Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence introduced “Exactly Like You” in Lew Leslie’s International Revue on February 25, 1930, at the Majestic Theater in New York City. After a run of 95 performances the show closed, but two Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh compositions, “On the Sunny Side of the Street” and “Exactly Like You,” endured to become standards.

“Exactly Like You” made the charts several times:

• Ruth Etting (1930, vocal, #11)
• Harry Richman (1930, vocal, #12)
• Sam Lanin and His Orchestra (1930, Smith Ballew, vocal, #19)
• Benny Goodman Trio (1936, Lionel Hampton, vocal, #12)
• Don Redman and His Orchestra (1937, #14)

Broadway was hard hit by the Great Depression, and many shows like the International Revue closed after short runs. Although well-funded and featuring a top-notch cast (Gertrude Lawrence, Harry Richman, Jack Pearl, Anton Dolin, and Argentinita) with choreography by master Busby Berkeley and songs by McHugh/Fields, the musical was poorly scripted, too long, and, in general, had little appeal for audiences or critics.

The Depression hit the recording industry, too, and once the initial popularity of a tune wore off, the public was on to something new. As swing became progressively more popular, big band leaders resurrected a number of older hits. The Benny Goodman Trio’s version of “Exactly Like You” from August, 1936, was the first recorded vocal by vibraphonist/drummer Lionel Hampton, and the disc hit the charts, rekindling the momentum that would lead to it becoming a jazz standard.

Although this tune has been recorded by many jazz vocalists, its greater appeal over the decades has been as an instrumental. In fact, most jazz singers, beginning with Louis Armstrong’s 1930 recording, avoid singing the melody as written. For example, Armstrong, Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie’s band, and Lionel Hampton sang the opening melodic phrase on one note, rather than the descending fourths as written. Alec Wilder, in his book American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950, points out more challenges of this song: “For a pop song it’s very rangy, an octave and a fifth. This vocal demand is seldom found even in a theater song.” He also mentions the lack of a point to take a breath right before and after the bridge, necessitating a slight rhythmic adjustment by the performer.

A great deal of the tune’s charm is in the superb lyrics by Dorothy Fields. As Alec Wilder put it in his book, “Her lyrics often swung, and their deceptive ease gave a special luster to McHugh’s music.” The lyric describes “how grand” it is when you find the right person, “who seems to understand” one’s dreams and schemes.