I’ve Got You Under My Skin – 1956
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” is a song written by Cole Porter. Written in 1936, the song was introduced in the Eleanor Powell MGM musical Born to Dance, in which it was performed by Virginia Bruce. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song that year. It became a signature song for Frank Sinatra and, in 1966, became a top 10 hit for The Four Seasons. The song has been recorded by many leading pop artists and jazz musicians over the years.
Frank Sinatra first sang the song on his weekly radio show in 1946, as the second part of a medley with “Easy to Love”. He put his definitive stamp on the tune ten years later, in a swinging big-band version that built to successive climaxes on the back of an arrangement by Nelson Riddle. Riddle was a fan of Maurice Ravel, and has said that this arrangement was inspired by the Boléro. Sinatra aficionados usually rank this as one of his finest collaborations with Riddle’s orchestra. An insistent saxophone section propels the chart which climaxes in a startlingly out-of-control slide trombone solo by Milt Bernhart. Appreciating the excitement of the arrangement, Sinatra usually included the song in his concerts thereafter—a tradition carried on by Sinatra’s son, Frank Jr.
Sinatra re-recorded “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” for the album Sinatra’s Sinatra (1963), an album of re-recordings of his personal favorites. This time the trombone solo was by Dick Nash because Bernhart was booked for another session.
A live version of the song also appears on the 1966 album “Sinatra at the Sands” featuring Count Basie and his orchestra.
In 1993, Sinatra recorded a version as a duet with Bono of U2 for the album Duets. It was also released as a double A-side single with U2’s “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)”, and a music video was directed by Kevin Godley. The song was in the movie What Women Want the character Darcy played by Helen Hunt is singing along with the song.
Other versions
Virginia Bruce sang the song in Born to Dance (1936)
Al Bowlly recorded the song 1936, it can be found on The Al Bowlly Story 1928–1941
Lee Wiley (1937)
Stuff Smith (1940)
Cab Calloway (1943–1944)
Peggy Lee – Black Coffee (1953)
Dinah Washington (with Clifford Brown) – Dinah Jams (1954, remastered 1990)
Stan Kenton – Portraits on Standards (1954)
Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956)
An instrumental version of the song is used by Cole Porter in the movie Silk Stockings with Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse (1957)
Cesare Siepi with The Roland Shaw Orchestra – Easy to Love (Songs of Cole Porter) (1958)
Shirley Bassey – The Fabulous Shirley Bassey (1959)
Helen Merrill – Parole e musica (with Fernando Caiati, 1960)
Eartha Kitt – The Romantic Eartha (1962)
Mel Tormé – That’s All (1965)
Julie London – All Through the Night: Julie London Sings the Choicest of Cole Porter (1965)
Bill Evans and Jim Hall – Intermodulation (1966)
Lu Elliott – Sings Way Out from Down Under (1967)
Sammy Davis Jr. – I’ve Gotta Be Me (1968)
Gloria Gaynor – I’ve Got You (1976)
Julio Iglesias – Libra (1985)
José José – At Puerto Rico in 1985 (unofficial live recording)
The Rapiers – 1961 (1987)
James Darren – This One’s from the Heart (1990)
Gerard Kenny as part of his tribute album Play Me Some Porter, Please (1992)
Rita Reys – The Great American Songbook, volume 1 (1992)
Margaret Urlich & Dale Barlow recorded a version for Kate Ceberanos 1994 album, Kate Ceberano and Friends.
The New Four Freshmen – Voices in Standards (1994)
The Rutles – The Rutles Archaeology (recorded 1996; released 2007)
Louis Prima and Keely Smith – Capitol Collectors Series: Louis Prima (1996)
Bireli Lagrene – “Blue Eyes” (1998)
Jawbox – “My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents” (1998)
Diana Krall – When I Look In Your Eyes (1999)
Jamie Cullum – Heard It All Before (1999)
Perry Como – Papa Loves Mambo – The Very Best of Perry Como (2004)
T.J. Graham – Memphis Jazz Box (2004)
Carly Simon – Moonlight Serenade (2005)
Michael Bublé – It’s Time (2005)
Bobby Caldwell – Come Rain or Come Shine (2005)
Michael Bolton – Bolton Swings Sinatra (2006)
Lauri Beth Quinlivan – On Angel’s Strings (rearranged for classical guitar, 2006)
Cliff Richard – Bold as Brass (2009)
Chris Botti – Chris Botti in Boston (featuring Katharine McPhee) (2009)
Seether (2009)
Deana Martin – Volare, a 2009 album released by Big Fish Records
Rod Stewart – Fly Me to the Moon… The Great American Songbook Volume V (2010)
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. – That’s Life (2011)
Jermaine Jackson – I Wish You Love (2012)
Mina – 12 (American Song Book) (2012)
Cristian Rosemary wrote a Spanish version in 2013, called Bajo mi Piel.
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies – Please Return the Evening (2014)
Maysa
Josephine Baker
Steve Barton
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
Beatifik featuring Larraine Odell