Grab Your Free Copy of the Sheet Music for ‘Cheek to Cheek’
Composed by Irving Berlin for the 1935 musical comedy film Top Hat, ‘Cheek to Cheek’ is a tender love song. It describes the sensation of dancing very closely with someone that you care for deeply. This feeling is best captured in perhaps the film’s most memorable scene, when lead protagonist Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) shares a beautifully choreographed dance routine with female love interest, Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers).
Aside from being well-received by audiences, ‘Cheek to Cheek’ was a commercial success, releasing in August 1935 and staying at #1 for eleven consecutive weeks. Since then, the song has been covered by over 438 artists as of July 2021, including Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (1956), Billie Holiday (1958), Frank Sinatra (1959), and most recently Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga for their 2014 collaborative album of the same name.
Typically sold for $15.95, the sheet music for ‘Cheek to Cheek’ is available for free during January 2023. The arrangement, for piano and vocals, is based on a performance by the late Eva Cassidy at the Blues Alley Jazz Club on January 3, 1996.
Fun facts about ‘Cheek to Cheek’ by Irving Berlin:
• In 2004, the Fred Astaire version of ‘Cheek to Cheek’ was placed at No. 15 on AFI’s 100 Years … 100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
• ‘Cheek to Cheek’ was just one of many songs that Berlin wrote for Top Hat, with others including ‘Top Hat, White Tie and Tails’ now being considered American song classics.
• ‘Cheek to Cheek’ was nominated for the Best Song Oscar in 1936 but lost to ‘Lullaby of Broadway,’ written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin.
• This version of ‘Cheek to Cheek’ is played in the key of G Major at 168 Beats Per Minute.
This song was transcribed for piano and vocals by Tunescribers team member Wei Fung F.
A Word on Our New Website Design
If you have visited the Tunescribers website recently, you may have noticed the new design and layout. This fresh new look is better optimized for mobile devices, making it easier to navigate for first-time and returning users.
In addition, the new design will not affect how you place orders – it is just as easy as before. The only thing that has changed is that you can now choose to order a Transcription or an Arrangement. Both of these options are accessible from the home page. Of course, if you change your mind – i.e. you want a transcription instead of an arrangement, or vice versa – you can make this change during the order process, without losing your progress.
To learn about the difference between arranging and transcribing, please refer to this FAQ.
