“What Is This Thing Called Love?” – By Cole Porter.

Cole Porter was born in 1891, and brought up in a privileged household. He attended Harvard Law, but left to pursue music. Though gay, he married his wife Linda in 1919, and they remained together until her death in 1954. His song “Let’s Do It” from the musical Paris launched his rise to fame.
Porter’s lyrics are often risqué, especially for their time. Some of his best known songs are “Love For Sale,” Night And Day,” “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” “Easy To Love,” “Get Out Of Town,” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”
The 1948 biopic Night And Day was an unrealistic Hollywood version of his life, and the 2004 biopic De-Lovely filled in some of the gaps in the story.
“What Is This Thing Called Love?” was introduced in 1929 in the musical Wake Up and Dream. Cole Porter has said the major/minor change in the melody was inspired by a Moroccan nature dance. Artie Shaw recorded a swing version in 1939, followed in 1942 by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and Les Paul in 1948. There have been a number of jazz songs based on the changes of “What Is This Thing…,” including Tadd Dameron’s “Hot House,” John Coltrane’s “Fifth House,” and “Sub-Conscious-Lee” by Lee Konitz.