Hello, Dolly! (1964 )

"Hello, Dolly!" was first sung by Carol Channing, who starred as Dolly Gallagher Levi in the original 1964 Broadway cast. In December 1963, at the behest of his manager, Louis Armstrong made a demonstration recording of "Hello, Dolly!" for the song's publisher to use to promote the show. Hello, Dolly! opened on January 16, 1964 at the St. James Theatre in New York City, and it quickly became a major success. The same month, Kapp Records released Armstrong's publishing demo as a commercial single.

The best-known recording is by Louis Armstrong in 1964. His version reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ending The Beatles' streak of three number-one hits in a row over 14 consecutive weeks (they also held the top three spots) and becoming the biggest hit of Armstrong's career, followed by a gold-selling album of the same name. The song also spent nine weeks atop the adult contemporary chart shortly after the opening of the musical.

"Hello, Dolly!" won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1965, and Armstrong received a Grammy for Best Vocal Performance, Male. Louis Armstrong also performed the song (together with Barbra Streisand) in the popular 1969 film Hello, Dolly!.




I said hello, dolly,......well, hello, dolly
It’s so nice to have you back where you belong
You’re lookin’ swell, dolly.......i can tell, dolly
You’re still glowin’...you’re still crowin’...you’re still goin’ strong
I feel that room swayin’......while the band’s playin’
One of your old favourite songs from way back when
So..... take her wrap, fellas.......find her an empty lap, fellas
Dolly’ll never go away again

(instrumental break)

I said hello, dolly,.....well, hello, dolly
It’s so nice to have you back where you belong
You’re lookin’ swell, dolly.....i can tell, dolly
You’re still glowin’...you’re still crowin’...you’re still goin’ strong
I feel the room swayin’...while that ole band keeps on playin’
One of your old favourite songs from way back when
So...golly, gee, fellas....find her an empty knee, fellas
Dolly’ll never go away....i said she’ll never go away
Dolly’ll never go away again