1958]
89Δ. I Love Being Here With You (Peggy Lee / Bill Schluger)[1960]
90Δ. I Love You, But I Don’t Like You (Peggy Lee / Heinie Beau) [1951]
91Δ. I Love You So (Peggy Lee / Victor Young)[1954]
92***. I Never Knew Why (Peggy Lee / Cy Coleman) [Ca. 1983]
93. I Walked By Her Door (Peggy Lee / Johnny Mann)[1964]
94. I Wanna Jump(Peggy Lee)[1964]
95. I Want Some Man (To Give Me Some) (Peggy Lee) [1968] †8
96Δ. I Wound It Up (Peggy Lee) [1967]
97. I’ll Follow You (Peggy Lee / Richard Hazard)[1964]
98Δ. I’ll Give It All To You (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini)[1985]
99***. I'll Race You Home (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini)[1989]
100. I’m About My Father’s Business (Peggy Lee) [1958]
101***. I'm Fine (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1982]
102Δ. I’m Gonna Get It (Peggy Lee / John Pisano) [1967]
103Δ. I’m Gonna Go Fishin’ (Peggy Lee / Duke Ellington)[1959]
104Δ. I’m In The Mood For Music (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1946]
105. I’m Saving My Tears For Tomorrow (Peggy Lee / Herm Saunders)[1962]
106. I’m Your Girl (Peggy Lee / Richard Hazard)[1963]
107***. I've Got A Brand New Baby (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990] †9
108***. I've Been Too Lonely For Too Long (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990] †10
109. I've Gotta Do Something Fast (Peggy Lee) [1953]
110. If I Can Live My Life With You (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour)[1948]
111. If I Had A Chance With You (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour)[1946] †11
112Δ. In Love Again (I’m) (Peggy Lee / Cy Coleman / Bill Schluger)[1964]
113. In Silence (Peggy Lee / Lan O'Kun) [Year Unknown] †12
114Δ. In The Days Of Our Love (Peggy Lee / Marian McPartland) [1979]
115Δ. It Must Be So (Peggy Lee) [1953]
116. It Was Only A Friendship (Peggy Lee) [1959]
117. It’s A Funny Old World (Peggy Lee) [1955]
118Δ. It’s A Good Day (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour)[1946]
119Δ. It’s A Good, Good Night (Peggy Lee)[1957]
120Δ. It’s Because We’re In Love (Peggy Lee)[1954]
121. It's Just A Reggae (Peggy Lee) [Year Unknown]
122Δ. Jim Dear (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke) [1952]
123Δ. Johnny Guitar (Peggy Lee / Victor Young) [1954]
124. Johnny Trouble (Peggy Lee)[1956] †13
125. Joy Of Easter, The (Peggy Lee / Victor Young)[1954]
126Δ. Just An Old Love Of Mine (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour)[1947]
127***. Just Because The Years Go By (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1980] ***
128Δ. Just Call Me Love Bird (Joy House Theme)(Peggy Lee / Lalo Schifrin)[1964]
129Δ. King Size Lies (Peggy Lee / Dick Hazard / Jeanne Taylor) [Ca. 1963] †14
130. Knob Hill (Peggy Lee / Byron Olson) [Ca. 1976]
131Δ. La La Lu (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke) [1955]
132. Land Of Leal, The (Peggy Lee)[1960]
133. Latin A La Lee (Peggy Lee / Sid Kuller)[1960]
134Δ. Lean On Me (Peggy Lee / Mundell Lowe / Mike Melvoin) [1968]
135Δ. Let It Bother Me (I'm Not Gonna) (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1948]
136***. Let It Go (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1986]
137***. Let’s Fall A Little Bit In Love (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1985]
138***. Light As A Feather (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990]
139. Little Fool (Peggy Lee) [1941]
140Δ. Little Old Car (Peggy Lee / Heinie Beau) [1955]
141. London Theme (Peggy Lee / Robert Farnon) [1961]
142. Lonesome For Love (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1947]
143§. Long Before I Even Knew You (Peggy Lee / Possibly Paul Horner) [Ca. 1983]
144. Long Hard Road To Happiness (It's A) (Peggy Lee / David T. Shelton) [Ca. 1981] †15
145. Look What The Wind Blew In ((Peggy Lee / Victor Young) [Year Unknown]
146Δ. Los Angeles Blues (Peggy Lee / Quincy Jones) [1962]
147***. Los Angeles Forevermore (Peggy Lee / Richard Hazard)[1978]
148. Louis' Tune (Peggy Lee) [Year Unknown]
149Δ. Love Me (Peggy Lee)
150. Love Must Be Around (Peggy Lee / Milton Raskin) [Year Unknown]
151. Love Of My Life (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [Year Unknown]
152. Lullaby For A Wee One (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1948]
153. Magic Shoes (Peggy Lee / Fred Spielman) [1958]
154***. Mama (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1981]
155Δ. Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me) (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1948]
156***. Mcguinty Went To The Opera (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [Ca. 1982]
157Δ. Meals For Millions (Peggy Lee) [1960]
158***. Mirrors And Marble (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1981]
159***. Mister Clown (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1981]
160Δ. Mister Magoo Does The Cha Cha Cha (Peggy Lee / Gene DiNovi)[1955]
161. Mon Amour (Peggy Lee / Jean Andre Brun / Michel Legrand)[1973] †16
162***. Most Of All, I Love You (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1988] †17
163Δ. My Dear Acquaintance (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [Ca. 1983]
164***. My Little Girl Has Gone Away (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner)[1981]
165Δ. My Small Señor (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1949]
166. My Star (Peggy Lee / Ralph Peña)[1963]
167Δ. Neon Signs (Gonna Shine Like Neon, Too) (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour)[1949]
168. Never Depend On A Man (Peggy Lee)[1963]
169Δ. New York City Blues (Peggy Lee / Quincy Jones) [1962]
170***. New York City Ghost (Peggy Lee / Victor Young)[1953]
171. Nice To Be Small (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1948]
172Δ. Nickel Ride, The (Peggy Lee / Dave Grusin) [1974]
173***. No More Rainbows (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1981]
174**. North Dakota (We Salute You) (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour)[1948]
175. Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [Ca. 1982]
176Δ. O, Baby, Come Home (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1952]
177Δ. Old Trusty (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke) [1952]
178Δ. Olé (Peggy Lee)[1960]
179***. One Beating A Day (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1983]
180. One For You And One For Me (Peggy Lee) [1958]
181***. Other Part Of Me, The (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1983]
182Δ. Over The Wheel (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [Ca. 1988]
183Δ. Passenger Of The Rain (Peggy Lee / Francis Lai / Sebastien Japrisot) [1971]
184. Peace Little Children (Peggy Lee / Jack Marshall) [1958]
185Δ◊. Peace On Earth (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke)[1955]
186***. Petit Chanson De Reves (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [Ca. 1983] †18
187Δ. Please Don't Rush Me (Peggy Lee) [Ca. 1962]
188. Please Treat Her Nicer (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1950] †19
189. Politics (Peggy Lee)[1963]
190. Pride And Passion (Peggy Lee / Marty Paich) [Ca. 1957]
191**. Ridin' On The Rails (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [Ca. 1982]
192. River Of Life, The (Peggy Lee / Jack Marshall) [1958]
193Δ. San Francisco Blues (Peggy Lee / Milton Raskin / Bill Schluger) [1962]
194Δ. Sans Souci (Aka Cyprus) (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke) [1952]
195**. She's Too Hip To Be Happy (Peggy Lee / Cy Coleman) [1967] †20
196Δ. Shining Sea, The (Peggy Lee / Johnny Mandel) [1966]
197Δ. Siamese Cat Song, The (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke)[1955]
198Δ. Since You’ve Gone (Peggy Lee) [1964]
199Δ. Singin’ (Cause He Wants To Sing) (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke)[1952]
200. Sleep In Peace And Wake In Joy (Peggy Lee) [Year Unknown]
201. So (Peggy Lee / Carl Caccomo / Jack Hoffman) [1954]
202Δ. So What’s New? (Peggy Lee / John Pisano) [1966]
203§. Solidarity Forever (Peggy Lee / Michael Zeamer)
204***. Something I Remember (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1989]
205***. Sometimes You’re Up (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1982]
206. Somewhere Along The Line (Peggy Lee / Matt Dennis) [1951]
207***. Soul (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner)[1983]
208Δ. Stay With Me, Stay With Me (Peggy Lee / Quincy Jones) [1966]
209Δ. Straight Ahead (Peggy Lee) [1954]
210. Straw Hat Full Of Lilacs, A (Peggy Lee / Willard Robison) [1951] †21
211. Sugar, Don’t You Know? (Peggy Lee / Louis Bellson / Jack Hayes) [1972] †22
212. Superstition (Peggy Lee) [1963]
213Δ◊. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Adapted And Arranged By Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1947]
214Δ◊. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Adapted And Arranged By Peggy Lee / Neal Hefti)[1955]
215Δ. Take A Little Time To Smile (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1948]
216§. Taking It Easy With My Love (Peggy Lee / Mary Mark Powell) [Ca. 1965]
27. That Big Pink Cloud (Peggy Lee / Gene DiNovi)[1965]
218Δ. That Fellow’s A Friend Of Man (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke)[1952]
219Δ. That Man (Peggy Lee / Bill Schluger)[1966]
220Δ. That Ol’ Devil (Won’t Get Me) (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1951]
221***. That Old Piano (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1983]
222***. That’s How I Learned To Sing The Blues (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1980]
223Δ. That’s My Style (Peggy Lee / Cy Coleman)[1963]
224Δ. That’s What It Takes (Peggy Lee / Cy Coleman / Bill Schluger) [1964]
225. Theme For Carlos (Peggy Lee) [1957]
226Δ. Then Was Then (And Now Is Now) (Peggy Lee / Cy Coleman)[1965]
227***. There Is More (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1981]
228Δ. There’ll Be Another Spring (Peggy Lee / Hubie Wheeler)[1959]
229***. They Don't Know What To Do With A Lady Like Me (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1990]
230Δ. Things Are Swingin’ (Peggy Lee / Jack Marshall)[1958]
231. This Is A Brand New Day (Peggy Lee)[1954]
232Δ. This Is A Very Special Day (Peggy Lee)[1953]
233***. This Is The Life I Want To Live (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1988]
234Δ. Three Cheers For Mr. Magoo (Peggy Lee)[1955]
235Δ. Three-Thirty Jump (Felis Domestica, Aka All Male Players Heard On This Improvised Instrumental, Plus The Drums-Playing Female, Peggy Lee)
236. Today (Peggy Lee / Richard Hazard)[1963]
237. Tom Thumb’s Tune (Peggy Lee)[1958] †23
238. Touché, My Love (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1951]
239Δ. Train Blues, The (Peggy Lee / Quincy Jones) [1962]
240Δ. Tree, The (Peggy Lee, Based On A Theme By Robert Schumann) [1959]
241. Walk To The Ring, The (Theme For Carlos) (Peggy Lee)[1958]
242. We (Peggy Lee / Stella Castellucci) [1955]
243Δ. Be Friends (Peggy Lee / John Chiodini) [1988]
244***. What Did Dey Do To My Goil? (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1982]
245Δ. What Is A Baby (Peggy Lee / Sonny Burke) [1955]
246Δ. What More Can A Woman Do? (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1945]
247. Whatever Happened To The Banjo? (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [Year Unknown]
248***. What's The Matter, Little Girl? (Peggy Lee / Paul Horner) [1982]
249Δ. Whee, Baby (Peggy Lee / Alice Larson) [1953]
250. When It Rains, It Pours (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour / Woody Herman)[1950] †24
251Δ. When You Speak With Your Eyes (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour / Rene Touzet)[1950]
252Δ. Where Can I Go Without You? (Peggy Lee / Victor Young)[1952]
253. Where Did You Go? (Peggy Lee / Louie Bellson / Jack Hayes) [1972] †25
254. Where's My Sweet Man? (Peggy Lee / Byron Olson) [Ca. 1976]
255. Where's My Sweet Woman? (Peggy Lee / Byron Olson) [Ca. 1976]
256Δ. White Birch And The Sycamore, The (Peggy Lee / Willard Robison / Hubert Wheeler) [1951]
257Δ. Who’s Gonna Pay The Check? (Peggy Lee)[1953]
258§. Why And How Of Popular Singing (Peggy Lee / Miriam Spier) [Year Unknown]
259. Why Do I Love You (Peggy Lee / Sam Nestico / Louie Bellson) [Ca. 1976] †26
260. Wife, Go Home And Mind Your Cleanin’ (Peggy Lee) [1951]
261. Willing For The Rain (Peggy Lee / Mundell Lowe) [1968]
262. Willow Tree (Peggy Lee / Joseph Gibbons) [1957]
263. Wishing Tree, The (Peggy Lee) [Year Unknown]
264. With Joy Shall Ye Drink (Peggy Lee)[1954]
265§. You Being Me (Me Being You) (Peggy Lee / Mary Mark Powell) [Ca. 1965]
266. You Gotta Keep Singing (Peggy Lee / Jack Marshall) [1958]
267. You Lost The Best Friend You Ever Had (Peggy Lee) [1991]
268Δ. You Was Right, Baby (Peggy Lee / Dave Barbour) [1945]
269. Your Last Adios (Peggy Lee / Victor Young)[1954]
II. LEE'S COLLABORATORS: A LIST
49 songs: Peggy Lee (Solo)**
33 songs: Dave Barbour
33 songs: Paul Horner
20 songs: John Chiodini
11 songs: Sonny Burke
11 songs: Victor Young
8 songs: Dave Cavanaugh*
8 songs: Cy Coleman
8 songs: Dick Hazard
7 songs: Jack Marshall
7 songs: Quincy Jones
6 songs: Milton Raskin
4 songs: Mundell Lowe
3 songs: Louis Bellson
3 songs: Gene DiNovi
3 songs: Sid Kuller
3 songs: Byron Olson
3 songs: Willard Robison
2 songs: Steve Allen
2 songs: Laurindo Almeida
2 songs: Heinie Beau
2 songs: Stella Castellucci
2 songs: Robert Farnon
2 songs: Dave Grusin
2 songs: Jack Hayes
2 songs: John Pisano
2 songs: Mary Mark Powell
2 songs: Harry Sukman
2 songs: Jeanne Taylor
2 songs: Hubie Wheeler
1 song: Harold Arlen
1 song: Aimé Barelli
1 song: Max Bennett
1 song: Jean Andre Brun
1 song: Carl Caccomo
1 song: Matt Dennis
1 song: Duke Ellington
1 song: L. (either Leonard or Lorraine) Feather
1 song: Joseph Gibbons
1 song: Benny Golson
1 song: Neal Hefti
1 song: Woody Herman
1 song: Jack Hoffmann
1 song: _____ Homes
1 song: Sebastien Japrisot
1 song: Utakaka Kokakura
1 song: Frances Lai
1 song: Alice Larson
1 song: Michel Legrand
1 song: Marian McPartland
1 song: Johnny Mandel
1 song: Johnny Mann
1 song: Mike Melvoin
1 song: Pete Moore
1 song: Sam Nestico
1 song: Lan O'Kun
1 song: Tish Oney
1 song: Marty Paich
1 song: Emil Palame
1 song: Ralph Peña
1 song: Jimmy Rowles
1 song: George H. Russell
1 song: Herm Saunders
1 song: Lalo Schifrin
1 song: David T. Shelton
1 song: Fred Spielman
1 song: Miriam Spier
1 song: Mel Tormé
1 song: René Touzet
1 song: Michael Zeamer
**Both music and lyrics by Lee
*Under pseudonymous Bill Schluger
III. ARTISTS WHO COVERED RARE LEE SONGS: A LIST
(Rare= Any Song That Peggy Lee Herself Did Not Record)
†1 Alan Young
†2 Tish Oney
†3 Cary Grant
†4 Stacy Sullivan
†5 Andrea Baker; Also, Sue Raney
†6 Stella Castellucci
†7 Paul Horner
†8 The Golddiggers
†9 Tish Oney
†10 Tish Oney
†11 Joe Alexander
†12 Lan O'kun [Demo]
†13 Eddie Robertson
†14 Dave Howard
†15 Jade Ell
†16 Jerry Vale
†17 Tish Oney
†18 Paul Horner
†19 Ray Anthony & His Orchestra
†20 The Mills Brothers
†21 Barbara Lea
†22 Bing Crosby
†23 Russ Tamblyn; Also, Patience And Prudence
†24 Woody Herman & His Orchestra
†25 Louie Bellson & His Orchestra
†26 Louie Bellson & His Orchestra
The Bellson entries are actually instrumentals,
for which Lee wrote lyrics. They can be heard
on two of Bellson's own albums. In each case,
the album features only an instrumental version,
but its track listing still makes a point of crediting
Peggy Lee for the unheard lyric.
IV. LEGEND
Δ
Extant as a studio recording by Peggy Lee.
***
Extant only as a non-studio (e.g. radio, rehearsal, television) performance by Peggy Lee.
**
Not known to be extant, but known to have been performed by Peggy Lee. (As for songs neither known to have been performed nor extant at all, those can be distinguished from all others above by the absence of any typescript symbol next to their numbers in the list.)
§
Tentative: further collaboration of this Lee credit is needed.
◊
Adaptation, copyrighted at ASCAP. In some instances, adaptations of Traditional tunes involved not only a new arrangement but also additional, newly created lyrics. In other instances, copy right was obtained strictly for a new arrangement, devised by the newly credited authors.
†
Recorded not by Peggy Lee but by other artists. The artists in question are identified separately, in section IV above. This † sub-list should be considered a work in progress, as there are probably qualifying cases which currently remain unknown to me. Additions to the list are thus a possibility at any time in the future.
V. PHOTOS
Above (section I): First in view is one of at least three Peggy Lee music sheet songbooks in existence. Published in 1967, this particular songbook is entirely dedicated to her own compositions.
Throughout the same section, additional images shine a spotlight on some of Lee's compositions. You will see, for instance, a 1947 licensing contract for her self-penned song "If I Had A Chance With You," as well as a 1947 Capitol 78-rpm disc featuring a version of the song, as performed by singer-saxophonist Joe Alexander. Also in view are a 1963 music publishing contract for the song "I'm Saving My Tears For Tomorrow," which Lee co-wrote with pianist Herm Saunders, and a 1950 Capitol single that features "When It Rains It Pours," co-written with Woody Herman. (As far as lyrics go, this Herman version is scant with words -- just about one chorus. Though I know of no other versions of the song, I am tentatively assuming that Lee wrote more than one chorus. I am also assuming that Herman kept the vocal short in order to have the instruments and the arrangement shine more expansively.)
Above (section II): A potpourri of images showcasing just a handful of the fellow songwriters with whom Peggy Lee interacted during her six-decade-long career. In the first photo, she is next to harpist Stella Castellucci, her collaborator on two songs -- and friend of a lifetime. The photo was taken while they were sightseeing, probably around the Lake Tahoe area, in 1954. Next, in a photo taken some 40 years later, Lee is seen with Morgan Ames standing behind, and Ann Ruckert holding one of her hands. Having been women of many hats in the world of music, Ames' and Ruckert's credits include choral arranging, professional singing, record producing, music reviewing, etc., etc. Lee did not write songs with either of them, but she did record one of Ames' compositions ("I Am His Lady") in 1974.
Although Ames' website gives a 1988 date to this photo, Lee's looks make me more inclined to suspect that the actual year is instead 1994 or 1995. The occasion that elicited this encounter with Lee is unknown to me, and Ames does not reveal it in her site. One candidate is the Women International Center's 1995 Living Legacy Awards Celebration, which Lee attended as a presenter. (She was happy to give a Living Legacy Award to movie star Ginger Rogers, one of the four females honored on that March 18, 1995 event. WIC had awarded Lee with her own Living Legacy Award back in 1987.)
Imagery from section II, continued: three of Lee's music collaborators in the 1960s. She wrote songs with all three of them. From left to right: guitarist Mundell Lowe, arrange Dick Hazard (seen on both screenshots), and composer Johnny Mandel. They are actually at the songstress' home, discussing a Mandel composition that she was considering to debut onstage. The proceedings were recorded for posterity by National Education Television, and aired on a documentary in 1969.
Imagery from section II, concluded: Peggy Lee with Byron Olson in 1981. The pianist served as her musical director for several years, from the second half of the 1970s to the early 1980s. They are known to have written three songs together. Finally, the remaining photograph captures Peggy Lee dining next to ASCAP president (and noted composer) Morton Gould at the organization's gala in honor of composer Miklos Rosza. The event took place at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on April 22, 1987.
Above (section III): In 1986, Peggy Lee became the first woman to ever receive the Songwriters Guild of America's Aggie and President Awards. These photos were taken at the award ceremony, which took place on March 31 at the Directors Guild Of America (7920 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood). The second picture captures the moment when the Guild's president, George Davis Weiss, presented her with the trophy. The caption under the third photograph should be legible enough to clarify the context in view.
Above (section IV): Peggy Lee is the center of attention in several of these images, all of them taken at a meeting of the American Society Of Composers, Authors And Publishers (ASCAP) on February 15, 1990 in Beverly Hills, CA. The occasion was actually a memorial tribute in honor of songwriter Sammy Fain, who had passed away two months earlier. ("That Old Feeling" and "I'll Be Seeing You" were among the Fain compositions that Lee had recorded in decades past.) The first photograph hints at the close, lasting friendship between our singer-songwriter Peggy Lee and the great composer Johnny Mandel, with whom she collaborated on various notable projects, including the song "The Shining Sea."
Next, four fellow artists amicably surround Lee surrounded in the second photo. Clockwise from left to right, they are Steve Allen, Tony Martin, Helen O'Connell, and Danny Thomas. Lee had worked with Allen on television, with Martin on radio, and with Thomas on film. On the third image, the two dames show up again, this time alone together. (They shared a common past as big band canaries, Lee with Benny Goodman's, O'Connell with Jimmy Dorsey's.) Joining Lee in the last and most crowded of these pictures were (from left to right) Michael Masser, ASCAP's then-president Morton Gould, Mike Stoller, O'Connell and Martin once more, Marilyn and Alan Bergman, an unidentified gentleman (probably the celebrated songwriter Burton Lane), and Steve Allen once again.
Above (section V): As the caption under the first of this section's images states, the Pied Piper is ASCAP's "most prestigious award." As of 2020, it has been ever been received by a total of only 16 individuals since its establishment in the late 1960s. Peggy Lee became one of the honored 16 on May 8, 1990, during a ceremony held in conjunction with a dinner at the Washington Court Hotel (DC). The photo on display was probably taken at that dinner. ASCAP president Morton Gould is the man kneeling in front of Lee, while holding her hand. Besides the various individuals appearing in previous pictures and already named, this image is graced with the presence of songwriters as notable as Sammy Cahn, Cy Coleman, and Henry Mancini. (Subsequently, on May 9, all three gentlemen performed medleys of their hits at the National Building Museum, as part of a bicentennial black-tie dinner dance which also featured performances from Ashford & Simpson, Leiber & Stoller, and Lyle Lovett. I do not know if Lee was also in attendance at that follow-up event.) Next in view is an announcement of ASCAP's 1999 inductees into its Songwriters' Hall of Fame, with Peggy Lee showcased at the top.
Below: these two additional shots -- one from around 1950 and the other from around 1974 -- close this page about Peggy Lee, the singer-songwriter.
