Tonight You Belong to Me is a classic American popular song written in 1926 by Billy Rose (lyrics) and Lee David (music). The original recording was by Irving Kaufman in 1926 on Banner Records. The song’s best known early version came from Gene Austin, recorded in December 1926 and released as a Victor single in January 1927, where it became a major hit - a staple of Jazz and Pop Vocal repertoires. Over the years it has been released in many forms - Frankie Laine revived it in 1952, Patience and Prudence scored a 1956 hit with a cover that reached number 4 on the Billboard charts, and Lawrence Welk with The Lennon Sisters also recorded it in 1956. Dottie West had a country charting version in 1977 on her album When It’s Just You and Me. The tune gained further fame when Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters performed a ukulele and cornet duet in the 1979 film The Jerk. Tonight You Belong to Me remains a Jazz and Pop Vocal standard with a gentle, nostalgic charm.
