“A Bushel and a Peck” is from the musical GUYS AND DOLLS.

Photo by Martha Swope
Faith Prince performing “A Bushel and a Peck” in “Guys and Dolls.”
graphics8.nytimes.com/…/theater/Prince3190.jpg

I was lucky enough to see a Broadway Revival of GUYS AND DOLLS, in the early 1990’s, when Faith Prince played Miss Adelaide and sang that number wearing the craziest yellow feather costume.  Wow, that was fun.

Frank Loesser wrote the music and lyrics for GUYS AND DOLLS, which originally opened on Broadway in 1950 and has been a hit ever since.

Amazingly, this little gem is not included in the 1955 film.

Here is a biography of the composer from Frank Loesser.com:
http://frankloesser.com/life/biography

A Wikipedia article about “Guys and Dolls” includes a plot synopsis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guys_and_Dolls

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At this point, I have to apologize to my friend Bart.  I went to a wedding with him years ago when were fresh out of Indiana University Theatre and Drama Department, and this song was quoted somewhere in couple’s program.  I thought that was silly and made fun!  Ugh!   Now, I love this funny little song and, luckily, there’s an illustrated book to go with it!

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I Love You a Bushel and a Peck
Words and Music by Frank Loesser
Illustrated by Rosemary Wells

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Searching around for some instrumental music for sing-along, I discovered:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RM7T94/ref=dm_dp_trk16?ie=UTF8&qid=1266864379&sr=8-1

“Bushel and a Peck” is Track 16 on this Karaoke album.

You can listen to Track 3, which has the vocals…but yikes!  Such a head ache from the lead vocals singer.

The instrumental track (Track 16), however, with cheezy but hilariously funny back-up vocals, is great fun.

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Miraculously, the instrumental on this track exactly fits the lyric arrangement in Rosemary Wells’ illustration of “I Love you! A Bushel and a Peck.”

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I Love You A Bushel and a Peck
(as printed in the illustration by Rosemary Wells)
Words and Music by Frank Loesser
From the Musical, “Guys and Dolls”

I love you a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck
And a hug around the neck.
A hug around the neck
And a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap
And I’m talkin’ in my sleep about you!
My heart is leapin’
I’m havin’ trouble sleepin’.
Cause I love you a bushel and a peck
You bet your pretty neck I do.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle-oo.

I love you a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck
And it beats me all to heck.
Beats me all to heck
How I’ll ever tend the farm
Ever tend the farm
When I wanna keep my arms about you!
The cows and chickens
Are going to the dickens.
Cause I love you a bushel and a peck
You bet your pretty neck I do.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle-oo.

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Here are the complete lyrics:

I Love You A Bushel and a Peck
(Complete Lyrics as printed in the “Guys and Dolls vocal Selections)
Words and Music by Frank Loesser
From the Musical, “Guys and Dolls”

I love you a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck
And a hug around the neck.
A hug around the neck
And a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap
And I’m talkin’ in my sleep about you!
My heart is leapin’
I’m havin’ trouble sleepin’.
Cause I love you a bushel and a peck
You bet your purty neck I do.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle-oo.

I love you a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck
Though you make my heart a wreck
Make my heart a wreck
And you make my life a mess
Make my life a mess
Yes a mess of happiness about you!
Cause I love you a bushel and a peck
You bet your purty neck I do.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle-oo.

I love you a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck
And it beats me all to heck.
Beats me all to heck
How I’ll ever tend the farm
Ever tend the farm
When I wanna keep my arms about you!
The cows and chickens
Are going to the dickens.
Cause I love you a bushel and a peck
You bet your purty neck I do.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle-oo.

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Doris Day sings “Bushel and a Peck”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNjv1WDGxt8

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A cute duet with Dee Dee Lennon and Larry Dean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8shIhgOLTw0

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Sing-along with this karaoke video (music and lyrics):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfzPoDmAAow

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PS:  Dan Zanes sings a real fun version of Bushel and a Peck on his album “Rocket Ship Beach,”
http://www.amazon.com/Bushel-And-A-Peck/dp/B000QMUKKC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1276457812&sr=8-1

Dan Zane’s website page for “Bushel and a Peck” has some interesting ideas about what kind of song it is:
http://www.danzanes.com/songbook/rocket-ship-beach/bushel-and-a-peck

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“Bushel and a Peck” is one of the songs we selected to be part of
“Oh, What a Beautiful Day: Sing Books with Emily, the Cabaret.”

Completing my Song Craft Worksheet is part of my process for working on songs for performance:

 Emily’s Song Craft Worksheet

My answers for the first section:

1 Q: Who wrote the words?
1 A: Frank Loesser

2Q: Who wrote the music?
2A: Frank Loesser

3Q: When was the song written?
3A: 1950

4Q: At what point in the lyricists’ and composer’s career was the song written?
4A: Guys and Dolls was Frank Loesser’s second great success (after “Where’s Charley”) and it has proven to be one of the greatest works of American Musical Theatre

5Q: What is the song from?
5A: The musical “Guys and Dolls”

6Q: If from a show, what character sang it?
6A: Miss Adelaide and her chorus of girls in a night club act.

7Q: If from a show, from what situation does the song arise?  Why does the character sing the song?  What function does the song/character play in the story?
7A: Adelaide’s fiancée Nathan is no good when he plots a deal to take place at the night club where Adelaide performs and we see her number at the end of the show.

8Q:  What other contextual elements of the song are significant?
8A: NA

9Q: Was the song written for a particular singer?  Why?
9A: This song was written for the character of Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls”

10Q: If not from a show, why did the songwriter write the song?
10A: NA

11Q: What do you feel the lyricist is trying to say?
11A: In the context of the show, this song can be played in a rather naughty way.  I think in many ways it shows the character of Adelaide as a little girl in a woman’s body in a man’s world.  It also expresses her love for Nathan

12Q: Does the song tell a story or just express feelings or ideas?
12A: This song expresses thoughts and feelings.

13Q: Who else has recorded this song:
13A: Vivian Blaine (the first Miss Adelaide) Doris Day, Perry Como and Betty Hutton, Andrew Sisters, Margaret Whiting (and many others)

I will spare you the rest of the personal answers.

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Sing Books with Ms. Morgan and Ms. Bishop’s classes on 3/15/2016, a scene from I LOVE YOU A BUSHEL AND A PECK

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Related Posts

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ROSEMARY WELLS
The Singable Picture Books of Illustrator Rosemary Wells
https://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/the-singable-picture-books-of-illustrator-rosemary-wells/

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GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK
Singable Picture Books of the Great American Songbook and Michael Feinstein’s Foundation for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook
https://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/american-songbook-singable-picture-books-and-michael-feinsteins-foundation-for-the-preservation-of-the-great-american-songbook/

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