Can't We Be Friends?
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"Can't We Be Friends?" is a 1929 song with lyrics by Paul James and music by Kay Swift, introduced on Broadway in The Little Show by Libby Holman. It was later recorded by many artists including Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra.
Notable recordings
- Red Nichols & his Five Pennies (recorded 9/6/1929)
- Ray Ventura & his Collegians (recorded 10/19/1929)
- Smith Ballew (recorded 11/11/1929, and released on Okeh 41304)
- The Georgians (recorded 11/22/1929)
- Bing Crosby (recorded 11/27/1929, and released on Columbia 2001-D)
- Libby Holman (recorded 11/1929 and released on Brunswick 4506)
- Sam Wooding & his Chocolate Kiddies (recorded 12/1929)
- The Imperial Dance Orchestra (1929)
- Al Bowlly with Ray Noble & his Orchestra (recorded 1/16/1931 and released on Decca F2220)
- Frank Sinatra (In the Wee Small Hours album, 1955) (recorded February 8, 1955, with orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle)
- Illinois Jacquet (Swing's the Thing album, 1956)
- Gene Ammons (The Happy Blues album, 1956)
- Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Ella and Louis album, 1956)
- Jane Powell (Can't We Be Friends album, 1956)
- Linda Ronstadt (Lush Life album, 1984)
- Jamie Cullum (Twentysomething album, 2003)
- Vincent Lopez & his Orchestra
- Anita O'Day
- Leo Reisman & his Orchestra
- Art Tatum
Movie Usage
- The Man I Love (1947)
- Flamingo Road (1949)
- Backfire (1950)
- Young Man with a Horn (1950) featured Harry James dubbing "Can't We Be Friends" for Kirk Douglas's character
- Starlift (1951)
- Bonnie & Clyde (1967) featured a scored version by Charles Strouse in the background of one scene
- Torch Song Trilogy (1998) featured Anita O'Day's version
- Get Him to the Greek (2010) featured a version by the Pete Jolly Trio