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Although Coward wrote a melody for the song, the text is most often recited over a piano accompaniment. Out of Coward's approximately 300 songs, this is one of his most popular, ranking among the top 30 in royalty payments.
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and me she explained that we were to "come as we were" and that it would be "just ourselves". When we arrived (as we were) we discovered that "just ourselves" meant about a hundred of us, all in the last stages of evening
81:. The character of the song is humorous and giddy. It has been suggested that the activities described in the lyrics were typical of the "frantic, addleheaded search for amusement" of the
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Coward added, "This whole glittering episode was my original inspiration for 'I went to a
Marvellous Party'. Beattie eventually sang the song in
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commented on the former that
Routledge "incredible as it may seem, actually tops Beatrice Lillie's memorable performance".
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performed the song. Both the
British and American retrospective Coward revues in 1972 included the number, performed by
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The song is published separately as sheet music or in a number of collections, including the following:
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in
January 1939. Lillie introduced the song to London audiences in June of that year in cabaret at the
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wearing slacks, a fisherman's shirt, several ropes of pearls, a large sun-hat and dark glasses".
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61:(1972). Both Lillie and Coward made recordings of the song, which is among his most popular.
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23:" (sometimes known as "I've Been to a Marvellous Party") is a song with words and music by
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gave a party in the South of France, It was a "Beach" party and when she invited
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in New York on 18 January 1939. The show was a much revised version of his 1932
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Lillie introduced the song to London audiences in June 1939 in cabaret at the
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Mander, Raymond; Joe
Mitchenson (2000) . Barry Day; Sheridan Morley (eds.).
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society, which flocked to the
Riviera each summer in the 1920s and '30s.
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Coward wrote the song with Lillie in mind, and included it in his revue
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In 1953 Coward described the background to the writing of the song:
401:(Liner Notes). Sony Masterworks. 1956. p. 3. MDK 47253 AAD.
333:), piano accompaniment, Will Irwin. AIE CD 006; PLATCD 118
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on 5 December 1969, marking Coward's seventieth birthday,
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description of five parties attended by the singer on the
346:), piano accompaniment, John Burrows. RCA LSO 60160 LP
150:, and later in the year it was included in the revue
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1939. Orchestra conductor, Emmet Dolan. LP AIE 2122.
91:During the summer of 1937 or 1938, I forget which,
363:Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noel Coward
429:, Noël Coward Music. Retrieved 22 September 2021
308:, piano accompaniment, Mantovani. Past CD 7840
246:, John Hadfield, ed., London: Heinemann, 1973
319:. Sony CD MDK 47253 AAD; CD DRG 19028 (2003).
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233:, Chappell & Co./Random House, 1972(?)
279:, Barry Day (ed.) London: Methuen, 1998.
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481:Mander and Mitchenson, pp. 532 and 535
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45:. It was later included in the revues
27:, written in 1938 and included in his
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491:" Records: Two Views of Noel Coward"
532:(second ed.). London: Oberon.
277:The Complete Lyrics of Noël Coward
220:, London: Chappell & Co. 1970
14:
349:1994. Kernan, Robertson, Gold (
207:, London: Michael Joseph, 1953
37:, in which it was performed by
530:Theatrical Companion to Coward
427:"I Went to a Marvellous Party"
158:. At the midnight gala at the
1:
472:Mander and Mitchenson, p. 529
450:Mander and Mitchenson, p. 345
438:Mander and Mitchenson, p. 339
572:Songs written by Noël Coward
231:A Noël Coward Gala, Volume 1
218:Noël Coward – Songs to Amuse
71:I Went to a Marvellous Party
21:I Went to a Marvellous Party
588:
515:. London: Michael Joseph.
266:, London: Heinemann, 1965
513:The Noël Coward Song Book
497:, 16 February 1973, p. 26
264:The Lyrics of Noël Coward
205:The Noël Coward Songbook
329:1939. Beatrice Lillie (
315:, piano accompaniment,
511:Coward, Noël (1977) .
463:, 28 June 1939, p. 566
306:Noël Coward on the Air
399:The Noël Coward Album
380:2017. Beverly Knight
351:Noël/Cole-Let's Do It
377:), DRG Theater 12994
129:which opened at the
567:Songs about parties
119:Performance history
495:The New York Times
338:Patricia Routledge
331:A Marvellous Party
189:The New York Times
168:Patricia Routledge
539:978-1-84002-054-0
459:"The Listeners",
358:The Divine Comedy
313:Noël Coward Album
252:978-0-43-431090-6
239:978-0-88-188168-4
131:Music Box Theatre
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324:Other recordings
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244:Cowardy Custard
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173:Cowardy Custard
160:Phoenix Theatre
156:Queen's Theatre
140:Words and Music
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101:Beatrice Lillie
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52:Cowardy Custard
39:Beatrice Lillie
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178:Roderick Cook
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148:Café de Paris
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562:Comedy songs
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164:Danny La Rue
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126:Set to Music
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109:Set to Music
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93:Elsa Maxwell
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75:first-person
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34:Set to Music
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296:Noël Coward
291:Discography
196:Sheet music
183:Oh, Coward!
97:Grace Moore
65:Description
58:Oh, Coward!
55:(1972) and
25:Noël Coward
557:1938 songs
551:Categories
521:1245813220
461:The Tatler
375:At Liberty
317:Peter Matz
272:1245533578
83:Train bleu
226:834479860
213:936894475
152:All Clear
47:All Clear
16:1938 song
135:West End
49:(1939),
29:Broadway
505:Sources
154:at the
31:revue,
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369:2002.
356:1998.
336:1972.
311:1956.
304:1947.
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104:dress.
385:Notes
137:show
73:is a
534:ISBN
517:OCLC
281:ISBN
268:OCLC
248:ISBN
235:ISBN
222:OCLC
209:OCLC
176:and
180:in
170:in
553::
493:,
443:^
419:^
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373:(
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360:(
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19:"
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