The most famous song relating to the horrible holiday that's upon us is "My Funny Valentine", from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical "Babes in Arms." The song has been recorded at least 600 times, by artists including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Dolly Parton, Elvis Costello, Carly Simon, Chaka Kahn, Johnny Mathis, Van Morrison and Miles Davis. Also, Kanye West sampled Etta James' version for his song"Addiction," which is kind of like a cover version. Sort of.Julie London sings one of the all-time great versions; if you like smoky, seductive ultra-lounge that often swerves into an ethereal, David Lynch-ian weirdness. This "My Funny Valentine was her last recording, performed for the soundtrack of the 1981 Burt Reynolds vehicle "Sharky's Machine."
The song's popularity led to a Valentine's Day-themed slasher flick "My Bloody Valentine," a 1981 cult hit. The movie, in turn, led to a band in Dublin to take the name for their own. This is the Dublin-born, London-based band My Bloody Valentine and their song "Realise." You've got to love any band with a base player named Colm Ó Cíosóig. If anyone knows how to say Colm Ó Cíosóig, by the way, we'd love to hear how.
