I’m afraid I don’t have much of a story to share about today’s song. Frank Loesser composed “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” in 1947, prior to his Broadway success with Guys And Dolls (1950) and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (1961), smashes which won Loesser two Tony Awards apiece.

Like many tunes that predate the rock era, I’m not sure there’s a definitive version of “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve.” Ella Fitzgerald, who made quite a career of interpreting the Great American Songbook, included it on her yuletide contribution, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas. And while hers is the version I’m most familiar with, that LP was released in 1960, twelve years after Loesser penned the song.

In the years since, many artists have likewise made room for “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” on their holiday albums, from The Carpenters to Harry Connick, Jr. It could be that there just aren’t many songs that have a New Year’s theme, but Loesser’s tune is certainly a keeper (and one I’d much rather hear than another round of “Auld Lang Syne”).

In 2005, singer-songwriter siblings Kate and Anna McGarrigle released The McGarrigle Christmas Hour, a collection on which they were joined in song by family and friends. Kate’s son, Rufus Wainwright, turns in an effective “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve.” His tenor is a nice match for the song, as I’ve long felt there’s a bit of mischief present in both. Hear here:

Purchase Rufus Wainwright’s “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.