Sunday, Monday, or Always

"Sunday, Monday or Always" is a 1943 popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke.

The biggest hit version, recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943 and appearing in his film Dixie, was made during a musician's strike, and recorded with a vocal group background instead of an orchestra.^[1] This recording was released by Decca Records as catalog number 18561. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on August 19, 1943 and lasted 18 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1. ^[2]

The song is featured in a 1944 Amos 'n' Andy radio show, in which Andy Brown composes a similar song entitled "Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday" and accuses Van Heusen, Burke and Kay Kyser of stealing the song from him.

The song was also recorded by Frank Sinatra about the same time, with a similar vocal background because of the strike.^[1] This version was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36679. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on September 9, 1943 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #9.^[2] A subsequent parody version by Sinatra, titled "Dick Haymes, Dick Todd and Como", was recorded October 23, 1944 for the V-Disc program.^[3]

References

1. Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side A.
2. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
3. Liner Notes, The V-Discs: The Columbia Years 1943-1952, Columbia Records, 1994.