Irving Kahal

Who was Irving Kahal?

Irving Kahal was a popular song lyricist active in the 1920s and '30s. He is best remembered for his collaborations with composer Sammy Fain which started in 1926 when Kahal was working in vaudeville sketches written by Gus Edwards. Their collaboration lasted 17 years, until Kahal's death in 1942.

Among many fine songs, the stand-out was "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" on which Pierre Norman lent a hand, which was sung by Maurice Chevalier in the film The Big Pond effectively becoming his signature tune, and featured by Frank Sinatra on his magisterial album Songs For Swingin' Lovers.

The Fain/Kahal catalogue also includes "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella" with Francis Wheeler, "Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine" with Willie Raskin, "By a Waterfall", "When I Take My Sugar to Tea" with Pierre Norman, "The Night Is Young and You're So Beautiful", "I Can Dream, Can't I?" and "I'll Be Seeing You", which was written in 1938, but became a hit in 1943 especially among the families of servicemen sent overseas.

In 1970, Irving Kahal was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.