I've Told Ev'ry Little Star

"I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" is a popular song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, published in 1932. The song was introduced in the musical Music in the Air.^[1] The first hit recording of the song was released in 1932 by Jack Denny and His The Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra, featuring the vocals of Paul Small.^[1] It has since been recorded and sampled by many artists, including Mac Miller on the track "Knock Knock" from his 2010 mixtape K.I.D.S..

"I've Told Ev'ry Little Star"
Song
Published	1932
Composer(s)	Jerome Kern
Lyricist(s)	Oscar Hammerstein II

Linda Scott version

"I've Told Every Little Star"
Single by Linda Scott
from the album Starlight, Starbright
B-side	"Three Guesses"
Released	January 1961
Genre	Pop Teen pop Brill Building
Length	2:32
Label	Canadian-American Records
Songwriter(s)	Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II
Producer(s)	Hutch Davie
Linda Scott singles chronology
"I've Told Every Little Star" (1961) "Don't Bet Money Honey" (1961)

The best-known recording is the 1961 teen pop hit by Linda Scott,^[1] titled "I've Told Every Little Star", which reached No. 3 on the United States' Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[2] Scott's version reached No. 1 in the Philippines,^[3] South Africa,^[4] and Sweden.^[5] Scott's version also reached No. 1 in Denmark, in a tandem ranking with Gitte Hænning's version.^[4]

The single was ranked No. 33 on Cash Box's "Top 100 Chart Hits of 1961"^[6] and No. 74 on Billboard's "Hot 100 for 1961 – Top Sides of the Year".^[7]

Chart performance

Chart (1961)	Peak position
Australia (Music Maker)[8]	7
Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[9]	7
Denmark (Quan's Musikbureau)[4]	1
Hong Kong[10]	2
Ireland[11]	9
Israel (Kol Yisrael)[11]	6
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[12]	2
Philippines[3]	1
South African and Lourenço Marques Radio[4]	1
Sweden[5]	1
UK (Record Retailer)[13]	7
US Billboard Hot 100[2]	3
US Billboard Hot R&B Sides[14]	22

In popular culture

In an audition scene in the film Mulholland Drive, the Linda Scott recording was lip-synched to by an auditioning actress Camilla Rhodes (Melissa George), a character who bears some resemblance to Linda Scott herself.^[1] The Linda Scott version also features as the title song of The Girl (2012) and as the opening theme for Japanese television personality Matsuko Deluxe's program Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai. This version was sampled by rapper Mac Miller on "Knock Knock", which appeared on his 2010 mixtape K.I.D.S.. The opening theme for the 1992 television series Billy featured a version of the song performed by Sonny Rollins, created especially for the series.

Gitte Hænning version

Danish singer Gitte Hænning released a version of the song in 1961. Her cover reached No. 1 in Denmark in tandem ranking with Linda Scott's version,^[4] while it reached the top 5 in Finland^[11] and No. 9 in Sweden.^[4]

Chart performance

Chart (1961)	Peak position
Denmark (Quan's Musikbureau)[4]	1
Finland (Ilta-Sanomat)[11]	≥5
Sweden[4]	9

Recorded versions

• Cannonball Adderley (1959)^[15]
• Jamey Aebersold
• Jessica Andersson^[16]
• Michael Ballam^[17]
• Stanley Black^[18]
• Pat Boone^[19]
• Jacob Collier
• Ray Conniff^[20]
• Country Girls – "Ranrarun ~Anata ni Muchuu~" (2016)
• Bing Crosby (recorded December 31, 1945 and included in the album Bing Crosby – Jerome Kern) ^[21]
• Jack Denny and His Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra (1932)^[1]
• Kenny Drew
• Drifters (Sweden)^[22]
• Eddy Duchin
• Irene Dunne
• Mary Ellis (1933)
• Percy Faith^[23]
• Ferrante & Teicher^[24]
• George Feyer
• Henry Hall & the BBC Dance Orchestra
• Gitte Hænning (1961)
• Peggy King
• Dorothy Kirsten
• Mario Lanza
• London Philharmonic Orchestra^[25]
• Dave McKenna
• Marian McPartland – At The Hickory House (2009)
• Marion Marlowe
• Brad Mehldau
• Misha Mengelberg
• Joan Morris
• Sonny Rollins
• Annie Ross – Annie By Candlelight / Nocturne For Vocalists (1956)
• Jonathan Schwartz
• Linda Scott (1961)^[1]
• Margaret Whiting
• Hugo Winterhalter
• Kim Davey