"Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" is a popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet, credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest. It's based on an 1881 piece by Russian composer Alexander Borodin.

Background

Like almost all the music in that show, the melody was based on works by Alexander Borodin, in this case the second theme of the second movement of his String Quartet in D. The "Kismet" setting maintains the original's 3/4 waltz rhythm; pop music settings change the rhythm to a moderate four-beat accompaniment. Jazz musicians are especially drawn to the song's beguiling melody and advanced harmonic structure. The familiar AA'BA+Coda structure of the song is energized by a key change up a major third interval for every section; the transition is marked by a harmonic progression from the central major key of one section to the tritone minor key of the following section.

1953 recordings

The best-selling version of the song was recorded by Peggy Lee on September 16, 1953 and charted briefly that year. Other versions were recorded that year by Lu Ann Simms and Georgia Gibbs.

Other recordings

The song has appeared on numerous albums over the years including: