"Night and Day" is a popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 musical play Gay Divorce. It is perhaps Porter's most popular contribution to the Great American Songbook and has been recorded by dozens of artists.
Fred Astaire introduced "Night and Day" on stage, and his recording of the song was a #1 hit. He performed it again in the 1934 film version of the show, renamed The Gay Divorcee, and it became one of his signature pieces.
There are several accounts on how he got inspiration to compose the song. One mentioning that he was inspired by Islamic prayer when he visited Morocco. Another popular legend has it he was inspired by the Moorish architecture of the Alcazar Hotel in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
The song was so associated with Porter, that when Hollywood first filmed his life story in 1946, the movie was entitled Night and Day.
Notable recordings
"Night and Day" has been recorded many times, notably by Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Eartha Kitt, Bill Evans, Art Tatum, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey, Sondre Lerche, Doris Day, Charlie Parker, Deanna Durbin, Jamie Cullum, Etta James, The Temptations, and U2.
Frank Sinatra recorded the song at least five times including with Axel Stordahl in his first solo session in 1942 and again with him in 1947, with Nelson Riddle in 1956 for A Swingin' Affair!, with Don Costa in 1961 for Sinatra and Strings, and even a disco version with Joe Beck in 1977. When Harry James heard a then-unknown Sinatra sing this song, he signed him. Damia recorded one of the earliest versions in 1933, in French, entitled "Tout le Jour, Toute la Nuit." Layton & Johnstone recorded the song in 1933 (Columbia FB 1218). Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1944. Dionne Warwick recorded it for her 1990 album Dionne Warwick Sings Cole Porter. Eartha Kitt, the inscrutable songstress, recorded it in 1991—but the song would not be released until 2000 on the much lauded album Thinking Jazz. While the words in her arrangement remain the same, the opening lines are purred instead of sung. Tony Bennett recorded the song for his 1992 Frank Sinatra tribute album Perfectly Frank. Shirley Bassey recorded it for her 1959 album The Bewitching Miss Bassey. Doris Day recorded it for her 1958 album Hooray for Hollywood. Ella Fitzgerald's most celebrated recording of the song occurred on her 1956 album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook. Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson recorded a version of the song for his 1965 album Inner Urge. Allan Sherman's 1965 album Allan in Wonderland included a version, with Porter's music and words unchanged, but with punctuation marks included, so it starts like this:
Night and Day; You are the one; Only you, beneath the moon, and under the sun;
Tuxedomoon covered the song on their 1978 EP, No Tears. Everything But the Girl chose this song for their first single in 1983. It made #92 in August 1982. The song was recorded by Ringo Starr in 1970 for his first solo album Sentimental Journey. The rock/jam band Phish has played the song live only once in their more than 20-year career: at a private wedding on August 12, 1989. The song was recorded by U2 in 1990 and appeared on the Red Hot + Blue compilation album. Thomas Anders (of Modern Talking fame) recorded his version in 1997 on the album Live Concert. Chicago added a version in 1995 on their return-to-their-roots-disc, Night & Day: Big Band; Rod Stewart recorded a version for his 2004 album Stardust: The Great American Songbook 3. A rendition was also recorded by The Temptations, which was featured on the soundtrack of the 2000 movie What Women Want. "Night and Day" also reappeared on the American pop charts in 1967, done by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66. In 2004 a version of "Night and Day" was included in the biographical film about Cole Porter, De-Lovely, sung by John Barrowman and Kevin Kline. The song was also recorded in 2005 by Sondre Lerche on his album Duper Sessions. In 2007 it was recorded by Bebel Gilberto with a bossa nova approach on her album Momento. Joe Hisaishi conducted his arrangement of the song with Lady Kim and the New Japan Philharmonic World Dream Orchestra in 2005. In 2009 Mark Isham & Kate Ceberano recorded a version for their Bittersweet album. Victor Borge was better known for verbal punctuation than was Sherman, but in the case of this song, Borge would start playing Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" op. 27, with its opening left-hand octave, and then would begin playing the three right-hand notes, seguéing into the beginning of "Night and Day". Little River Band references the song in their song "Reminiscing". One line of the song states "And the Porter tune/Made us dance across the room", while in the background the backup singers sing the words "Night and Day"...
Night and day, you are the one Only you 'neath the moon or under the sun Whether near to me or far It's no matter, darling, where you are I think of you day and night
Night and day, why is it so That this longin' for you follows wherever I go ? In the roarin' traffic's boom In the silence of my lonely room I think of you day and night
Night and day, under the hide of me There's an oh, such a hungry yearnin' burnin' inside of me And its torment won't be through Till you let me spend my life makin' love to you Day and night, night and day
(Instrumental)
Night and day, you are the one Only you 'neath the moon or under the sun Whether near to me or far It's no matter, baby, where you are I think of you day and night
Night and day, why is it so That this longin' for you follows wherever I go ? In the roarin' traffic's boom Silence of my lonely room I think of you day and night
Night and day, under the hide of me There's an oh, such a hungry burning inside of me And its torment won't be through Till you let me spend life makin' love to you Day and night, night and day