On a Slow Boat to China
| "On a Slow Boat to China" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1948 |
| Genre | Traditional pop |
| Songwriter | Frank Loesser |
"On a Slow Boat to China", sometimes shortened to "Slow Boat to China", is a popular song by American songwriter Frank Loesser, published in 1948.
It is a well-known pop standard, recorded by many artists, including a duet between Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby (for their 1958 album Fancy Meeting You Here), Ella Fitzgerald, Joni James, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jimmy Buffett, Fats Domino, and Liza Minnelli.
In the UK, the biggest hit version was recorded in 1959 by Emile Ford and the Checkmates, which peaked at No. 3 on the UK singles chart.
Hit recordings
| Recorded by | Label | Catalog number | Date first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart | Weeks on chart | Peak | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kay Kyser and His Orchestra (vocals: Harry Babbitt & Gloria Wood) | Columbia Records | 38301 | October 15, 1948 | 19 | #2 | [1][2] This version was a number one hit in Australia in 1949 as well. |
| Freddy Martin and His Orchestra (vocals: Glenn Hughes and The Martin Men) | RCA Victor Records | 20-3123 | October 29, 1948 | 17 | #5 | [1] |
| Benny Goodman | Capitol Records | 15208 | November 12, 1948 | 12 | #10 | [1] |
| Art Lund | MGM Records | 10269 | November 5, 1948 | 9 | #13 | [1] |
| Larry Clinton | Decca Records | 24482 | November 26, 1948 | 1 | #27 | [1] |
Idiom
Frank Loesser's daughter, Susan Loesser, authored a biography of her father, A Most Remarkable Fella (1993), in which she writes,
"I'd like to get you on a slow boat to China" was a well-known phrase among poker players, referring to a person who lost steadily and handsomely. My father turned it into a romantic song, placing the title in the mainstream of catch-phrases in 1947.
The idea is that "a slow boat to China" was the longest trip one could imagine. Loesser shifted the phrase to a more romantic setting, yet it eventually entered general parlance to mean anything that takes an extremely long time.[3][4]
Media
The phrase "a slow boat to China" (or a snowclone thereof) features:
- Sung by Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2012 film *The Master.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940–1955. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research.
- ↑ Gilliland, John. (197X). "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #22 - All Tracks". UNT Digital Library. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ Loesser, Susan (1993). A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life, A Portrait by His Daughter. Donald I. Fine.
- ↑ Allan, William (December 11, 1977). "Jazz is back...big...on Records". The Pittsburgh Press.
- ↑ "The Master and the Slow Boat to China (With Spoilers)". HuffPost. 17 October 2012.