There is an amazing story behind a popular tune that was originally crafted generations ago by a U.S, Vice President. After a bunch of twists and turns over the span of decades, it became a pop hit that was covered by such famous artists as Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard, and also Elton John.
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That's a disparate group for sure! But they all saw something special in the tune and decided to put it in their repertoire. The song is "It's All in the Game," Its genesis was "Melody in A Major" written by Charles G. Dawes, who was President Calvin Coolidge's vice president from 1924 to 1929, per American Songwriter. Let's take a deeper dive into the unusual evolution of this popular song.
Who Was Charles G. Dawes?
He Was A Banker Who Was Also A Musician And Songwriter
Dawes was a banker by trade. He also taught himself to play the flute and piano and wrote 'Melody in A Major" at his Illinois home in 1911. A friend of his named Francis MacMillen, who was a violinist, brought the sheet music for Dawes composition to a publisher. Unbeknownst to Dawes, it got accepted and also printed.
Per the outlet via aei.org, "No one told me it had been published. I was walking down State Street and came to a music shop. I saw a poster-size picture of myself, my name plastered all over the window in large letters and the window space entirely filled with the sheet music."
Dawes' Hit Song Picked Up Steam Over The Years
It Was Often Played By Professional Musicians And Orchestras, Then It Got Lyrics By Carl Sigman
Forty years after Charles G. Dawes wrote "Melody in A Major," a songwriter named Carl Sigman fashioned lyrics for it. It was putting like the icing on a cake, finishing it and making it more beautiful and complete. That happened in 1951, the same year that Dawes died.
Sigman Was Very Successful As A Songwriter
Sigman came with some great professional credentials. He wrote music for Guy Lombardo and Glenn Miller. Established stars like "Frank Sinatra, the Righteous Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, and also "more" recorded his work. per the outlet.
'It's All in the Game' Made It To No. 1
The Song Notched Another Milestone For Charles G. Dawes
In 1951, the song was recorded by Tommy Edwards and went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Also, Charles G. Dawes is in the unlikely company of Bob Dylan as the sole two Nobel Prize winners in history to have chart-topping pop songs.
Artists who have recorded the song include Barry Manilow, Nat King Cole, the Four Tops, and also loads more.
