Am I thinking of the same song here?

[alpertfan]

Was the song, "What A Wonderful World", written by Herb Alpert and Lou Adler, the same song sung by Louis Armstrong? I know from the Herb Alpert/TJB Page that Sam Cooke recorded his own version.

 

[Harry]

Different song. The one that Herb co-wrote is the "Don't know much about history..."

Harry

 

[Brasil_Nut]

I don't think so. I think you're referring to the song made popular by Art Garfunkel "What A Wonderful World" as written by Herb Alpert & Lou Adler. The Louis Armstrong song was written by George Weiss and Bob Thiele.

Here are the lyrics of Herb & Lou's version of the song:

What A Wonderful World

What a wonderful
wonderful world this could be.
What a wonderful
wonderful
wonderful
wonderful world.

Don't know much about history.
Don't know much biology.
Don't know much about science books.
Don't know much about the french I took.
But I do know that I love you.
And I know that if you love me too.

What a wonderful
wonderful world this would be.

Don't know much about geography.
Don't know much trigonometry.
Don't know much about algebra.
Don't know what a slide rule is for.
But I do know one and one is two.
And if this one could be with you.

What a wonderful
wonderful world this would be.
What a wonderful
wonderful
wonderful world.

Now I don't claim to be an "A"-student
But I'm try'n' to be.
I think that maybe by bein' an "A"-student baby
baby

I could win your love for me

Don't know much about the middle ages
I saw the pictures and I turned the pages
Don't know nothin' 'bout no rise and fall
Don't know nothin' 'bout nothin' at all.
Girl it's you that I've been thinkin' of
And if I could only win your love.

What a wonderful
wonderful world this would be.
What a wonderful
wonderful
wonderful world
this would be
What a wonderful
wonderful
wonderful
wonderful world

Jon

...getting his worlds together, online...

 

[Captaindave]

I think I remember the above song as being recorded by Herman's Hermits, featuring Peter Noone? But, without the third verse...

 

[alpertfan]

So, that's it! Yeah, I've heard both versions on the oldies station we pick up here. Funny though, whenever they play it, they never mention the title, so I guess that's where my confusion lay.

Thanks for clearing that one up.

 

[W.B.]

I.I.N.M., the Adler-Alpert composition originally recorded by Mr. Cooke and covered by Herman's Hermits was first called "Wonderful World," and, by the time of Art Garfunkel with James Taylor & Paul Simon's version, "(What A) Wonderful World." The song recorded by Armstrong -- some copies and/or issues of which listed George David Weiss's co-writer as one George Douglas instead of Bob Thiele, and others of which listed all three as writers -- had its title shown as "What A Wonderful World" (no pre- or subtitles). My own copy of the Armstrong record -- the very original, issued in late 1967 on ABC single #10982 -- listed the writers as Weiss and Douglas; what is not in doubt was that Mr. Thiele was the producer.

But back to the Adler-Alpert "Wonderful World": I prefer Sam Cooke's version, bar none. The Garfunkel-Taylor-Simon recording, I thought, had too much resemblance to some of Mr. Taylor's other records, namely "You've Got A Friend" (his version of which I prefer to Carole King's) and "Handy Man" (originally recorded in '59 by Jimmy Jones).

 

[Harry]

The Louis Armstrong "What A Wonderful World" can be found on a 1988 A&M recording -- the soundtrack for GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM. FWIW, on the back of that CD, it's listed as being composed by George Weiss and Bob Thiele.

Harry
...on a dreary Sunday morning, online...

 

[W.B.]

The Louis Armstrong "What A Wonderful World" can be found on a 1988 A&M recording -- the soundtrack for GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM. FWIW, on the back of that CD, it's listed as being composed by George Weiss and Bob Thiele.

And I read somewhere that on a jazz compilation tied into Ken Burns' mammoth documentary on same, the Armstrong tune listed as writers George Weiss, George Douglas and Bob Thiele.

But this question that I doubt anyone has thought of, would be this: Could it be that perhaps "George Douglas" was a pseudonym?

 

[jimac51]

A couple of sites credit "Bob Thiele(aka George Douglas)",adding credibility to the mysterious Mr. Douglas,though I don't remember that in Thiele's autobiography. RCA owns the Flying Dutchman (another Thiele label)version(and they might own a couple of different versions,too),recorded 5/26/70 and they use the credits"George David Wiess-Robert Thiele". Mac

 

[Harry]

If you go to ASCAP.com and search the ACE database for "George Douglas", you get a list of several George Douglases. Click on the second one and you get the songs composed by Bob Thiele.

Harry