Irving Kahal

Irving Kahal (March 5, 1903, Houtzdale, Pennsylvania – February 7, 1942, New York City) was a popular American song lyricist active in the 1920s and 1930s. He is best remembered for his collaborations with composer Sammy Fain which started in 1926 when Kahal was working in vaudeville sketches written by Gus Edwards. Their collaboration lasted 16 years, until Kahal's death in 1942. Among many fine songs, the stand-out was "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" on which Pierre Norman lent a hand, which was sung by Maurice Chevalier in the film The Big Pond (1930) effectively becoming his signature tune, and featured by Frank Sinatra on his magisterial album Songs For Swingin' Lovers. The Fain/Kahal catalogue also includes "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella" (1928) with Francis Wheeler, "Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine" (1929) with Willie Raskin, "By a Waterfall" (1930), "When I Take My Sugar to Tea" (1931) with Pierre Norman, "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (1938) and "I'll Be Seeing You", which was written in 1938, but became a hit in 1943 especially among the families of servicemen sent overseas. In 1970, Irving Kahal was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 5, 1903 (Houtzdale), Died February 7, 1942 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer, vocalist, translator

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 251-272 of 272 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Brunswick	[Br (U.K.) cat 126-a]	10-in.	approximately Aug. 1927	I ain’t that kind of a baby	Leslie Hutchinson ; Alice Morley	Female vocal solo, with piano	lyricist
Brunswick	[Br (U.K.) cat 173-b]	10-in.	approximately Apr. 1928	I love my old-fashioned man	Alice Morley	Female vocal solo, with piano	lyricist
Brunswick	516	10-in.	Mar. 1928	Baltimore	Fred Elizalde	Piano solo	composer
Brunswick	B17769	10-in.	7/02/1935	A sunbonnet blue (and a yellow straw hat)	Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	lyricist
Edison	11355	10-in.	12/7/1926	Rags	Ernest Hare	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	songwriter
Edison	11850	10-in.	8/23/1927	Roam on, my little gypsy sweetheart	Theo Alban ; Duke Yellman Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	lyricist
Edison	11924	10-in.	9/30/1927	Nothin' does-does like it used to do-do-do	Golden Gate Orchestra [California Ramblers]	Jazz/dance band	songwriter
Edison	11960	10-in.	10/17/1927	It was only a sun shower	The Rollickers [Edison]	Male vocal quartet, with piano	lyricist
Edison	18085	10-in.	12/6/1927	For my baby	Golden Gate Orchestra [California Ramblers]	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	lyricist
Edison	18150	10-in.	1/3/1928	Let a smile be your umbrella on a rainy day	Dick Robertson ; The Strollers	Male vocal solo, with violin and banjo-guitar	lyricist
Edison	18269	10-in.	3/1/1928	Let a smile be your umbrella on a rainy day	Happy Jack ; Louis Lilienfeld Hotel Biltmore Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	lyricist
Edison	18554	10-in.	5/31/1928	Come on along with the blue bird	Radio Franks	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	lyricist
Edison	19024	10-in.	1/22/1929	Wedding bells (Are breaking up that old gang of mine)	Billy Murray ; Walter Scanlan	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	lyricist
Edison	19126	10-in.	3/26/1929	If I give up the saxophone (Will you come back to me?)	7 Blue Babies ; Jack Dalton	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	lyricist
Edison	19232	10-in.	6/3/1929	A high silk hat and a walking cane	Frankie Marvin	Male vocal solo, with guitar	lyricist
Edison	19284	10-in.	7/9/1929	Don't hang your dreams on a rainbow	Waldo Mayo	Violin solo, with instrumental ensemble and mixed vocal ensemble	lyricist
Edison	19328	10-in.	7/29/1929	Sweetheart's holiday	The New Yorkers	Male vocal quintet, with orchestra	lyricist
Edison	N-715	10-in.	1/22/1929	Wedding bells (are breaking up that old gang of mine)	Billy Murray ; Walter Scanlan	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	lyricist
Edison	N-817	10-in.	3/26/1929	If I give up the saxophone (Will you come back to me?)	7 Blue Babies ; Jack Dalton	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	lyricist
Edison	N-936	10-in.	6/3/1929	A high silk hat and a walking cane	Frankie Marvin	Male vocal solo, with guitar	lyricist
Edison	N-1009	10-in.	7/9/1929	Don't hang your dreams on a rainbow	Waldo Mayo	Violin solo, with instrumental ensemble and mixed vocal ensemble	lyricist
Edison	N-1052	12-in.	7/29/1929	Sweetheart's holiday	The New Yorkers [Edison vocal group]	Male vocal quintet, with orchestra	lyricist

(Results 251-272 of 272 records)

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Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kahal, Irving," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/116675.

Kahal, Irving. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/116675.

"Kahal, Irving." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.