About
Written by Cole Porter in 1939 for his musical DuBarry Was a Lady, Well, Did You Evah was immortalised by Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby in the 1956 film High Society. A witty conversation set to swing, it finds two socialites trading gossip while feigning indifference to the chaos around them. Robbie Williams’ version with American comedian and actor John Lovitz channels that same urbane humour, their voices sparring over Sidwell’s sparkling orchestration.
Lovitz, known for his work on Saturday Night Live, joined Williams in London for the session, delivering the lines with Broadway-style theatricality. The pair’s rapport was instant, resulting in one of the album’s most purely entertaining duets. “She got pinched in the Astor Bar,” Lovitz sings, before Williams rejoins with mock-shock and impeccable timing.
The song’s just two guys having a bitchy conversation at an elegant party. It’s perfectly written — but then Cole Porter wrote it, so what do you expect?John Lovitz
At the Royal Albert Hall, Williams and Lovitz re-created the duet’s choreography, complete with glasses in hand and tongue-in-cheek bravado, earning some of the night’s biggest laughs. Their version preserves Porter’s razor-sharp wit while allowing Williams to revel in his natural showman’s flair. Well, Did You Evah epitomises the spirit of Swing When You’re Winning — sophisticated, mischievous and irresistibly fun.
Lyrics
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams, Jon Lovitz -
Songwriter
Cole Porter -
Original Artist
Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby