On A Slow Boat To China is a traditional pop standard written by Frank Loesser and published in 1948. The lyric turns the idea of a long romantic voyage into a pledge of love, a concept Loesser’s daughter says he popularized from a poker phrase. The first recording was by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra with Al Hendrickson on vocal in 1947, and it was released in 1948 by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra. It became a chart hit for several artists that year, and the UK follow-up by Emile Ford and The Checkmates reached number 3 in 1960. The tune remains a staple of the traditional pop genre and has been widely covered, including a 1958 duet by Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby on Fancy Meeting You Here, and it has appeared in the film Neptune's Daughter.
