Limehouse Blues
| PROFILE | |
| Composer | Philip Braham |
| Lyricist | Douglas Furber |
| Year Written | 1922 |
| About Limehouse Blues | |
| “Limehouse Blues” was written for a British revue, Andre Charlot’s Revue of 1924, which was imported to New York and introduced Gertrude Lawrence to America. The song concerns life in London’s Chinatown. The song has a standard place in the jazz repertory, with recordings by Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Django Reinhardt, Sidney Bechet and the Dave Brubeck Quartet in addition to the recording by Tony Bennett. | |
Lyrics
And those weird China blues
Never go away
Sad, mad blues
For all the while they seem to say
Oh, Limehouse kid
Oh, oh, Limehouse kid
Goin’ the way
That the rest of them did
Poor broken blossom
And nobody’s child
Haunting and taunting
You’re just kind of wild
Oh, Limehouse blues
I’ve the real Limehouse blues
Can’t seem to shake off
Those real China blues
Rings on your fingers
And tears for your crown
That is the story
Of old Chinatown
Rings on your fingers
And tears for your crown
That is the story
Of old Chinatown
Session / Album Information
1963
“Limehouse Blues” was recorded on September 11, 1963 and released in 1964 on the album The Many Moods of Tony. It was arranged by Dick Hyman and also featured Hyman playing the organ.
This recording released on:
- 1963: CBS 45: AAG 176
- 1963: Columbia 45: 4-42886
- 1964: Columbia LP 12″: CS 8941 — The Many Moods Of Tony
- 1964: Columbia LP 12″ (Mono): CL 2141 — The Many Moods Of Tony
- 1964: CBS LP 12″: SBPG 62245 — The Many Moods Of Tony [UK]
- 2011: Disc #28 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK27) The Many Moods of Tony