I Get a Kick Out of You

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History

Written by Cole Porter for the never-produced musical Star Dust and better known for its appearance in Anything Goes, this show tune is about the singer’s love and his relative disinterest in perfume, bee-bop, champagne, cocaine, and planes. Mike sang the song less than three months after getting married. It is unclear whether the kick he was singing about was his wife, or his musical life. But the bit of mystery is fitting, since Anything Goes was a Shakespearean comedy of love and disguise.

Phish’s early years were marked by a dozen or more jazz standards, but this number did not enter the repertoire until nearly a decade after their heavy jazz period (‘87-‘89). The 8/2/98 debut was delicately dropped between raging versions of “David Bowie” and “Loving Cup,” to close a second set. The second appearance (11/9/98) was a bit less spirited and more campy, and fell between the crispness of “Horn” and “Divided Sky.” In each case, the cover was a mix of fresh material with reminiscence of Phish’s younger days. And we all get a kick out of that, disguised as new or not. 

Frank Siatra "I Get a Kick Out of You"

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