Baby, It's Cold Outside (song)
Encyclopedia
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a pop standard with words and music by Frank Loesser
.
time.
of the song is given as "Loesserando," a humorous reference to the composer's name.
motion picture, Neptune's Daughter
. The film featured two performances of the song: one by Ricardo Montalbán
and Esther Williams
and the other by Red Skelton
and Betty Garrett
, the second of which has the roles of wolf and mouse reversed. These performances earned Loesser an Academy Award for Best Original Song
.
:
Sammy Davis, Jr.
and Carmen McRae
recorded the duet in 1957 as part of their collaborative album, Boy Meets Girl
.
Dean Martin
performed this song for his Christmas album.
The 1961 Ray Charles
/Betty Carter
version is the first of two versions to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart (1958 to present), and the only one for over forty-eight years; it peaked at number ninety-one in March 1962. This version was used in the 1990s on the program A Different World, in which a husband and wife lip sync
to the recording as a means of flirtation.
Ray Charles also sang this duet with Dionne Warwick
at the 1987 Grammy Awards.
In 1990, Barry Manilow
recorded the song in a duet with K.T. Oslin for Manilow's album Because It's Christmas
; his version of the song in particular has become a popular version amongst radio stations whose format changes to Christmas music
during the Holiday Season.
Bette Midler
and James Caan
sang the duet in the 1991 film For the Boys
, which was also included on the film's soundtrack.
Mayim Bialik
and Ted Wass
perform this song in an episode of "Blossom
."
The song is also on Robert Palmer's 1992 album Ridin' High
. He performs it with Carnie Wilson
of Wilson Phillips
.
On an episode of his radio show broadcast December 14, 1949, Bing Crosby
sang the song in a comedic duet with actor James Stewart
.
The song was covered by Leigh Nash and Gabe Dixon in 1995 for 'Do You Hear What I Hear?'.
The song was introduced to a new generation of listeners with the soulful interpretation of Grammy Award
nominated singer/actress Vanessa Williams
and rhythm and blues/jazz pioneer Bobby Caldwell
. It was featured on Williams' first holiday album, the critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Star Bright.
In 1999, Cerys Matthews
and Tom Jones
collaborated to record a version for Jones' album Reload
. The single release peaked at #17 in the UK Singles Chart
.
Actress/singer Zooey Deschanel
, who appeared in the 2003 film Elf
, recorded the song with Leon Redbone
for the film's soundtrack
. In the movie itself, Zooey Deschanel
sings part of the song with Will Ferrell
while she is showering and he is sitting on the bathroom counter.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp3UoqOkFJo As part of the duo She & Him
Deschanel recorded the song again with M. Ward
in 2011 for their festive album A Very She and Him Christmas.
Rudolf Nureyev
and Miss Piggy
performed the song in a steam bath on The Muppet Show
, with Nureyev doing the "mouse" parts and Miss Piggy doing the "wolf" parts.
Two versions have also made the Hot Country Songs
charts: Martina McBride
in an overdubbed duet with Dean Martin
, peaked at number thirty-six, and a duet between Willie Nelson
and Norah Jones
reached number fifty-five in January 2010. However, perhaps the most famous country version is performed by Dolly Parton
with Rod Stewart
, which in 2004 also made it to number two on the US AC chart.
In 2006 James Taylor
released a version featuring Natalie Cole
on his James Taylor at Christmas album.
A version released by country music
group Lady Antebellum
in 2008 reached number on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. The band performed the song live on NBC
's Today Show the morning of Christmas Eve, 12/24/2008. Lady Antebellum
's original studio recording of the song was included the following year on the "NOW That's What I Call A Country Christmas
" compilation two-disc CD set, released October 6, 2009.
Ryan Kelly of Celtic Thunder
and Belinda Murphy perform the song on the group's Christmas album (2010).
Arizona rock band The Asphalt
recorded a version of the song and released it to radio and for sale on the internet on November 1, 2010.
Other odd couples who have recorded the song are Al Hirt
and Ann-Margret
(on The Most Fabulous Christmas Album Ever compilation) and Rod McKuen
and Petula Clark
(on the A 1940s Christmas compilation).
Other recordings include then-spouses Jessica Simpson
and Nick Lachey
for her 2004 Christmas album
and Brian Littrell
and wife Leighanne Littrell in 2010.
In 2010, Chris Colfer
and Darren Criss
performed the song on the TV show Glee
as Kurt Hummel
and Blaine Anderson
respectively in the episode "A Very Glee Christmas
". It had been released the month before on the album Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
, and although the song was not separately released as a single, it nevertheless charted at number fifty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 after the show aired. The song was later performed by Cameron Mitchell
and Lindsay Pearce
on The Glee Project
fifth episode, "Pairability".
Mindy White of Lydia
and Anthony Green
of Circa Survive
performed the song as a duet in 2010, which was released as a free digital download.
Season 10 American Idol finalists Haley Reinhart
and Casey Abrams are releasing a cover of the song for digital download on November 21, 2011.
Astrid & John from the belgian tv-series Astrid in Wonderland
Islamist
Sayyid Qutb
. He described the scene as a record of the song was played at a church dance in the town of Greeley, Colorado
: "The dance hall convulsed to the tunes on the gramophone and was full of bounding feet and seductive legs ... Arms circled waists, lips met lips, chests met chests, and the atmosphere was full of passion."
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
.
Background
Loesser wrote the duet in 1936 and premiered the song with his wife, Lynn Garland, at their Navarro Hotel housewarming party. Lynn considered it "their song," and was furious when Loesser sold the song to MGM.Lyrics
The lyrics in this duet are designed to be heard as a conversation between two people, marked as "mouse" and "wolf" on the printed score. Every line in the song features a statement from the "mouse" followed by a response from the "wolf". Usually the "wolf" part is sung by a male and the "mouse" by a female. Though the song does not specifically reference any holiday, it is often regarded as a Christmas song due to the lyric's depiction of a snowy backdrop, as well as the cozy interior setting that is described by the "wolf" character. As such, it is frequently heard on adult contemporary radio stations around ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
time.
The Tempo
In at least one published version the tempoTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of the song is given as "Loesserando," a humorous reference to the composer's name.
Neptune's Daughter
In 1948, after years of informally performing the song at various parties, Loesser sold its rights to MGM, which inserted the song into its 19491949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
motion picture, Neptune's Daughter
Neptune's Daughter (1949 film)
Neptune's Daughter is a 1949 musical romantic comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalbán, Betty Garrett, Keenan Wynn, Xavier Cugat and Mel Blanc...
. The film featured two performances of the song: one by Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
and Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
and the other by Red Skelton
Red Skelton
Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
and Betty Garrett
Betty Garrett
Betty Garrett was an American actress, comedienne, singer and dancer who originally performed on Broadway before being signed to a film contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
, the second of which has the roles of wolf and mouse reversed. These performances earned Loesser an Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
.
1949 recordings
The following versions were recorded in 19491949 in music
-Events:*February 4 – Ljuba Welitsch makes her Metropolitan Opera début in Salome.*September 5 - Wagnerian tenor Walter Widdop appears at The Proms, singing "Lohengrin's Farewell", the day before his sudden death at the age of 51....
:
- The recording by Dinah ShoreDinah ShoreDinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
and Buddy ClarkBuddy ClarkBuddy Clark was a popular American singer in the 1930s and 1940s.-Life and career:Clark was born Samuel Goldberg to Jewish parents in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He made his Big Band singing debut in 1934 with Benny Goodman on the Let's Dance radio program. In 1936 he started to perform on the...
was recorded on March 17 and released by Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as catalog numberCatalog numbering systems for single recordsThis article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
38463. It first reached the BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Best Seller chart on May 6, 1949, and lasted 19 weeks on the chart, peaking at number four. - The recording by Margaret WhitingMargaret WhitingMargaret Whiting was a singer of American popular music and country music who first made her reputation during the 1940s and 1950s.-Youth:...
and Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
was recorded on March 18 and released by Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
as catalog number 567. It first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on May 6, 1949, and lasted 19 weeks on the chart, peaking at number four. - The recording by Don CornellDon CornellDon Cornell was an American singer prominent mainly in the 1940s and 1950s noted for his smooth but robust baritone voice....
and Laura Leslie with the Sammy KayeSammy KayeSammy Kaye , born Samuel Zarnocay, Jr., was an American bandleader and songwriter, whose tag line, "Swing and sway with Sammy Kaye", became one of the most famous of the Big Band Era.-Biography:...
orchestra was recorded on April 12 and released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-3448. It first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on June 24, 1949, and lasted 10 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 13. - The recording by Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
and Louis JordanLouis JordanLouis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
was recorded on April 28 and released by Decca RecordsDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number 24644. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 17, 1949 and lasted seven weeks on the chart, peaking at number 17. - A parody recording was made by Homer and JethroHomer and JethroHomer and Jethro were the stage names of American country music duo Henry D. Haynes and Kenneth C. Burns , popular from the 1940s through the 1960s on radio and television for their satirical versions of popular songs...
with June Carter; it went to #9 on the country charts and #22 on the pop charts. - Non-charting recordings were made:
- By Esther WilliamsEsther WilliamsEsther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
and Ricardo MontalbanRicardo MontalbánRicardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
on April 7, 1949 released by MGM RecordsMGM RecordsMGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
as catalog number 30197. - By Pearl BaileyPearl BaileyPearl Mae Bailey was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968...
and Hot Lips Page on June 23, 1949 released by Harmony Records as catalog number 1049. - By Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
and Velma MiddletonVelma MiddletonVelma Middleton was an American jazz vocalist born in Holdenville, OK, best known for having sung with Louis Armstrong's big bands and small groups. Born in Oklahoma, Velma later moved with her parents to St. Louis, MO...
.
- By Esther Williams
Other recordings
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" has been recorded by numerous other artists over the years. At least five different versions of the song have made at least one singles chart in the United States.Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
and Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae
Carmen Mercedes McRae was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable...
recorded the duet in 1957 as part of their collaborative album, Boy Meets Girl
Boy Meets Girl (Sammy Davis, Jr. and Carmen McRae album)
Boy Meets Girl is a 1957 studio album by Sammy Davis, Jr., and Carmen McRae. - Track listing :# "Happy to Make Your Acquaintance" – 3:14# "Tea for Two" – 2:37...
.
Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
performed this song for his Christmas album.
The 1961 Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
/Betty Carter
Betty Carter
Betty Carter was an American jazz singer renowned for her improvisational technique and idiosyncratic vocal style...
version is the first of two versions to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart (1958 to present), and the only one for over forty-eight years; it peaked at number ninety-one in March 1962. This version was used in the 1990s on the program A Different World, in which a husband and wife lip sync
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
to the recording as a means of flirtation.
Ray Charles also sang this duet with Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
at the 1987 Grammy Awards.
In 1990, Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
recorded the song in a duet with K.T. Oslin for Manilow's album Because It's Christmas
Because It's Christmas
Because It's Christmas is the first of three Christmas albums released by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow. The album was released in 1990 and was a huge success, becoming Manilow's first platinum album since 1984's 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe. It also began a period in Manilow's career in which he...
; his version of the song in particular has become a popular version amongst radio stations whose format changes to Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
during the Holiday Season.
Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
and James Caan
James Caan
James Caan is an American actor. He is best known for his starring roles in The Godfather, Thief, Misery, A Bridge Too Far, Brian's Song, Rollerball, Kiss Me Goodbye, Elf, and El Dorado...
sang the duet in the 1991 film For the Boys
For the Boys
For the Boys is a 1991 film which tells the story of Dixie Leonard, a 1940s actress/singer who teams up with Eddie Sparks, a famous performer to entertain American troops. The film traces her life through 50 years. The original music score was composed by Dave Grusin.The film was adapted by...
, which was also included on the film's soundtrack.
Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik
Mayim Hoya Bialik is an American actress who also holds a PhD in neuroscience.Her most notable TV roles have been as Blossom Russo on NBC's Blossom and as Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS's The Big Bang Theory.-Early life:...
and Ted Wass
Ted Wass
Ted Wass may refer to:*Ted Wass , American actor and director*Ted Wass , English footballer...
perform this song in an episode of "Blossom
Blossom
In botany, blossom is a term given to the flowers of stone fruit trees and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring...
."
The song is also on Robert Palmer's 1992 album Ridin' High
Ridin' High (Robert Palmer album)
Ridin' High was an album by the British musician Robert Palmer. It was released 1992 and reached number 32 in the UK charts and 173 on the US Billboard 200. The album featured the minor hit "Witchcraft"...
. He performs it with Carnie Wilson
Carnie Wilson
Carnie Wilson is an American singer and television hostess, perhaps best known as a member of the pop music group Wilson Phillips.-Early life and musical career:...
of Wilson Phillips
Wilson Phillips
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Other charted songs:-Awards and nominations:...
.
On an episode of his radio show broadcast December 14, 1949, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
sang the song in a comedic duet with actor James Stewart
James Stewart
James Stewart was a Hollywood movie actor and USAF brigadier general.James Stewart may also refer to:-Noblemen:*James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland*James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn James Stewart (1908–1997) was a Hollywood movie actor and USAF brigadier general.James Stewart...
.
The song was covered by Leigh Nash and Gabe Dixon in 1995 for 'Do You Hear What I Hear?'.
The song was introduced to a new generation of listeners with the soulful interpretation of Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominated singer/actress Vanessa Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
and rhythm and blues/jazz pioneer Bobby Caldwell
Bobby Caldwell
Bobby Caldwell is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, despite a prolific musical output over his 30-year career, is still best known for his 1978 hit single "What You Won't Do for Love". While he has always maintained a devoted fan base in the United States, a legendary...
. It was featured on Williams' first holiday album, the critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Star Bright.
In 1999, Cerys Matthews
Cerys Matthews
Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
and Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
collaborated to record a version for Jones' album Reload
Reload (album)
Reload is the title of an album, released in 1999 by Welsh singer Tom Jones.After a lengthy career, and a notable absence from the music charts for several years, Jones resurrected his career with this album of 15 cover versions and 2 original tracks recorded as duets with current artists...
. The single release peaked at #17 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Actress/singer Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous...
, who appeared in the 2003 film Elf
Elf (film)
Elf is a 2003 comedy film directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum and starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in the United States on November 7, 2003 and grossed over $220,400,000 worldwide.-Plot:A baby crawls into Santa Claus' sack while he is...
, recorded the song with Leon Redbone
Leon Redbone
Leon Redbone is a singer and guitarist specializing in interpretations of early 20th-century music, including jazz and blues standards and Tin Pan Alley classics....
for the film's soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
. In the movie itself, Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous...
sings part of the song with Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
while she is showering and he is sitting on the bathroom counter.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp3UoqOkFJo As part of the duo She & Him
She & Him
She & Him is an American indie pop duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward . The band's first album, Volume One, was released on Merge Records in March 2008...
Deschanel recorded the song again with M. Ward
M. Ward
Matthew Stephen Ward, known by his stage name M. Ward, is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to prominence in the Portland, Oregon music scene. In addition to his solo work he is known as a member of She & Him and Monsters of Folk.-Career:...
in 2011 for their festive album A Very She and Him Christmas.
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Russian dancer, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.In 1961 he...
and Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy is a Muppet character who was primarily played by Frank Oz on The Muppet Show. In 2001, Eric Jacobson began performing the role, although Oz did not officially retire until 2002....
performed the song in a steam bath on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
, with Nureyev doing the "mouse" parts and Miss Piggy doing the "wolf" parts.
Two versions have also made the Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts: Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
in an overdubbed duet with Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, peaked at number thirty-six, and a duet between Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
and Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
reached number fifty-five in January 2010. However, perhaps the most famous country version is performed by Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
with Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, which in 2004 also made it to number two on the US AC chart.
In 2006 James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
released a version featuring Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
on his James Taylor at Christmas album.
A version released by country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
group Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
in 2008 reached number on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. The band performed the song live on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today Show the morning of Christmas Eve, 12/24/2008. Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
's original studio recording of the song was included the following year on the "NOW That's What I Call A Country Christmas
Now That's What I Call a Country Christmas
Now That's What I Call a Country Christmas is a compilation album released on October 6, 2009, as part of the Now That's What I Call Music! series....
" compilation two-disc CD set, released October 6, 2009.
Ryan Kelly of Celtic Thunder
Celtic Thunder
Celtic Thunder is a singing group composed of male soloists who perform both solo and ensemble numbers. Celtic Thunder debuted in August 2007 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland...
and Belinda Murphy perform the song on the group's Christmas album (2010).
Arizona rock band The Asphalt
The Asphalt
The Asphalt are an American rock band formed in 2001 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The band was founded by Randy Mazick and currently consists of Randy Mazick , Jason Marino , Clifford Hickle and Nick Turner ....
recorded a version of the song and released it to radio and for sale on the internet on November 1, 2010.
Other odd couples who have recorded the song are Al Hirt
Al Hirt
Al Hirt was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million selling recordings of "Java", and the accompanying album, Honey in the Horn . His nicknames included 'Jumbo' and 'The Round Mound of Sound'...
and Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret Olsson is a Swedish-American actress, singer and dancer whose professional name is Ann-Margret. She became famous for her starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, The Cincinnati Kid, Carnal Knowledge, and Tommy...
(on The Most Fabulous Christmas Album Ever compilation) and Rod McKuen
Rod McKuen
Rod McKuen is an American poet, songwriter, composer, and singer. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of recordings, which included popular music, spoken word poetry, film soundtracks, and classical music...
and Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
(on the A 1940s Christmas compilation).
Other recordings include then-spouses Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
and Nick Lachey
Nick Lachey
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released...
for her 2004 Christmas album
Rejoyce: The Christmas Album
Rejoyce: The Christmas Album is the fourth studio album by American pop singer Jessica Simpson. It was released on November 23, 2004. It includes a duet with her sister, Ashlee Simpson, on the song "Little Drummer Boy". Additionally, it also includes a duet with Nick Lachey, Simpson's husband at...
and Brian Littrell
Brian Littrell
Brian Thomas Littrell is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the Backstreet Boys. He is also a contemporary Christian recording artist and released a solo album, Welcome Home, in 2006...
and wife Leighanne Littrell in 2010.
In 2010, Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
and Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
performed the song on the TV show Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
as Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
and Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series Glee. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers, a rival show choir to New Directions, the...
respectively in the episode "A Very Glee Christmas
A Very Glee Christmas
"A Very Glee Christmas" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 32nd episode overall. It was written by series co-creator Ian Brennan, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and premiered on Fox on December 7, 2010...
". It had been released the month before on the album Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album is the fourth soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee. The album was released on November 9, 2010 and accompanies the season two Christmas episode "A Very Glee Christmas", aired December 7, 2010. Dante Di Loreto and Brad...
, and although the song was not separately released as a single, it nevertheless charted at number fifty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 after the show aired. The song was later performed by Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell may refer to:* Cameron Mitchell * Cameron Mitchell , a fictional character in the series Stargate SG-1* Cameron Mitchell Restaurants* Cameron Mitchell...
and Lindsay Pearce
Lindsay Pearce
Lindsay Pearce is an American singer, actress, and reality TV personality. Pearce is best known for being one of the runners-up on The Glee Project, which gave her a recurring role on the TV show Glee.-Early life:...
on The Glee Project
The Glee Project
The Glee Project is an American reality television series from Oxygen. It serves as an audition for the FOX TV series Glee. Although originally planned to begin broadcasting in late May 2011, The Glee Project premiered on June 12, 2011...
fifth episode, "Pairability".
Mindy White of Lydia
Lydia (band)
Lydia is an indie rock band from Gilbert, Arizona, formed in 2003.-Biography:Leighton Antelman and Steve McGraw started writing music and booking shows when they were both in 7th grade. The band really got their start as Rolo 15 while attending Greenfield Jr. High. They then went on to change the...
and Anthony Green
Anthony Green (musician)
Anthony Green is a musician from Holland, PA. He is currently the lead singer of Circa Survive, previously in the bands Saosin, The Sound of Animals Fighting, Audience of One, Jeer at Rome, High and Driving, and Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer.-Circa Survive:Anthony Green joined California rock...
of Circa Survive
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American alternative rock band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, former singer of Saosin and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward....
performed the song as a duet in 2010, which was released as a free digital download.
Season 10 American Idol finalists Haley Reinhart
Haley Reinhart
Haley Reinhart is an American singer from Wheeling, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois who placed third in the tenth season of American Idol. Reinhart is currently signed to 19 and Interscope Records.-Early life:...
and Casey Abrams are releasing a cover of the song for digital download on November 21, 2011.
Astrid & John from the belgian tv-series Astrid in Wonderland
Astrid in Wonderland
Astrid in Wonderland is a Belgian reality television series airing on VIJFtv and will premier 2 September 2011 .-External links:*http://www.vijftv.be/programma_astridinw.php*http://astridinwonderland.com/*http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1841982/...
Reference in the writings of Sayyid Qutb
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" is mentioned in a key passage from The America I Have Seen, a 1951 book by the influential EgyptianEgyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb was an Egyptian author, educator, Islamist theorist, poet, and the leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and '60s....
. He described the scene as a record of the song was played at a church dance in the town of Greeley, Colorado
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
: "The dance hall convulsed to the tunes on the gramophone and was full of bounding feet and seductive legs ... Arms circled waists, lips met lips, chests met chests, and the atmosphere was full of passion."