I Surrender Dear is a 1931 jazz standard written by Harry Barris with lyrics by Gordon Clifford. It was first performed by Gus Arnheim and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra with Bing Crosby in January 1931 and released as a single on Victor Records in February 1931, a recording that became Crosby’s first solo hit. The song’s success helped sign Crosby to CBS at $600 a week later that year. A Jazz Big Band number with wide popularity, it was the first jazz vocal recording by Louis Armstrong in 1931 and has since been covered by many artists including Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, and Thelonious Monk among others. The tune inspired two motion pictures bearing the title I Surrender Dear, a 1931 Bing Crosby musical short and a 1948 feature film. It is typically regarded as a Jazz Big Band composition and, though released as a single, has appeared on numerous albums and compilations over the years.
