Poor Butterfly

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1916 song by Raymond Hubbell and John Golden

title: "Poor Butterfly" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1916-songs", "songs-with-music-by-john-raymond-hubbell", "songs-from-musicals", "1910s-jazz-standards", "vikki-carr-songs", "bluebird-records-singles"] description: "1916 song by Raymond Hubbell and John Golden" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_Butterfly" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1916 song by Raymond Hubbell and John Golden ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
namePoor Butterfly
coverPoorButterfly.jpg
captionOriginal sheet music cover
artistSophie Bernard
published1916
genrePopular music
composerRaymond Hubbell
lyricistJohn Golden
::

| name = Poor Butterfly | cover = PoorButterfly.jpg | alt = | caption = Original sheet music cover | type = | artist = Sophie Bernard | album = | EP = | written = | published = 1916 | released = | format = | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = Popular music | length = | label = | writer = | composer = Raymond Hubbell | lyricist = John Golden | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | title = | next_title = | next_year = "Poor Butterfly" is a popular song. It was inspired by Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly and contains a brief musical quote from the Act two duet Tutti i fior in the verse.

The music was written by Raymond Hubbell, the lyrics by John L. Golden. The song was published in 1916. It was introduced in the Broadway show The Big Show, which opened in August 1916 at the New York Hippodrome, and was sung in the show by Sophie Bernard.{{cite book| title= Popular Songs of the 20th Century: Chart Detail & Encyclopedia, 1900-1949| last = Gardner| first = Edward Foote| publisher= Paragon House| location= St. Paul, Minnesota| year= 2000| isbn= 1-55778-789-1

The song has become a jazz standard, recorded by many artists.

Recorded versions

Biggest hit versions in 1917

The two biggest hit versions in 1917 were recorded by Elsie Baker (using the pseudonym Edna Brown) and by the Victor Military Band.

Baker's recording was made on December 15, 1916, and released on Victor as catalog number 18211,

The Victor Military Band recording was recorded on November 29, 1916, and issued by Victor as catalog number 35605,{{cite book| title= Joel Whitburn Presents a Century of Pop Music| last = Whitburn| first = Joel| author-link = Joel Whitburn| publisher= Record Research| location= Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin| year= 1999| isbn= 0-89820-135-7

Another version which received a significant amount of popularity (or Katherine) Clark. This version was recorded in November 1916 and released by Columbia Records as catalog number A-2167, with the flip side "Century Girl".

Somewhat less popular, but still noted at the time, were a recording by Elizabeth Spencer, released by Thomas Edison's recording company as a disk, catalog number 50386, and an Amberol cylinder, catalog number 3039,), recorded December 1916 and released by Columbia Records as catalog number A-5930, with the flip side "You and I".

An arrangement for violin and orchestra was recorded by Fritz Kreisler on March 1, 1917, and issued on Victor as catalog number 64555.

1954 revival

The song was revived in the 1950s by The Hilltoppers for a top-20 chart hit. Their recording was released by Dot Records as catalog number 15156, with the flip side "Wrapped up in a Dream". It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on April 14, 1954, and lasted 5 weeks on the chart, peaking at #15. | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | author-link = Joel Whitburn | title = Top Pop Records 1940-1955 | publisher = Record Research | location = Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin | year = 1973 }} (Other sources{{cite book| title=Hit Records 1950-1975| last= Lonergan| first= David| publisher= Scarecrow Press| location=Lanham, Maryland| date=2004-01-28| isbn= 978-0-8108-5129-0 as catalog number K1235, with the same flip side.

Other recorded versions

References

References

  1. with the flip side being a recording of "Alice in Wonderland" by Howard & McDonough.[http://78discography.com/vic18000.html Victor Records in the 18000 to 18499 series]
  2. [http://www.globaldogproductions.info/q/quality-ca-k-series.html Quality Records in the K1001 to K1999 series]
  3. [http://www.vikkicarrdiscography.net/albums-5.html Vikki Carr Discography]
  4. [http://78discography.com/Musicraft200.htm Musicraft Records in the 201 to 597 series]
  5. [http://78discography.com/Merc700.htm Mercury Records in the 70000 to 70499 series]
  6. [http://78discography.com/MGM10500.htm MGM Records in the 10500 to 10999 series]
  7. [http://78discography.com/Dec18000.htm Decca Records in the 18000 to 18499 series]
  8. [http://www.globaldogproductions.info/s/stepheny.html Stepheny Records in the 1801 to 1843 series]
  9. [http://78discography.com/Emerson700.htm Emerson Records in the 700 to 799 and 7100 to 7556 series]
  10. [http://78discography.com/COL39000.htm Columbia Records in the 39000 to 39499 series]
  11. [http://78discography.com/SRC.htm Silvertone Records listing]
  12. [http://78discography.com/Harobie.htm Harmony Records in the 1001 to 1087 series]
  13. [http://78discography.com/SunriseChi.htm Sunrise Records listing]
  14. [http://78discography.com/Miracle.htm Miracle Records listing]
  15. also released by [[Chess Records]] in 1951 as catalog number 1569, with the flip side "Fat and Forty"[http://78discography.com/Chess.htm Chess Records in the 1475 to 1750 series]
  16. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/trumpet-and-strings-mw0000910613 Al Hirt, ''Trumpet and Strings''] Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  17. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-al-hirt-mw0001227031 Al Hirt, ''The Best of Al Hirt''] Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  18. [http://www.globaldogproductions.info/a/argo.html Argo Records in the 5251 to 5569 series]
  19. [http://www.globaldogproductions.info/c/coral-62000-series-us.html Coral Records in the 62000 to 62565 series]
  20. [http://78discography.com/Dec1500.htm Decca Records in the 1500 to 1999 series]
  21. [http://www.globaldogproductions.info/c/coral-60000-series-us.html Coral Records in the 60000 to 60999 series]
  22. [http://78discography.com/Signiature.htm Signature Records in the listed tecords series]
  23. re-released by Coral in [[1954 in music. 1954]] as catalog number 61172, with the flip side "Only Forever"[http://www.globaldogproductions.info/c/coral-61000-series-us.html Coral Records in the 61000 to 60999 series]
  24. [http://78discography.com/Dec28500.htm Decca Records in the 28500 to 28999 series]
  25. [http://78discography.com/COL1000D.htm Columbia Records in the 1000D to 1499D series]
  26. [http://www.globaldogproductions.info/r/rainbow.html Rainbow Records listing]
  27. [http://78discography.com/BRN20000.htm Brunswick Records in the 20000 to 20123 series]
  28. [http://78discography.com/BB10500.htm Bluebird Records in the 10500 to 10999 series]
  29. [http://78discography.com/Pathe20000.htm Pathé Records in the 20000 to 20499 series]
  30. [http://78discography.com/Capitol10000.htm Capitol Records in the 10000 to 10210 series]
  31. [http://78discography.com/vic27000.html Victor Records in the 27000 to 27499 series]
  32. [http://78discography.com/vic27500.html Victor Records in the 27500 to 27999 series]
  33. "Cecile McLorin Salvant - Poor Butterfly".
  34. [http://78discography.com/Commodore.htm Commodore Records listing]
  35. [http://www.globaldogproductions.info/l/london-a-oz.html London Records (Australia) in the HL-1001 to HL-1999 series]
  36. [http://78discography.com/Dec1000.htm Decca Records in the 1000 to 1499 series]
  37. [http://78discography.com/ARA4500.htm ARA Records in the 4501 to 4515 series]
  38. [http://78discography.com/Merc050.htm Mercury Records in the 5000 to 5497 series]
  39. and in [[Australia]] as catalog number 45169,[http://www.globaldogproductions.info/m/mercury-45000-series-oz.html Mercury Records (Australia) in the 45001 to 45492 series]
  40. [http://78discography.com/Capitol500.htm Capitol Records in the 500 to 999 series]
  41. [http://78discography.com/vic24000.html Victor Records in the 24000 to 24499 series]
  42. [http://78discography.com/NationalLate.htm National Records in the 3001 to 25000 series]
  43. [http://www.globaldogproductions.info/n/national.html Another National Records listing]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1916-songssongs-with-music-by-john-raymond-hubbellsongs-from-musicals1910s-jazz-standardsvikki-carr-songsbluebird-records-singles